132 Social Environment 



few conspicuous captains of industry than 

 under the control of a large group of strug- 

 gling, competing profit-seekers. As the king 

 under feudalism became the champion of the 

 people against his turbulent nobles, so the kings 

 of finance will find it to their interest to pro- 

 mote the welfare of the masses who both pro- 

 duce for them and constitute their markets. 

 Civil government will doubtless continue to act 

 as a mediating agency between the people and 

 their economic rulers, though in view of the 

 power of money to manufacture public opin- 

 ion and to direct elections there is little to 

 encourage optimism in the immediate outlook 

 for democracy. Laissez-faire policies have re- 

 duced government to an inconspicuous role 

 from which it cannot quickly emerge, and 

 capital is likely to be the real source of power 

 for some time to come. 



5. Social Legislation 



Civil government will, however, furnish an 

 important fulcrum in the furtherance of vari- 

 ous schemes for mitigating the evils of capi- 

 talism, such as industrial insurance against 

 incapacity and unemployment, control of hours 

 and conditions of work, scientific wage and 



