CHAPTER XXIII 



THE INSENSATE " PARTY " SYSTEM IN PARLIAMENT — 

 COGENT REASONS FOR DRASTIC REFORM — A BAR 

 TO REFORM AND A MENACE TO NATIONAL 

 INTERESTS 



In discussing the grave results of the present party system, the 

 writer was recently asked by a friend, " What would you 

 substitute for the Party system ? " " Boil it down," he said, 

 " transmute it, reduce it to an irreducible quantity, and you 

 would still have — a Party." 



This is true ; there would still be — a Party. You cannot 

 have a one-man State nor a one-man Government ; the thini; is 

 impossible. 



No Government of the past in any great country in tlie 

 world ever consisted of one man, and no Government of the 

 present time, nor in the future — so far as we may determine 

 the future by to-day's standards — will be a one-man Govern- 

 ment. Xo man wants a one-man Government, nor is it likely 

 that such a Government would be a good one if it were possible 

 to have it. 



There is, however, a vast difference between a " one-man 

 show " in the form of a Government, or even a Government 

 attenuated to an irreducible minimum, and the party-ridden 

 form of government we have been accustomed to in this party- 

 distracted country. 



The Abuse of the Party System 



There have always been political parties in every civilised 

 State, and it is more than probable there always will be. The 

 political party, qua i>arty, is not in itself objectionable, but it is 

 the terrible abuse of political power that has grown up and 

 around the party principle and which has wrought such in- 

 calculable harm to the nation, that the people are beginning to 

 object to. 



The party in power, for the time being, instead of being left 



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