3 8 ARISTO CRA CY AND E VOL UTION 



Book i amongst civilised nations always tends to supersede 

 the former, in precise proportion as war tends to 

 become less common. The industrial form, it may 

 be observed, corresponds in a general way to the 

 kinds of government commonly called "democratic"; 

 but its emergence, says Mr. Spencer, has its most 

 important effects in the sphere not of politics, but of 

 economic production. Originally the conditions of 

 industry were regulated by the dictates of the military 

 and aristocratic ruler, as they are to-day in some savage 

 communities, and as they partially were in France 

 till towards the close of the last century. Under 

 such a regime the very " right to labour " itself is 

 regarded as belonging to the King ; and he sells it 

 to his subjects on such terms as he may choose. 

 But as the military element in the government 

 declines, not only does the character of governmental 

 legislation change, but industry frees itself from 

 governmental influence altogether. No king any 

 longer arranges markets, fixes wages or- prices, and 

 settles what kind and quantities of commodities shall 

 be produced. Industry becomes, as Mr. Spencer 

 says, "substantially independent." He does not 

 mean, however, that it needs no regulation. It needs 

 as much as ever a constant and nice adjustment 

 of the things produced to the current require- 

 ments of the community ; but this adjustment is 

 now secured not by the interference of a political 

 ruler, but by a system which has spontaneously 

 developed itself amongst the trading and manu- 

 facturing classes. It is a system, says Mr. Spencer, 



