DEMO CRA CY AND THE FA MIL Y 231 



taneous workings. Thus the common religious Book in 



opinions of the mass of devout Catholics are, theoreti- 



cally at all events, the sum of a number of independ- 



ent opinions, which agree because they result from 



a number of similar but independent experiences. Catholicism 



T T . , r , . . shows that 



Here we have the essence of democratic action democracy is a 



1 t . . i r i i i natural coinci- 



namely, a natural coincidence of conclusions, which den ce of con- 

 happen to be identical, not because those who hold cl 

 them have allowed their thinking to be done for 

 them by the same thinkers, but because with regard 

 to the points in question they naturally themselves 

 think and feel identically. 



Now the home or family lives of the citizens of The home life 



, . r . , . of a race 



any race or nation owe their points of identity to depends on 



essentially the same causes. They result from 

 propensities in a vast multitude of men which, oJa 

 although they are similar, are independent. The P r P en sities. 

 structure of the family differs amongst different 

 races. Amongst some it is based on polygamy; 

 amongst others on monogamy ; but no matter what 

 its details in either case may be, the govern- 

 ment, however autocratic, accommodates itself to 

 the family life of the people ; not the family life of 

 the people to the laws and the dictation of the 

 government. It will be enough to confine ourselves 

 to the Western or progressive races, amongst whom 

 family life has its basis in monogamy. Advocates 

 of socialism often distinctly say, and the principles 

 of socialism beyond all doubt require, that the 

 family, as now existing, shall be practically broken 

 up ; and that whilst the union of the parents is 



