414 THE QUESTIONS OF THE DAY. 



demanded by what may be termed the "unbalanced class," 

 meaning those who are so enveloped in one idea that they can 

 see no force or value in anything else. The combination of a 

 number of these extremely dissatisfied elements often pro- 

 duces a curious jumble of "demands," not always having 

 much relation to each other, and very few of which, taken 

 singly, could command any important support at the polls. 

 As "direct legislation" is always one of the "demands" of 

 extremists in social reform, the tendency has been to condemn 

 this with the rest. 



I do not think this is wise. All reforms have begun with 

 extremists, some of whom in past ages have suffered martyr- 

 dom for the support of principles which are now cherished by 

 enlightened men everywhere. Mankind is conservative, and 

 always will be, and direct legislation will be found the most 

 effective of preventives of radical legislation of all kinds. 

 The real objection, from the point of view of the philosoplier, 

 is the danger that it may hinder the march of real progress; 

 that tlie people will not do what the wisest of them see really 

 ought to be done. It appears to many, however, that upon 

 the whole it is not best to try to go much faster than the 

 people are ready to go. Too rapid progress often means 

 violent reaction. The nation which progresses slowly and 

 surely in the development of its national life may thereby 

 become the strongest and happiest. It is alleged that the 

 people are often swayed by passion and prejudice rather than 

 by reason, and that no one could tell what ruin might be 

 wrought in a moment of passion by people so moved, and 

 instances are cited in abundance from ancient history to 

 illustrate the brutality and injustice of the voting mob. To 

 this it may be replied that in the first place ancient history is 

 largely partisan, and we do not know, for example, that the 

 history of the life and death of Socrates is correct, as it has 

 come down to us. In modern times we find bad men whose 

 conversation is irreproachable, and Socrates may have been 

 such a man, and the Athenians justified in putting him to 

 death. Men were certainly more brutal in olden days than 

 now, and human life was less sacred. Finally, the peoples of 



