PREFACE 



TO THE THIRD EDITION. REVISED 



THE eighteenth year of the Twentieth Century of 

 the Christian era finds the world confronted 

 with a most serious problem, the settlement of 

 which will affect the peoples of all nations for 

 centuries to come. 



Autocracy has signally failed to give to the nations of 

 the earth a benign and beneficent government. 



After centuries of terrific conflict, struggle and suffering, 

 in the course of which millions of lives have been sacrificed, 

 the principles of democracy are emerging into the clear 

 limelight of a New Day. 



No better definition of democracy has been given than 

 that by Abraham Lincoln at the close of his immortal 

 address at Gettysburg: "A government of the people, for 

 the people, and by the people." 



It is, however, yet to be demonstrated whether the 

 people, the Demos, can and will rule themselves with 

 Justice, Equity, and Wisdom. Justice, in the sense of 

 the fulfilment of obligations of rendering to others their 

 due; Equity, in the sense of equality of rights, and the 

 recognition of the same for all; Wisdom, in the sense of 

 discernment of what is conducive to the highest interests 

 of all concerned, namely, the adaptation of proper means 

 to desired ends. 



The Ancient world witnessed the Noachian Epoch: 

 the Roman world witnessed the Incarnation Epoch: and 

 the Modern world is to witness the Democratic Epoch. 



No nation has paid a greater price, or made a greater 

 sacrifice for the dominance of democracy i n the world of 

 today, than has France, La Belle France. 



