312 MODERN POLITICS 



In early days the politics of the State afforded 

 no such variety of entertainment to its citizens. 

 Every herd must have a leader ; and the tyranny 

 of a chief, respected, it may be, for his age, his 

 strength, or his ill-nature, was no doubt the 

 primordial political institution of mankind, and 

 endured until it was confronted by the interests 

 of the family. With the development of the 

 patriarchal family the leader's absolute authority 

 was limited by the influence of the heads of 

 families, and in many cases was subverted by a 

 council of elders, or grandfathers, the prototype of 

 the senates of historical times. There are not a 

 few tribes of the present day whose government 

 is still in this stage of evolution. It is sometimes 

 figured as a democracy, but incorrectly, since it 

 allows no voice in public affairs to the mass of the 

 people, and is, in fact, the rule of age, experience 

 and long-standing custom. But, generally, amidst 

 the surges of war, the authority of a senate has 

 been overwhelmed by the prestige ot a general : 

 he has seized control as dictator or king, and the 

 form of government has reverted to the monarchi- 

 cal type. 



The fortunes of kingship have depended upon 

 the temperament of the people. In the Baltic 

 races the impulse of veneration is constantly 

 assailed by a robust desire for freedom of indi- 

 vidual action and for change. Most other 

 races appear to need and will only obey an 

 authority that they can admire : they are im- 

 pressed by the irresponsibility oi absolute power, 

 which harmonizes with their conception of the 

 Divine ; and, since there are feelings in human 

 nature to which cruelty may appeal, a ruler may 

 actually gain admiration by the capricious in- 

 fliction of death or torture. Accordingly, over 

 the greater portion of the globe kingship has been 



