324 MODERN POLITICS 



aroused the working classes forget all other 

 considerations and will vote for the political side 

 which voices most clearly their feelings of aggres- 

 siveness or indignation. 



Generally the Liberal programme of changes 

 however indefinite should naturally be more 

 attractive to the poorer classes than the Con- 

 servative attitude of " let well alone." But both 

 parties represent wealth, and the privileges of 

 wealth, and that either of them should be vic- 

 torious indicates that the atmosphere of elections 

 has, so far, been charged by party spirit, by the 

 emulative impulse, rather than by hopes of 

 personal benefit. One class stands apart those 

 who are fired by an ardent desire to improve the 

 condition of their fellows, who view politics, not 

 as a play, but as a purposeful effort to raise ideals 

 and succour distress. These may give their 

 votes to whichever party promises them assis- 

 tance. But they are comparatively few in 

 number, and their influence is very much less 

 than their zeal. 



Party government has merits of its own as a 

 system for administering home affairs. But in the 

 conduct of foreign affairs and in the control of 

 dependent peoples, it suffers from a great dis- 

 advantage. A State is conciliated or obeyed 

 according to the respect with which it is regarded. 

 It requires, however, a mind steeped in democratic 

 sympathies to feel respect for a government which 

 periodically appeals to the public not to turn it out 

 of office, and solicits the opinions of the masses 

 upon questions of State policy. In Europe 

 democratic sentiment is growing apace, and our 

 Foreign Secretary's difficulties are sympathetically 

 regarded by foreign ministers, few of them free 

 from similar difficulties of their own. No such 

 allowances may, however, be expected from depen- 



