D E M O C R ACY O R
D E S PO T IS M
BY
W alt e r
AUTH
OR OF
T
HI
E
A
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E ST R UG G L E FO R EXI STEN C E
T ho m as M ills, M
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NTE RNATI O NAL S C
L OF
O CIAL E CO NO M Y
BE R &
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,
832
COPYRIGH
T 19 16
,
U N ITE D
,
S T A TE S
BY
H IL D A
AN D
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Feb ruary
RE A
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B
M ILL S
RI
T AIN
PRE FA CE
s b ook h a s been w ritten i n a n e ff ort to s ho w th a t
i f th e w orld g o es w ron g w ith u s it i s our o wn f ault th a t
it do es s o
If w e d n ot li k e w h a t th e gr e a t p ri v a t e m o op o li
a r e doi ng th e w a y i l e a r to d o u lv w h a t o ght
to be done i ns t e a d
Pr a ti a ll y eve r yw h e r e th e r e i s li be rty en ou g h s
th a t if th e p op l w ould u se th e p o w e r th ey h a ve th e y
ould s p ee dily m ak e a n en d of o pp r e ss io n a n en d of
nee dl ess p o ve rty a n d a be gi nni n g of a h e a lthful n orm a l
gl a d h e a rt e d lif e for ll
E ve ryw h e r e th e p ri v a t e i n t e r es t s a r e s tron g en ou g h
d b a d en ou g h
th a t with a littl e mor e of i n a ti v it y
o n th e p a rt of th e m a n y d es p oti s m will be eve ryw h e r e
en thro ne d— a ll of li be rty will be lo s t
T h e mo k e r y of th e o pp r ess or w ill be j s ti fie d a n d
th e millio ns for w hom d e li ve r a n e i s n o w s o e a s ily i n
r e a h w i ll be o n e mor e ens l a ve d
ff rt to h lp i n th e s tr ggl e to m ak e
T hi s i a n
D e mo cr a y trium p h a n t i n a ll th e i ns tit ti o ns a n d
tivi
ti es f a ll m anki n d
T HE A U T H O R
Be r k e l ey Ca lifor n i a J a n u a r y 1 5 1 9 1 6
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DE DICAT IO N
T
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BOO
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TO T
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M E M O RY O F
A N M AR XINE M I LL S
NE V E R &NE W O N E T H E INFE R IO R O F H E R
SEL F S H E N E V E R D R E A M E D T HA T A NY O N E C OU L D
S HE WAS T H E D E A R E S T
BE B E TT E R T HA N S H E WAS
L IT T LE D E M O C R A T H E R FA T H ER E V E R &NE W A N D
T H E MO S T L O Y A L FR I E N D A N D H E LP E R T HA T E V E R
T R I E D TO M A&
E H I S BU R D E N S L I G H T
T HE A U T H O R
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A N APPRE CIAT IO N
e Ye a r s of tr a ve l of se r v i e i n th e
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th ese o n lu s io ns i n to thi s form w e r e
without th e p a rtne r s hi p a n d a ss i s t a n e
eve ry thi ng el se of my wif e
H I L DA F M I LL S
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urth e r m en tio n i s gl a dly m a d e of th e l a t e M R
H W BA I R D of Cl eve l a n d O hio a n d M R C C
TYLE R of S a n t a C ru
C a lifor n i a b oth o n c e s tud en t s
of mi ne a n d w ho se fin a n ci a l a ss i s t a n e a n d c o p e r a tio n
h a ve been ve r y s i n e r e ly app r e ci a t e d
T HE AU T O R
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H o w t o P roceed
W h a t t o Do
C ons ti tu t iona l A m en dm en t s
Pu bl ic In d us t ria l E n t erprise
i n d us t ria l R epresen ta t ion
De m ocracy i W or ld P o l i tics
F orcin g th e Issue i M akin g t h e S ta t
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U niversa
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P ol i ti ca l E d ucat ion
E s t bl is h e d C i t i z ens h ip
A
AO fliShiare in th e G overn m en t b y A ll th e G overned
l Fi d e l i t y an d E ffi ciency E n f orce d
Th e I d t i l O rg ani z a t ion r P o l i t ica l Par t ies
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P o l i tica l P ar ti e
O b s t ruc t ive Form s o f P ar t y O rg ani z a t ion
O b s t ruc t ive F orm s o f G overn m en t P roced ure
M i l i taris m an d Se l f G overn m en t
11
P
III
IM R
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AC
W h y H ave a G overn m en t ?
W h a t th e G overn m en t M ay Do
Th e F or m s o f G overn m en t
In d us t ria l D e m ocracy
Th e E l ec t ive F ranc h ise
T h e B usiness B ody C a ll ed th e S ta t e
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E NT
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O L I T I CS
P
E O UTLINE
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S u mm ar y an d Conc l usion
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CO NT E NTS
AR T I
S tu di es in G o v rnmen t
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C HAP T E R I
Y H
A V E A G O V E R N ME NT
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A c t ivi ties— U nani m ous C o en t M inori t or M ajori t y R IH S p i l
P rivi l eges an d M inor i t y C on t ro l S pecia P rivi l eg es an d Despo ti s m
S pec i a l P rivi l eg es R esu lt o f M i l i t ary or E cono m ic A c h ieve
m
en
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I n h eri te d P rivi l eg M ajori t y R u l e an d S pecia l P rivi l eg e — A b use o f
M ajori t y R u l Th e C orrec t ion o f A b uses U n d er M j it R u lhe
i
S ch em es o f Ad vance —W i th ou t th e Sta t Th e E l ec tive
an d M od ern P rog ress N e w A c h ieve m en t s N ecessary t o D e m ocracy
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C HAP T E R II
AT T H E G O V E R N ME N T M AY D O
WH
T h e F unc tions o f t h e S t a t — C oll ect ive A c ti on an d G overnkm en t
Th e Fa m i l y C orpora t ions Par tners h ips C h urc h es B
A ll
Governe d S om e h o w Th e Sta t e th e A rm y th e N avy th e W orks h op
C orpora—t ion C on t ro l an d th e G overn m en t— M od ern i n d us t r d
th e Sta t e Th e In d ivi d ua l an d C o ll ec ti v G overn m en t A iti
an d R es p onsi b i l i ties
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C HA P T E R III
T H E F O R M S O F G O V E R N ME N T
M ajori t y R u l e an d th e C omm n G ood Wh a t I a L a w T h e D es
po tie an d D em ocra t ic N o t ions— o f L a w Th e R ise o f Mi l i t ris m an d
th e B innin g o f Despo t is m Th e R ussian M o d—e l Th e In d us t ria l
B oss l b y A poin tm en —t o f S pecia l P rivi l eg C on t ro l f ro m T op
D o w n O f ro m t t m U p Th e S ea t o f A u th ori t y In d us t ria l an d
P o l i t ica l— Despo t is m or Dem ocracy Th e M akin o f —B o th S i d es o f a
B argain W as h in g t on or W ll St ree t W h ic h gi Hw
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CON T E N T S
C HAP T E R I V
I N DU S T R I A L D EM O CR A C Y
T h e M enace o f D em ocracy W i ll I t L essen P rod uc tion— T h e
Th e U nski ll e d W orkers
U m p i e d U n d er I n d us t ria l De m ocracy
M anag er i A b ilit Th e A ppoin t e d B oss o f th ef A b sen t O w ner
W as te fu l ness i l ave L a b or Th e W recka g e O ur W ork Th e
In t eres te d W orkers rh B e tt er P ro d uc t s R ace Degeneracy an d
D espo t is m P riva t e P rofit an d th e P u b l ic G oo d C h i ld L i f e an
d
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racy— W i ll m
y C orrup t th e St a t e— Th e C ause o f P o l i t ica l
C orrup tion In d us t ria l M onopo l y an d Despo t ic M as t ery Th e P o l i
th e M i ll ionaires an d th e P urc h asa b l e V o t ers V o t in g in th e
ti i
In d us t r i es —A In t eres t e d an d an E n l i ght ene d V o t e W h en V ot in g
on th e J b T h e I n d us t ria l F oun d a t ion o f P o l i t ica l D em ocracy
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C HA P T E R V
T H E E LE C T I V E FR AN C H
ISE
T h e M eanin g o f th e B a ll o t O ld er Th an Wri tt en H is t ory P ri—m i
t ive De m ocracy U nani—m ous C onsen t Th e E l ec tions o f M ose O f
th e B ar barian V i ll a g es War C a m e an d th e B a ll o t W as L os t Th e
B a ttl e for I t s R es t i t u ti on M d i — l E l ec t i ons Th e Sw iss C an t ons
Th e M o d ern
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Th
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M en V o t ers— U niversa l —Franc h ise W es t o f th e A ll egh enies P l ura l
VB aoytinoneg t W om an s V ot e W hy th e B a ll o t Th e B a ll o t or th e
C HAPT E R V I
T H E BU S I N E SS BO DY C A LL E D T H E S TA T E
T h e B siness o f th e Sta t e— P rovi d in g f or th e G
l W e lfare
S h are h old in g C om panies —E l ec t ions A re Sh are h o ld ers M ee t in g s
SE oflunid B usiness P rinci l es P ar t isan V o t es in a B usiness B o d y
ilit y A l one C onsi d ere d
Sh
are h o ld ers R i ght
y an d R esponsi p
t o V o t e S R ace or E d uca tion P o ll T a es B a d B usiness
B uyin g f ro m A no th er Wh a t O ne C an M ore C h eap ly P rod uce
B usiness Des p o t is m an d S ocia l D em ocrac y
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A R T II
Cur n t P oli ti
CH
AP TE R V I I
P O L I T I C A L PA R T IE S
W h y a P ol i tica l Par ty O ld &ues tions an d N e w Issues— A ny A d
vance an d flith e C orrespon d in g A djus tm en t S ord i d In t eres t s an d
S ocia l C
C o ll ec tive B a ll o t s Sm a ll C o mm uni ties an d P o l i t
t
ica l —Par t ies Th e A ncien t P ar ties Th e P liti l P ar ty an d— C ivi l
W ar O ld P ar t y S urvivais T b G rea t es t P o l i ti ca l P ro b l e m T h e
P ar ty as an Ins t r m en t o f P rog ress
P
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X
ca
CON T E N T S
C HAP T E R V III
O BS T R U C T I V E F O R M S O F PA R TY O R G A NI Z A T I O N
T h e Firs t St ep in S ocia l —S ervic — Th e C aucus T h e P ri m ar y T h e
C onven t ion I t s Disor d ers A ll iances B— e t raya l s N ot De l i b era t i ve
B odies Par ty R u l es P ar ty P l a tform s P ar t y C an d i d a t es Par ty
C omm i tt ee G rea t P riva t e In t eres ts — an d P ar t y C omm i tt ees
I mm e d ia t e R esu lt s M—oney in P o l i t ics —C on fusion P l anne d F or
E l ec tion F rau d s M is l ea d in g C a m pai g ns
R i P ar t isan M ac h ines
—
e
—
—
—
—
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s—
—&
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.
C H AP T E R IX
O BS T R U C T I V E F O R M S O F G O V E R N ME N T P R O C E D U R E
M ajori t y R u l — S ta t es m en an d A gi t a t ors— T—h e D esira b l e an d th
C
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t
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A
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th
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P
i ties— C h ecks in —a S e lf G overnin g St a t e— T —h P o w er o f th e
P resi d en t Th e V e t Th e U nco n t e d M inori t ies Th e Tw o H ouses
Stan d in g C o mm i tt ees Th e O b t ruc t ive P ow er o f th e S ena t e
Th e S ena t e M j it R es t in g on
peop l e O u t orf 1i0fi0
P opu l a ti on h e S upre m e C our t I t s L i f e T enure O
I t s A b—roga ti on f th e A c t s o f C on g ress Th e S upre m acyA fio fi th e
TC ons
rea t ies Th e G rea t P riva t e In t eres t s in I n t erna t iona l
O b s t ruc t ive P rocesses t o De f ea t th e
ti t u tiona l A m en dm en t s
Pu bl ic W i ll Th e P resi d en t an d C on g ress G overn i n g th e C oun t r y
F our M on th s A f t T h eir R epu d ia t i on b y th e P eop l e
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C HAP T E R X
MI L I TA R I S M A N D S E L F G O V E R N ME N T
T h e E i g encies o f B a ttl e an d th e B a ll o t O ld P o—w ers C on t ro l in
W ar In t erna ti ona l A u th ori ties P ure l y Despo tic Th e C o—m in o f
W ar Th e Ei n d o f Dem ocracy T h B eginnin g o f Despo tis m O th e
O i C h a tt e l Sl aver
M—onopo
l
y
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O i th e S u bjec ti on o f W o m an
o f th e C l ass St ru ggl e
i
M ih t y E
y an d De m ocracy I m p
si bl e— In d us t ria l Despot is m an d th e Reviva l o f M i l i tari s m — W ar
an d I n d us t ria l Despo tis m Th e E n d o f In d us t ria l Despo ti s m Th e
E ni dl o f W ar T h e C auses o f W ar E n d w i th th e C o m in g o f In d us
t
D e m ocra cy
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PAR T
III
Imp ro v ed M achinery
C HAP T E R X I
U N I V E RS AL PO L I T I C A L E D U C AT I O N
T h e D an g er f an I g noran t V o t e Despo tis m an d Ig
w —T h
L i m i ta tions o f th e S c h ool s N o Ins t ruc tion on C urren t P ro bl e m s
G overn
m
en
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an
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U
niversi
t
y
B
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R
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Inves
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tions— U niversi t y B ureaus o f L egis l a t ion— G ivin B th S i d es
H earin g S ta t e Pa m p h l e ts i R e f eren d um E l ec
P r m anen t
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8.
e
CON T E N T S
E d uca ti ona l P eriod ica l t o A ll V o t ers—
Wi t h A c cura t e
I n for m a tion
in R e ly t o A ll I n q uiries on P o l i tica l M a tt ers on Dispu t e d T opics
Th e p i l Work o f th e U niversi t—y R eg u l ar S ace G iven A ny
T opic on P e ti t ion as in a R e f eren d u m C an d i d a t es ou ld N o t Do dg e
N ew —&ues tions C ou ld N o t B e S u bm i tt e d W i th ou t P revious Dis
i
P iit i
l P l a tf or m s W ou ld B e th e P ro d uc t o f A ll th e
P o l i t icians C a m pai g n C o mm i tt ees U na b l e t o
P p l —L e gis l a t ures
I g nore or t o M i s l ea d C onven t ions W ou ld L ose P o w er for E vi l
P u b l i C on t r l T h roug h an I g noran t V o t e T h us M a d e I m possi b l e
CHA P T ER XI I
A N E S T A BL I S H
E D C I T IZ E N S H
IP
S y s te m s o f R eg is t ra t ion C o m pare th e R ecor d s o f R l— E s t a t e
T i tl es M e mb ers h i p in a C h urc h F ra t erni t y or L a b or U nion R eg is
o f C i ti z ens h ip O nce F or A ll C er t—ifica t es o f C i t i z ens h ip
ti
t
L ike Sh ares o f St ock in A ny O th er B usiness T rans f er A ny T i m
ti
V o tin g th e A b sen t an d th e Dea d M a d e I m possi bl e
F l ifi
O nce a— C i ti z e A lw ays O ne N o L oss o f Franch ise or L oss o f R esi
d enc C i t i z ens R i ght s E s t a bl is h e d in G uaran tee d E m p l oy m en t
Sh are o f S ocia l I nco m e in th e In d us t ria l C omm on w ea lth
C HA P T E R XIII
A SH
A R E I N T H E G OV E R N ME N T BY A LL T H E G O V E R N E D
T h e T r i b es m an s V o t e— A P arl ia m en tary BTohd y Th e R i ght t o
M ake M ot ions as W e ll as t o V o t e on Th e m
O b s t ruc t ive De
vices Th e Ini t i a tive an d R e feren d u m O b s t ruc tive P o l icy V icious
L egi s l a tion P ow er o f th e M ac h ine M i in g o f M easures
or
o
f
M easures an d C an d i d a t es Im p ibiR f U g y D fi d— L i m i t ed
d m
an d Sti l l S u bjec t t o R epea l b y
L
aw
f
d m
A m en d ed O n l y b R e feren d u m P re l i m inar y S t u dy Ini t ia ti n g a
N ew P ar t y W ey1 as a N e w L a w
C HAP T E R X I V
O FFI C I A L FI D E L I TY A N D EFFI C IE N C Y E N F O RC E D
T hme N o m ina t ion o f C anB d i d a t es— By a C onven t ion— By a R e fer
d
b y a P ri m ary
V
o
t
in
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P l ura l i t y By a M a ori t y w i th S econ d E l ec t ion — B y P re f eren t ia l
V o tin g P ropor tion j R epresen ta t ion V o t in g b—y B a ll o t B y th e
V o tin g—M ac h ine Th e C on t ro l o f—P u bl ic O ffi i l By a Par t y C o m
B
mi tt
a Par t R e feren diu m By th e P u b l ic R eca ll Th e S h or t
Fi ed p ibil ty
Ba ll o t an
—
ec a
-
c u ss o n
ca
o
—
eh
eo
—
—
c
o
.
—
ea
—
ra
,
“
on
&—
e
ca
a s
o n—
—
n
’
e
.
—
’
—
—
—
—
—
o ss
e
—
x
h
c
r
e e re n
e nc
e
u
e e re n
—
as
en
u
w
ne
u
—
.
—
-
—
-
-
s
—
—
s
—
—
c a s
—
ee
x
e s o ns
.
C HA P T E R X V
T H E I ND U S T R I A L O R G A N I Z A T I O N O F P O L I T I CA L PA R T IE S
G—rea t P riva t e I n t eres t s in C on trol o f Par ties— T h rou gh C o mm i t
t ees Th e In d us t ria l G roups o f th e M as t ers Th—e Fi ght for L oca l
S e lf G overn m en t W h y B usiness O rg ani z a tions L a b or U nions
G overn m en t De par tm en ts A ll A c t Al g th e L ine o f th e G r t
—
-
—
—
—
on
[
x ii
ea
CON T E N T S
— T h V i ta l Connec t ions o f I n d ivi d ua l s w i th t h e O ccupa
I n d us t ries
—
tt ions
R
e
g
is
t
ra
t
ion
O f O ccupa t ions wi th th e N a t ion
y O ccupa
ions— I n d us t ria l R epresen ta—tion in th e S t a t e P ar t y gm m it t
C h sen b y In d—us t ria l G rou Th e P u b l ic P owI ers anid lth e O ccupa
In d us t r i a l
t o S ucceed d t D espo t s in
l G roups
ti
p
th e M as t r y o f th e Sta t e I n d us t ia l D e m ocrac y
e
—
—
o
ees
s
o
wro u
o na
-
e
us r a
n
s
r
.
PAR T IV
r r
The O d e
Ad
of
vance
C HAP T E R XV I
H
O W T O P R O C EE D
S t ud V a l uel ess E cep
t
f
or
A
c
t
ion
C
o
ll
ec
t
i ve I n t eres t s
M
uni
ip l
N a t iona l— I —t ti l E i t F t F d m t 1
t t
C auses S a m e E very wh er M os t o f De m ocracy N o De m ocracy
F o ll ow in g a G rea t &
ues
t
ion
F
ro
m
Sm
a
ll
es
t
an
d
E
asies
t
F
ie
ld
t
o
L arg es t an d H ard es t— T h e F ir t B a ttl — Th e Las t W ar
c
h —
a e
a
—
—
x
n e rn a
e
o na
l rs —
as e s
u
un
a
en a
—
&
—
s
e
.
C HA P T E R XV II
AT TO D O
WH
P ropa gan d a Firs t— V o l un tary A ssocia t ion F ree Dis t ri b u t ion o f
i
P eriod—ica l L i t era ture Di
B o th S i d es M ee tin g s De b a tin g
C l u b s O rgani z e b y In d us t ria l roups R eac h th e U se f u l P eop l e
Th rou gh th e In d us t ries in W h ic h Th e y A re U se fu l Sm a ll es t B eg in
i g s W inn i n g th e Wor l d
—
—
—
scu ss n
—
—
—
h n
—
.
C HAP T E R XVIII
C O N S T I T UT I O NA L A ME N DME N T S
— G uar d in g Th ese
T h e I ni
t
ia
t
ive
th
e
R
e
f
eren
d
u
m
th
e
R
eca
ll
M easures— R em ovin g A ll L i m i t a t ions on th e Sta t — Th e R i ght o f
th e Sta t e or o f A ny P o l i t ica l S u bd ivision o f th e —St a t e t o E n ga g e
in A ny In—d us t ry Th e L i f e T enure
o
f
th
e
Th
e
P
o
w
ers
o
f
J u dg es
th e C our t T h e U pper H &— U niver a l S u ff ra g e
,
,
e
—
o us
s
.
C HAP T E R X I X
PU BL I C LY O WN E D I N D U S T R I A L E N T E R P R I S E S
P riva t e M onopol ies an d D espo t is m F irs t— Th ose W h ose
R
o
bb
eries
— P oisons
A re M os
t
E
vi
d
en
t
Th
e
M
os
t
E
p
l
osives
U
p l
— N arco t ics
i
d t
O pia
t
es
e
Wors t o f th e T rus t s E n t er
t — Tg
i ses W h ic h P ro m ise G rea t B
fit — G roun d R en t s an d H o m e
r
gi ld in g— Th e M oney T rus t an d F ar m L oans — P u blic E n t erp rise
d th e U nem p l o y d
—
—
n
—
n
e
.
[
x
—
n o x ca n s
ene
an
u ar
o
x iii
s
CON T E N T S
C HA P T E R XX
I N D U ST R I A L R E PR E S E NTA T I O N
A sse t s an d L ia b i l i t ies C rooke d N a t iona l B ookkeepin g A F orce d
B a l anc — H ones t P u blici t y P riva t e C on t ro l E n d s w i th th e E n d
o f P riva t e O w ners h ip G overn m en t O w ners h ip w i th De m ocra t ic
C on t rol o f th e G overn m en t In d us t ria l D m
Th e C r d i t an d
th e De b i t S i d e o f th e A ccoun t s o f th e U se f u l p l an d o f th e
St t A H ones t B a l anc In d us t ria l E n t erprise in a Dem ocra t ic
St a t e M akes N ecessary In d us t ria l R epresen ta tion in t h e S ta t e
Th us E n d s Despo tis m
C HAP T E R XX I
D EM O CR A C Y I N &
V O R L D P O L I T I CS
P repared ness
Wor ld P eace Th rou gh F ear M i l i t ary M as t ery
for Des t ruct ion Th e E n d Des t ruc tion Insani t y an d R o bb ery A
W or ld C on g ress In t erna t iona l W ar C an C om e O n l y Wh—i l e In t er a
l P l un d er L as t s
In
t
erna
t
iona
l
I
n
t
eres
t
s
o
f
M
iners
T
ranspor
t
ti
W orkers— M anu fac t urers A ll P r d ucers In d us t ria l De m ocracy
In d us t ria l R epresen
t
a
t
ion
in
th
e
St
a
t
e
o
f
th
In
t
erna
t
iona
l
In
d
us
t ries T h B gi i o f In t erna t iona l Dem ocracy ATh e Do m inan t
In teres t Th en t o R se th e S t n d ar d s o f L ivin g in ll C oun t ri es
W B eco m es I m possi bl e as D e m ocrac y B eco m es T riu m p h an t
—
—
”—
“
e
—
—
e
o cra c
—
e
eo
e-
a
e —
n
“
e
.
—
”
“
—
—
—
—
—
n
—
o na
—
—
o
e
—
e
e
—
nn n
a
a
ar
.
C HA P T E R XXII
FO RC I N G T H E I SS U E
Fun d—a m en t a l C h an g es S u b jec t t o C ons ti tu t iona l or H ered i tar y
P ow ers Is a V iol en t R evol u tion N ecessary E ven H ered i tary
P ow ers —C an C on tinue O n l y w i th C on t inue d C onsen t Th e R i ght o f
Pe ti t ion M ajori t ies N ee d N o t P e ti t ion — Th ey C o mm an d Th e C on
sen t o f th e G overned Th e F irs t B a t l A P l e dg e P e t i t ion R eac h
in g Th ose Al d E l ec t e d A— P l edg e w i th T ee th A P e t i t ion wi th
B oo t s O A yIar d Ba ttl e W ar t o th e D ea t h N o P rice T oo
G rea t for F ree I ns ti t u tions
—
—
—
—
—
—
n
&
—
t e
re a
”
—
—
“
—
—
.
PA R T V
C HAP T E R XXIII
A S ummary and th Conclusi o n
T h e— S t a t e I s N ecessary— S pecia
l
P
rivi
l
e
g
e
d
M
inori
t
y
or
M
ajori
ty
R u l Despo t is m or De m ocracy— I I n d us t ry an d C o mm erc— — Th e
Sh
are h old er s R i ght s in th e B usiness
B
o
d
C
a
ll
e
d
th
e
St
a
t
e
P
o
l
i
t
ica l P ar ties an d E conom ic C i t — Th e yr C orrup t C on—tro l b y B i g
In
t
eres
t
s
Th
eir
U
niversa
l
J us t C on t ro l b y th e In d us t ria l G roups
P li i l E d uca t ion
C ons t an t —an d E ffi cien t C on t ro l o f th e —Pu bl ic
A P rac t ica l P ro g ra m
Siiervan
t
C
ons
t
i
tu t iona l A m en dm en ts
P b
l
O w ne d —In d us t ries In t erna
t
iona
l
In
d
us
t
ria
l
S
o
l
i
d
a
i
ty
an
d
Wor l d P e c
F orcin g t h e I ssue— A W or l d D e m rac y
e
er
e
n
'
onfl c s
—
o
—
t ca
—
c
u
—
y
a
r
oc
e
[
i
x v
]
.
c
PA R T
S TUDIE S
I
I N G O VE R N M E N T
DEM OCRACY OR DE S PO T I S M
I f any individual be given the pow e r o f
fixed and lasting mastery over things so co l
le ctive ly used that makes necessary the se rv i
tude of all o t hers who j oin in their use
I f any group of individuals to the exclusion
of all others be given together the fixed an d
lasting mastery over things so collectively
used that still makes necessary the servitude
of all others who must use these things but
are not admitted into the governing group
T hese things and the use of these t hings so
collectively u sed must b e governed in some
way T here are only three ways possible
T hey must be governed by a minority
of those interested or by a maj ority of t ho se
interested or by unanimous agreemen t
I f nothing is to be done with the t hings used
togeth er as long as any one obj ects then as
there wi ll always be someone t o ob e c t nothing
can be done at all
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
I f any share of those concerned less than
the maj ority is to control such things and
the use of such things that control cannot be
established as a fixed and lasting condition in
any c o mmunity except as the result of S p e cial
,
,
,
,
,
[9 ]
A VE
HH
W
Y
GO VE RN ME N T ?
A
privilege s of som e sort B u t i t is impossible to
confer special privileges of any sort on any
one without at t he sam e t im e enforcin g corre
spo n din g disadvantages on all the rest
S pecial privileg e s may be the result of
military adventure and once established by
force t h ey may b e h anded d own by inh erit
ance
S p e cial pri vileg e s may be secured by ec o
nomic achievement thus securing to the few
th e control of the means by which the many
live and so an indirect but most e ffective pub
lic power i s obtain e d in the community and
this power once secured by social services by
”
good fortune by speculation by graft or
fraud may also be handed down by inherit
ance
I n any cas e the power of the minority t o
control in the mastery of things in which they
are conc e rned can be established in the first
p lace or be perpetuated afterwards only by
special privileges granted to the few which al
ways means that j ust and equal opportunities
are thereby taken from t he many
I f special privilege is not t o e xist then ma
jo rity rule is th e o nl y e ff e ct ive m etho d for
[3]
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
“
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
DEM OCRA CY
OR
DE S PO T I S M
th e go vernment of t hose t hings whi c h th e
p e opl e mus t use o r d o t oge t h e r
.
I t is claim e d that t h e maj ority may oppress
t h e minority and that as a ma tt er of fact the
people who are j ust and intelligent are always
in the minority bu t the t rouble i s that those
who make up the min ority who are j ust and
intelligent people are rarely if ever t he s ame
p eo p le as those h olding special privileges and
hence who make up the ruling minority
I f it should ev er h appen tha t the p e ople
having special privileges should also be the
most intelligent and t he mos t j ust still their
power to rule would no t depend upon t heir
sense of j ustice or t heir supe rior intelligence
but upon their special privileges An d that
power to rule r es t ing on specia l privileges
could be enforced wh en bo t h j ustice and intel
lige n ce ar e lackin g or when t h e poison of self
interest has misled in t e lligenc e and has b lin ded
j ustice
H ence it may be s ai d th a t t h e exp e ri ence of
mankind j us t ifies the conclusion tha t minority
control o f coll e ctive interests bas e d as it must
be o n sp ecial p riv il ege s c an l e ad o nly to th e
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
[4]
H HAVE
W
Y
A
GO VE RN ME N T ?
use of the public power in behalf of the few
who possess that power and to the measureless
loss of t he many who are v oiceless
.
It i s adm itt e d th a t th e
maj o rit y is n ot al
w ays j ust or int elligent but maj ority rule
need not res t upon special privileges of any
sort M aj ority ru le does not depend on a
maj ority mad e up of any fixed and l as t in g
p o rtion of the people
Under maj ority rule wit h no specia l privi
leges inherited or achieved derived from
e ith e r mi litary adventur e or from economic
enterprise under such maj ority rule those
wh o are in the maj ority t oday may b e in t h e
minority t omorrow T hose in the minority a t
any time by education by agitation and by
organization may make themsel v es the ma o r
i t y if th eir cause can be made to se e m t o b e
b oth wise and j ust
T h ose who are in th e maj ority h aving n o
political or ec onomic privileges which others
do no t enj oy can keep the maj ority in the
contro l of collectiv e conc erns o nly by appeal
in g to t h e j ust and wise
Und e r s uch a n adminis trat i on of th e p ubl ic
,
.
.
,
,
-
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
[5]
DEM OCRA CY O R DE S PO T I S M
power that whic h is unj us t and unwi s e may
frequently prevail but only because it has be e n
mistaken for the j ust and wise and henc e it
can continue to pre v ail only so long as it can
m ake e ffective the disguis e s un de r wh ic h i t h as
com e to p owe r
,
,
,
,
,
.
T o go v ern by u nanim ou s ag reem e n t th e
things collectively used is im practicable T he
.
gov e rnment of things collectively used by a
m inority can be established or continued o nly
by the power of special privileges and th e
existence and dominance of these special privi
leges make a j ust and wise administration o f
c ollective interests absolutely impossibl e
M a o rity rule of the things collectively used
may be found to be not with out frequent and
disastrous failures but under ma o rity rule th e
way is easiest t o correct wrongs to retrieve
misfo r tunes to reform abuses and in t he end
t o secure the common good Under maj ority
rule all these can be done without unearned
advantage for the few and without undes e rv ed
misfortune for the many
B ecause maj ority rule is so much more
dir ect an d e ff ective than any o the r possib l e
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
[6]
,
AVE
HH
W
Y
GO VE RN ME N T ?
A
method of administering collective interes t s i t
must stand as the best method tha t can be
suggested in a matter where some method
must prevail M aj ority rule must stand so
long as there are t hings which must be used
or carried on together Among the things so
used or carried on tog eth er ar e all o f the great
in dustrial and social se rvices o n w hic h the
e xistence of mankin d depends
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
T h e curr en t abuses of maj o ri ty ru le a r e no t
to be denied T he elective fran chise is not uni
versal T he methods of organization are
always clumsy and sometimes infamous T h e
ballot is permitted to apply only to uM p o r
tant collective interests T he things which p eo
ple know nothing about they vote about and
th e things which they know al l about they are
not per mitted to vote about T hings which
concern them only in the remo t e st way they
vote about and things which a f fect them in a
most direct and vital manner they are not per
M isinformation before
m itte d to v ote about
elections int imidation and falsifying of re
turns at elections and th e be t rayal of t r usts
after elections are admitted
.
.
.
.
,
.
,
.
,
.
[7 ]
DEM OC RAC Y O R DE S PO T I S M
I t is ev en in sist e d th a t society must escap e
from these abuses or popular self govern ment
can not long abide and further it is both a d
m itte d and insisted that real maj ority rule is
impossible so long as special e conomic advan
tages or hereditary specia l privileges are held
by the few as related t o the many And it is
admitted tha t this is t rue under al l e stablished
governments and everywhere
B ut even this is not a sufficien t r eason fo r
the abando n men t of maj ority rule and th e
voluntary r eturn t o other forms of gov ern
ment for t he admitted abuses under maj o ri ty
rule become the fixed and e stablished order of
thin gs under any other form of gov e rn m ent
w hich it i s possible to sugges t
-
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
.
All schemes which seek for social progress
without the ballot and with no dependence on
maj ority rule are only proposals to revert to
the older cruder an d outgrown methods of
collective action which had been on trial t en
thousand years before the modern elective
franchise bec ame a method of government and
an instrument of progress
T he more rational program i s to fight fo r
,
,
.
[ ]
8
DEM OCR A CY O R DE S PO T I S M
T o make the maj ority vote the only su
preme authority beyond which there can be no
appeal and to which appeal may always be
made each issue on i t s own merits separate
from all other measures and apart from the
p ersonal fortunes or ambiti o ns of any person
or persons whatsoever
6 T o relate the public o fficia l to t h e con
stitu e n cy which he se rves i n such a way that
at any time the people may remove a faithless
o fficial without being compelled to abandon
measures of public importance or other o fficials
whose character and services ar e abov e
r eproach
7 T o abolish the l as t v estige of special pri v
ilege of any sort which may give to anyone
personal pow e r o ver any other and hence to
rela t e t he responsibilities imposed upon every
one to the O pport unities a fforded him in such
a way that personal achievements and personal
failures shall b e solely because o f personal
character and personal conduct and not be
cause of socia l favoritism or social wrongs
5
.
,
,
.
.
.
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
W ithout waiting for the triumph of n e w
political parties or the destruction or abandon
[ 1 0]
HH
A VE
W
Y
A
GO VE RN ME N T ?
ment of old ones can the power of the ma o r
ity be so used as to compel such changes in
?
the machine ry of the government
T o answer this question is the purpose of
the following pages
,
.
CH AP TE R
AT
WH
M AY
-
T
HG
E
II
O VE R
N M E N T Do ?
I t i s frequent ly cont ended that some cer
tain political proposal may be desirable enough
so far as the p rOp o sal goes but that it does not
properly come wit hin the functions of th e state
L et it b e borne in m ind that the govern
ment exists only because of collective interests
T hen we can proceed with the inquiry as t o
what particular collective interests the govern
ment may concern itself
I t is perfectly evident that wherever t here
ar e collective interests of any sort there mus t
be government of some s o rt
.
.
.
.
F amilies ar e made up of gr oups of pe o pl e
I n the fa m ilies there must b e some control of
the collective interests T hat control consti
F am ily government
tute s family government
does not exist apart from the state and with
out regard to the larger collective int er e sts in
.
.
.
[ 12 ]
HM
W AT
AY T H E
GOVE RN ME N T
DO ?
wh ich any par t ic ular family i s involved in
common with all oth er families
T he go vernmen t fixes the status of th e fam
ily T he own ership an d management of its
collective properties the control of the chil
dren the mu tual int eres t s of al l in t he proper
t ies earnings and behavior of each are fixed
and may be enforced under t h e l aw I f the
husband whips t h e wif e and the law holds tha t
t h is i s per missible and protects the husband in
doing so as was the case r ecently in a certain
court then th e husband is thereby made a pub
lic off icer and th e government assumes re sp o n
sibility for that sort of family government N o
man can escape his responsibility for such an
act o n the ground tha t he himself does no t
whi p his own wife
He is himself responsible
for wife whipping so long as the government
of which h e is a part au t horizes the doing of
suc h a t hing
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
.
.
P art n er s h ips co rpora t i o ns an d all comm e r
cial organizations involve collective interests
and these collective interests are con t rolled
that is gov e rn e d under laws fixing the rights
bo th of proper t y and of persons t o the m in ut
,
,
,
,
,
,
[ 13 ]
DEM OC RA CY O R DE S PO T I S M
est de t ail and t h e rules o fficers and agents of
these partnerships corpora t ions and commer
ci e l bodies are the rules officers or agents of
the governm ent and acting under the govern
ment s authority and protection whatever
these o fficers do in these matters of collective
concern they do not only as the agents of
t hose who are in those bodies but as the re p re
sen tative s or o fficers of th e whol e body of
s ociety
T heir activities are gove rnment activiti es I f
th eir actions are wrong th e n those larger col
le ctive bodies including a ll par tnerships cor
o ra tio n s
commercial
bodies
and
all
other
p
organizations of men are bound t o bear the
r esponsibility for such wrong doing T hey are
not bodies of men existing independently of th e
government they are a par t of the government
m achinery T heir usages rules serv ices and
r obberies are all a part of the government I t
is no t true that the government has and ought
t o h ave nothing to do with such organizations
E ve n as they are now organized they are gov
e rn m e n t agencies and the government is now
r esponsible fo r their activities I t is not a
question whether there shoul d be government
,
,
,
,
,
’
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
.
WH A T
GOVE RN ME N T
M AY T H E
DO ?
activity in such matters T he gove rnment is
already active I t is only a question whether
what the government does now in these mat
ters i s the wisest thing to do
T he government now interferes to enforce
their rules to protect their enterprises to col
l ect their debts to defend them from trespass
— and whatever they do they do with the pub
lic courts the public j ails and the public guns
forever at their backs
Again it is not a question wheth er the gov
from activity in
e rn m e n t i s to be withheld
enterprises of this sort I t is already active
I t is only a question whether wha t it is doing
i s the best thing t hat can be done under t h e
circumstance s
.
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
.
C h urch es are mad e up of groups of p e ople
L ike all other groups those who are in them
are related to each other in a way which gives
them special collective interests which toge t her
they will manage in their own way B ut e v en
churches have both social obligations and social
benefits as related t o the use of the public
power I t is not true in America nor any
w here else that there is ent ir e s e p a ra t i on of
.
,
.
,
.
,
[ 15 ]
DEM OC RACY O R D E S PO T I S M
church and state
P roperti e s held by the
churches are h e ld und e r t itles c re ated under
public laws they a r e ex emp t fr o m taxes un der
the public laws t h ey e nforc e their discipline
with the cons e nt and und e r th e authority of
the state
I t is not t ru e that they ha v e no connection
with the s t at e T h e ir ministers are given cer
tain public duties in co nnection with the birth
n aming and marriage of the livin g and in the
burial of the dead
T hey are not independent from the s t ate
T he stat e guarant e es t o the churches and to
those who ar e in the churches that those not
concerned in t h e a ff airs of any particula r
church shall not int e rfere with those matters
which d o not conce rn them I t should do the
same for any ot her sort of an organization of
any kind wha t soever
B u t n o stat e will allow any church or t he
member s of any church under pretense of re
ligio us liberty to do the things which the crim
inal law forbids or to do any of those things
whic h are in admitt e d V iolation o f the common
good R egar dless of th e p le adings of any
chur c h p o lygamy is for b id d e n
R egard l e ss of
.
,
,
.
.
,
,
.
.
.
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
[ 16 ]
DEM OC RACY
:O R
DE S PO T I S M
I t is n o t a qu e s t ion whether the government
shall interfere All these groups must have
government of some sort and that smaller gov
e rn m e n t in any such collective interest of the
few cannot exist except as a part of the organic
activities which together make up organize d
society for governm ent is simply that whole
body of those organized activities which to
gether constitute the means and method s
by which collective interests are provided
for
B ank cashiers grocery clerks deliv ery men
priests teachers lodge secretaries walkin g
delegates physicians attorneys and under
takers are each of them men of authority in
the places which create for the m their responsi
bilitie s and are i n fact agents and officers of
the law
T he great public questions of the hour in
volve government problems not so much in
regard to the o fficers of the army and navy th e
post o ffice or the penitentiary as in regard to
the governm ent of corporations m an u f actur
ing enterprises th e work of the banks the
importers and to all busin ess activities and
relati o ns of every ima ginable v ariety
.
,
—
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
’
,
,
-
,
,
,
,
,
.
[ 18 ]
H
W AT
M AY T H E
GO VE RN ME N T
DO ?
O nce
the c ent ral governments were entirely
military T hen industry was of importance
only as r elated t o the army s co n ml issary ; but
n ow t h e great governments are becoming great
i ndustrial bodies T he old government was
m odeled after the military camp ; the mod e rn
go vernment is more and more adopting the
forms of indus t rial activity N o w the army
e xists mainly for use in capturing markets and
breakin g strikes
T he head of the old government was selected
because of his capacity as a soldier ; the heads
of the new governments are selected pro
mot ed or removed as they prove capable or
incapable in promoting the commercial or
industrial interests of the people
F ormerly the state was only known through
the interfer e nce of the army with the interests
of industry or commerce T hen it was said
T hat government is best which governs
”
interferes
least
N
o
w
the
prevailing
)
(
notion of the government is the promotion of
education of sanitation of industry railways
canals irrigation ditches and the reclamation
of waste lands
T hat gove rnm ent is not best which acco m
’
.
.
.
,
,
.
.
“
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
[ 19 ]
,
DEM OCRA CY O R DE S PO T I S M
h
li
s
s
e
p
most in war but which achiev es mos t
for the regular employment of labor the de
ve lo pm e n t of industries the coming and the
s t aying of prosperity R egarding such task s
no gov ernment would be hel d to b e th e b e s t
t hat woul d do the least
,
,
.
,
.
G overnment reform wh ich seeks to sav e the
government fiv e cents on th e one hundred
pounds of sugar at the custom house and per
mits the sugar trust to continue to take five
cents on each single pound of sugar used has
not reached the real government problem and
will not u ntil i t reaches the plants and proc
esses by which sugar is made and carried to
the consumer
G overnmen t reform which seeks t o prevent
a combination of great corporations but per
mits the corporations to c o nt rol the industries
on behalf of the holders of stocks both un
earned and water logged , instead of in the
int erest of the tens of thousands who are em
ployed in such industries and the millions in
related industries all of whom are robbed both
in the making of the goods and in completing
t h e proc e sses of production in the markets
-
,
,
,
.
,
-
,
[ 2 0]
WH AT
GO VE RN ME N T
M AY T H E
DO ?
where e x changes ar e made —such govern m e nt
r e form entir ely ignores t h e most serious tasks
wh ich t he government should undertake
I t i s not a question wheth e r the go ve rm n e n t
s hould interfere in any of thes e matt ers ; the
princi p al activities of the gove rnment are now
the prom o tion of privat e interests in these ve ry
matt ers T he government can no t c on t inu e to
do t h e wrong thin g under the pretens e tha t
it would be wrong to do anythin g at all
Any study of government or of pr0p o sals
f o r its improvement must not ignore this
gr e atest task of im proving the government of
the industries where the millions are employed
”
where laws are boss made laws and when
once made are rut hl e ssly enforced by th e
courts and bayone t s of th e go ve rm n e n t
,
.
.
.
,
,
,
“
-
,
,
.
I t i s sai d th e gove rnmen t exis t s only t o pr o
te e t and this is made to mean the protection
o f private interests as against the invasion of
others I t is true that this was the e xcuse for
the existence of the old governments which
were almost entirely military organizations
W hen they had impoverished a country by ex
ac t ing suppo rt for their armi e s th e y e xp la ine d
,
.
.
,
[ 21 ]
DEM OCRACY O R DE S PO T I S M
t hat this was necessary in ord e r t o protect t he
impoverished people from having some other
army from some other country do the same
thing
B ut now the government does no t j ustify its
e xistence on the score of limiting its activities
t o keepin g the other armies out of the country
I ts claim to power rests on its ability to de velop
the coun t ry I t irrigates land T he water
must be used in common T he government
says tha t those who use the water toge t her
ought t o own it together and manage it to
gether T he use of the government land under
the govern ment ditch can be obtained on no
other terms W ater power electric lights
electric roads co Op e rative stores collective sell
ing agencies and branch railways are all fol
lowing the line of the government s irrigated
land policy
M odern industry h as filled the world with
industrial equipments which like irrigation
ditches must be used collectively T he mod
ern state provides a method now for the mis
government of the great collect ive interests of
those who collectively use the great collective
industries T he government i s alr e ady in th e
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
,
,
,
,
’
.
,
.
,
.
[ 92 ]
H
W AT
MA Y T H E
GO VE RN ME N T
DO ?
midst of these responsibilities I t s principal
duty is no longer that of protection in time of
war ; it is as an a dministrator of collective
interests in t ime of peace as w e ll as war
.
.
Under what limit ations shall th e gov e rn
?
ment be placed
P ersonal matters become matters of public
concern only when they come seriously to a ff ect
collective interests C ollective interests must
be governed in some way T he governmen t
must deal with all such matters I t does so
now I f the collectivity is only a portion of
the people engaged in matters which d o not
concern the rest then let them alone I t is
their a ffair L et them collectively govern thei r
collective a fi airs in any way most satisfactory
to those who are in that collectivity but that
would not be the abandonm ent of governmen t
or the exclusion of government but only a
method of government
I n the same way when any matt er seriously
and collectively concerns all the people no
matter what the nature of that thing then all
the people must in some way assume responsi
bility f or th e t hin g w hich so conc e rns t h em al l
.
.
.
.
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
[ 93 ]
DEM OCRACY O R DE S PO T I S M
and when they do so th at too is government
action no t of a di fferent kind but only on a
larger scale I n either case it is government
action whether the immediate agent of doing
the thing agreed to be done is a soldier or a
court o ff icer or a bank clerk or a farmer o r a
miner or a blacksmith
T he government is responsibl e fo r wh at it
does and for what it permits to be don e under
its protection T he only limit to its a ct iviti e s
must always b e the boundary line o f it s
responsibili t i e s
,
,
,
.
.
.
.
[ 24 ]
DEM OCRA CY O R DE S PO T I S M
on special privilege T he one is a dem o cracy
and the other a despotism
M r B lacks t one in his C ommentaries on
”
E nglish L aw
says that a law is a rule of
action prescribed by a superior for the govern
”
ment of an inferior but in this country and
in all other countries for a hundred years ah
other conception o f law has been struggling
for a hearin g I t is tha t a law is not a rule pre
scribed by an admitted superior for the gov
e rn m e n t of an admitted inferior
I t is that a
law is a mutual agreement between those who
have interests in common d etermining what
”
shall be done with regard to thos e interests
T he claim that all governments derive their
j ust powers from the consent of the governed
that is from the participation of the governed
in the government makes a law under such a
government a mutual agreemen t between per
sons hav ing equal rights as contracting pa rties
not a command from a master to a serv ant
.
.
,
“
.
“
,
,
,
,
.
“
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
T he one of these ideas of law is despotic ; the
other is democratic
F ormerly and ever since civilization began
all gov ernm ent s were de 8po tic All p ro gr e ss
.
,
,
.
[ 26 ]
FOR M S OF GOVE RN ME N T
TH E
has
been towards d e mocracy and away from
despotism N o w the great political contro
versies are everywhere related to this con flict
between despotism and democracy T hey are
fighting e ach other to the death T h ey canno t
both be V ictorious N o final compromise is
possible
I n Ame rica d emocracy has won a limited
V ictory in a limited notion of the functions of
government but in America as everywhere
else in dustrial despotism still prevails
.
.
.
.
.
,
,
,
.
G et clearly in mind t h e fundam ental di ff er
I t is
e n ce s between despotism and democracy
admitted that the government of R ussia is
despotic W hat is the thing which is in Russia
and j ust because that thing is in R ussia Rus
sia must be a despotism a thing which wer e
it found anywhere else there too would be a
?
despotism
I t is this — In Russia t h e smallest gr oup of
people ha ving interests in common always ha s
its chief man and he is appoin t ed by someone
who is above h im who is appoin t ed by someone
wh o i s above him an d the last highest appoint
ment in this series of appoint ments is mad e
.
.
,
,
—
,
,
,
,
[ 27 ]
DEM OC RA CY O R D E S PO T I S M
by the C zar B ut the C zar is not appoin t e d
at all H e is j ust born to the supreme maste ry
withou t being answerable to anyone above him
He rul e s by appointment He appoints t h e
m an n ex t below himself w h o appoints the ma n
below him until the last lowest in this s e ri e s of
appoint ments rules those who are a t t h e b ot
t om and t hos e at the bottom are never ap
pointed at all J ust as th e C zar was born to
mastery at the to p so the y wer e bo rn t o s erv i
tude at the bottom
T hat is a despotism A despot ism rules b y
appoin tment from th e top down Under a
despotism every man above is the master of al l
the men below Under a despotism all the m en
below are the h elpless servants of all the men
abov e Under a despotism the men above rule
all th e men below for the benefit of those abov e
and to th e inj ury of those below Wh er eve r
t his i s don e there is a despotism
.
.
.
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
,
Un d er a de mocracy all this i s r ever s e d
Und er a d emocracy the smallest group of peo
ple having interests together has also its chief
man but h e is elected by the men below him
T he next ab ov e is also elec t ed by t hos e b e low
.
.
,
,
[
28
]
T
H E FOR M S OF GO VE RN ME N T
u ntil th e last man above has been elected by
all belo w a n d those below reserv e the sam e
powe r t o t ak e on e down wh e n they do no t want
him up a s th ey h ad t o pu t him up wh en they
want e d h im th ere
A despot ism rul es b y appoin t m e n t from th e
t o p do wn A d e m o cracy rules by election from
t h e bot tom u p Und e r a d e spotism everyone
b elow is t he h elpless servant ruled and robbed
by eve ry o n e ab ov e Und e r a democracy those
below are neither serv ants nor masters excep t
as t h ey are masters of t he things they j ointly
use o r j ointly do Under a despotism everyone
abo v e i s a mas t e r o f all the men below fixed
and irremovable ; bu t u nder a democracy the
men abov e are n ot mas t ers in the sense that
th ey can exploit or r ob or abuse those who ar e
below nor are they servants in the sense that
they can not escape from their positions of
service T hey ar e the voluntary serv ants of
th e publi c good T h ey can quit their t asks if
th ey do not like them but t hey cannot use their
positions t o exploit nor can th ey be compelled
as public se rvants to submit t o extortion or
O ppression at the hands of others
Under a despoti sm the man abo v e s e cur e s
,
,
.
.
.
,
.
,
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,
,
,
.
.
,
,
.
[ 99 ]
DEM OCRACY O R
D E S PO T I S M
pp oin tment becaus e h e will serv e the man
a bov e himself and at the expense of all belo w
B ut under a democracy t he man above come s
t o his place by promotion as a mark o f co n fi
d enc e a s a r e ward of m e rit and under condi
ti on s under whic h he can hold his plac e only
so l ong as h e pr o v es h imself continually worth y
o f th a t confiden c e of t h ose below which wa s in
th e firs t plac e th e caus e of his promot ion
Un de r a d e spotism the greates t man o f a ll is
th e greates t master o f all ; but under a de m oc
racy th e ideal gre atn e ss o f the N azarene wi ll
T h e n the greates t of all
at las t he realized
”
will be the free glad se rvant of a ll
He will
be the greatest of al l becaus e h e will h av e r e n
d e r ed th e gre at e st s erv i c e o f al l and un to all
a
.
,
,
.
.
“
.
,
.
I t is un d e r thi s syst em o f rul e by appo int
ment fr om th e t op down th at the C zar rule s
R u ssia I t i s tha t wh ich makes Russia a d e s
o tism
I
t
i
s
by
th
is
s
me
system
of
rul
e
b
y
a
p
appointmen t fr o m the to p down th at th e
m in es railways and all the grea t m on o polize d
indus tries are ruled n ot only in Russia bu t
everywh ere else on all the earth T hese are
in dus trial d e s p o t isms H ere a s in Russi a the
.
.
,
,
,
,
.
.
[ 3 0]
,
,
THE
FOR M S
OF
GO VE RN ME N T
coll ec t ive int er ests o f all ar e sac ri ficed to th e
personal advantage of the mas t ers wh o rule by
appointment for the benefit o f tho s e abov e an d
t o the inj ury of th o s e belo w
S hall we say that in t his c oun t ry w e h a ve a
politician s democracy and a workingman s de s
o tism ?
I t is expla ined t hat the C zar is born
p
to his plac e of mastery while the American
in dus t rial master achieves his place of power
T h e first of the C zars achieved his place of
mastery O nly figu re he ads among the C zars
come t o their places by the accident of birth
S o in this countr y the first of the millionaires
in any family of millionaires c o mes to his place
of power by achievement T he figu re he a ds
among the millionaires who follow them also
inh erit industrial mastery T he few are born
t o industrial m astery T hat means that the
many are born to industrial servitu d e All
cro wns are valuable only because of t he mas
te ry w hic h they give and this is as true of th e
crowns carried in the pockets of the million
aires as of the cro wns on the h eads of kings
and kaisers
I t has been said that t he essence of t yranny
i s in the power to make both sides of a bargain
,
,
.
’
’
,
.
.
.
,
,
,
,
.
.
.
.
,
.
.
[ 31 ]
DEM OCR A CY O R DE S PO T I S M
I n all the great indust ries of Am erica the
,
speculators masters by inheritance or by fraud
ar e struggling wit h all the power their des
poti e organizations of industry have ;given
th em t o make both sides of e very ba r gain
,
,
,
.
,
Un d e r Am eri can pol iti cal d emocr a cy the
worker may vote onc e in four y e ars but under
Am erican industrial despotism th e worker has
no v ote t hrough al l t h e y e ars of h is v oicel ess
s e rvice
T he political democracy wit h its he adqu ar
ters at Washington maintains the post -offic e
and the army and navy I t do e s a few other
thin gs I t is all the tim e doing more things
I ndustrial despotism with its h eadquart ers in
N e w Y ork and its branches ev e rywh e r e con
trols all the great monopolized indus t ries in
which the millions are employed T h e indus
tries not so monopolized depend for se rvices
in such a way on t h e industries which are
monopolized that these cent ral indus t rial mon
o p o lie s can
and do fi x t h e p ri c e s o n all th e
products of labor
T hey fix the price of labor for all the mil
lions employ e d by th e s e monopoliz e d indus
,
,
,
.
.
.
.
.
,
,
,
,
.
[ 32 ]
DEM OCRACY OR DE S PO T I S M
the tyranny of industrial despotism complete
and unendurable
.
L incoln said
“
,
T h is c oun t ry canno t long
en
”
dure part slave territo ry and part free soil
S o may i t be said that this country canno t l ong
endure a political democracy and an industrial
despotism both a t the same time E ither the
d e mocracy which the peopl e have sought for
cherished and defended will b e extended to all
collective interests including the things whic h
the people use together in the earning of a
living — either that or els e in dustrial despotism
will continue to extend i t s powe r until all of
”
liberty is lost
I t i s frequently admitted t hat ultimately
either W ashington must give orders to Wall
S treet or W all S treet will give orders to Wash
in gto n
I n fact it is more than intimated that
Wall S treet is already t h e master of all the
departments and services of t he government
at W ashington and even now uses these gov
e rn m e n t powers to furth e r th e int e r e s ts of this
industrial desp o tism
E ven when this admission is made i t is still
asser t ed t hat bad as this is industrial de m o c
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
“
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
[ 34 ]
TH E
FOR M S OF GOVE RN ME N T
racy would be even worse ; and h aving ass umed
t his without giving any reason it is at o nce
a ffirm ed that the advocates of industrial d e
”
”
m o cracy are anarchists
traitors
men de
”
”
v oid o f patriotism
mischief makers
”
en emies of the fl ag and unfit for citizen
”
An d this is the industrial des p ot s only
s hip
answ er t o democracy I t is a deliberate e ff or t
to creat e needless social hysteria and to win a
bad case by a persistent use of invectiv e and
of p e rsonal bitterness H ow groundless ar e
these fears of social disaster under industrial
dem o cracy
b e shown in the following
c h apt e r
,
“
“
“
,
,
“
,
,
“
“
’
.
.
.
.
[ 35 ]
CH A P TE R IV
I N DU STR IAL D E M O C RA C Y
I f indus t rial democracy really is to inj ure
s ociety as claimed above it must do so in some
one of several ways
I f it would make the products of labor less
or the goods produced of inferior quality that
w o uld be a misfortune I f it would lower the
levels of physical strength or mental power
among the people and so lead to race degen
I f it would
e racy that would be a misfor tune
corrupt the s t ate and so bring on political con
ditio n s more u nendurable t han those which
even now are not t o b e e ndured th a t would b e
a misfort un e
I f industria l d e m o cracy c ould inj ur e society
in none of t h e se ways even the mos t fright
ened im agination am o ng all th e defenders o f
the industrial despots would be unable t o dis
cover any other way by which harm would
c om e t o society through making an end of
,
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
[ 36 ]
I N D U S T R I AL
DEM OCRAC Y
industrial despotism and a beginning of indus
t rial d emocracy
.
L e t us sob e rly conside r h o w groundless ar e
th e se fears
F irs t Wil l the coming of in dustrial de m o c
racy make t he product s of labor less ?
N o w millions of men and women are irre gu
larly e mployed or ar e altogether unemployed
an d the industrial despots cannot employ them
T h e indus t ria l despots cannot employ them be
caus e t he y cannot secur e a stable constant
s uffici en t market in which to sell the products
T h e y cann ot se ll the products because th e
workers cannot buy with their wages what t hey
ca n produce with their lab o r
T h is is t rue beca use private monopolies pr i
vate ly appropriate ground rents privately e u
forc e and appropriat e e xtortionate charges for
t he private use of t h e public credit and pri
vate ly fi x and priva t ely appropriate enormous
s ums in profit s or dividends for which ther e is
given in return not even a pretense of servic e
I ndustrial democracy cannot possibly be e s
tablishe d w hile these privat e monopolies re
main Wh en th e gov ernm ent a ct ing i n be h alf
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
.
,
.
,
.
[ 37 ]
DEM OCRACY OR DE S PO T I S M
o f a ll appropriates ground rent s whic h ar e the
gift of nature or the product of the whol e body
of society when th e go v ernm ent acting in be
half of all provides for t he private us e of all
public credit a t th e cos t of k e eping the ao
counts and makin g good the losses when th e
o
v
r
m
n
n
t
acting
in
behalf
of
takes
ov
e
r
e
e
ll
a
g
the great i ndustrial monopolies and mak e s an
e nd of unearned dividends then the only re
maining claim an t against the products of labor
will be labor itse l f T hen wages must rise and
prices fall until labo r can buy its own t ot al
produc t
H ence in dus t ria l de mocracy will a t once
make one s power in the purchase of product s
balance against his power to produce T ha t
will make a never failing market T hen al l
labo r can be regularly employed T hat will
m ak e a larger product for a larger mark et
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
’
.
-
.
.
.
N ow m os t
lab or i s un skill ed l ab o r N o man
u f actu re r will shar e the secrets of h is trade
N O worker wants to multiply the competitors
for his j ob I ndustrial democracy will change
all this T he skill th e secrets th e tricks and
kna ck s o f e ffe ct ive p r oduct ion wh e n m ad e
.
.
.
.
,
,
,
[ 33 ]
I ND US T R IA L DEM OCRAC Y
available for all will increase the products of
all not wit h resulting loss of employment or of
threaten ed bankruptcy for any but wit h in
creasin g prospe rity for all All labor will tend
strongly t o become skilled labor S killed labor
produc e s mor e th an unskill e d l ab o r and th a t
will mak e a l a rge r p r o du ct
,
,
,
.
.
,
.
This i s th e a g e o f machinery
The b est
.
equipped lab o r can produce all the way from
three t o one hundred times as much now as t he
same labor could have produced a hundred
years ago s t ill most labor works with inf erior
equipments I ndustrial democracy will not
only give regular employmen t and skilled
labor but the most e ffective equipment will b e
within the reac h of all T hat will inc r ease t h e
product
,
,
.
,
.
.
— wh a t of th a t ?
manage
r
i
a
l
a
bi
l
ity
The
But
—
m an of unusual capacity what chance will h e
h ave t o win and to hold the place of firs t im
portance in the processes of production ? F or
t h at it is said is necessary t o a large product
T h e final au t hori t y under indus t rial m on o p
A
s i n du s
o l is now ve s t e d i n t he sto ck hol d e r
y
,
.
,
.
[ 39 ]
DEM OCR A CY O R D E S PO T I S M
trial monopolies develop the stockholder is
more and more absent from the act ual work
and ignorant of i t s processes He can j udge
of the capacity of the h ired bo ss on ly by his
dividends or his lack of dividends
N o w t h e usual wage worker canno t live at
all except h e works as t he hired se rv ant of a
hired boss T he hired boss canno t h old his
j ob as boss unless h e works his men harder and
faster gets more out of them and gives th e m
less for i t t han could any o th er man had h e
his place
I t would seem a t first thought t hat und e r
such conditions the largest produc t would re
sult but it has been demonstrated in a thou
sand ways that this is not the case E mploy
ment under such con ditions is v ery much like
slavery and slavery has been proven to be the
most wasteful of all fo rm s of labor Adam
S mith said it was never really profitable
Under present conditions of indus t rial des
o
t
i
s
m
the
worker
is
employed
under
a
sys
p
tem which exhausts his life s productive capac
ity in the briefest possible period and drives
him to an early death or to long year s of p it i
ab l e and un p roducti v e e x istence S uc h ma n
,
.
.
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
’
.
[
40]
DEM OC RACY O R DE S PO T I S M
t ask in life is no t to render serv ice bu t to
select those who as his personal serv ants will
wear ou t an d waste the life se rvices of th e
,
,
,
,
I ndustria l d e spo t ism like all ot h er desp o
,
fixes final mastery by the accident of
birt h picks out the principal men before they
are born I ndustrial democracy like all other
democracies picks out its principal men after
they are born and does not need to wait for
them t o die in order to esca p e from an un f o r
tun ate choic e of servants not m asters
I ndus
trial democracy not only provides for the mos t
capable man in the most important place bu t
it has a better way of finding him out and for
keeping him always in the place wh er e h e can
r ender the best services
T he F ord Automobile C ompany by in cre as
i ng wages and sharing profits both with pro
duce rs and consumers increased i t s shop e f
ficie n cy by thirty per cen t in a sin gle y e ar
P rofit sharing has everywhere in creas e d e f
ficien cy W he n profits are no longer shared
w i t h thos e wh o render no share of the se rvice
of production and t he total product goes to
th e p ro duc e r then every motiv e wil l operat e
tism s,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
.
l
,
,
[ 49 ]
I N D US T R I AL
DEM OCRAC Y
t owards e fficiency and a bette r no t an inferior
management will result
W ith better management skilled labor the
b e st possible equipment and continuous em
ploym e n t for all there will be a larg e r product
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
As
to the qualit y of t h e goo ds i t may be
said that shoddy adulteration and every other
form of industrial fraud is now possible be
cause the men who produce these things ar e
under the management of men who do not
t h emselves expect to use the particular things
produced I f the workers wer e themselves the
managers of production as well as the us e rs
of the things produced fraud would a t once be
ruled out N o one makes raspberry j am out of
millet seed and s tock yards refuse for home
consumption
B ecause of these considerations it is seen
that industrial democracy would mean both a
larger and a be tt e r pro duct
,
,
,
.
,
.
-
.
,
.
Second
W ill in dustrial democracy tend
towards race degeneracy ?
Under industrial despotism the first claim
on all th e industr y of the rac e is t o p ro vide
.
,
[
43
]
DEM OCRACY O R
D E S PO T IS M
ren t s dividends and int erest paym ents for th e
industrial despots Under industrial de m o c
racy normal human needs and desires can again
assert themselves and then the first claims on
all industry will speedily become the highest
interests of the whole race life ; and these high
est in terests are forever dependent on wife
hood motherhood and childhood T hat would
not tend towards race degeneracy
With the workers made the masters of thei r
own employment because of the regular and
profitable employment of the natural bread
winners child labor would cease at once for
the reason that that would leave the further
exploitation of childhood entirely without ex
cuse T he two millions of American children
who are now bearing the burdens and responsi
bilitie s of grown u p people would go back to
the school to the playground and to the fire
side T hat would not tend to race degeneracy
W ith the workers the masters of their own
industries under industrial democracy the un
employed and the irregularly employed would
be saved from the demoralization incident to
the self destroying periods of enforced idleness
w h en hope dies and vice and crim e so easily
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
-
,
,
.
.
,
-
[ 44 ]
I N D US T R I AL
DEM OCRAC Y
follow in the footsteps of despair T hat would
no t t end to race degeneracy
G eneral G orgas says tha t the best possible
sanitary measure t his country could adopt
would be to double the wages of a ll the work
e rs T hat would still be less than giving them
all t hat they would be able t o pr o duce with all
the time employment scientific managemen t
and the best possible equipment T uberculosis
typhoid diphtheria and all the othe r infectious
and most destructive diseases are the especial
enemies of the poor L ow vitality because of
hunger and exposure makes them easy victims
of these destroyers A rational opportunity to
live which democra t ic management of industry
would speedily secure for all would make an
e n d of these destroyers
T ha t would not tend
to race degeneracy
T he improvement of the equipm ent s the
making of all labor skilled labor and that labor
regularly employed would make possible the
s h ortening of the hours of labor and the length
e n in g of the hours of leisure
Wherever that
has happened it has led to the Sp ending of
more money for books and less for b e er T ha t
do e s not tend to race degeneracy
.
.
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
[ 45 ]
DEM OCRACY O R DE S PO T I S M
F or th e sam e reasons under industrial de
m o cracy the mother could go back to her family
and the father could become again the play
mate of his c hildren T ha t would no t t end t o
race degeneracy
Increasing idiocy insani ty and cr ime can b e
accounted for only by the conditions of anxi
ety exposur e and diseas e especially incidental
to th e killing pace and t he cru e l burdens inci
dent t o industrial desp o ti sm T o restore nor
ma l industrial conditions as would be done
under industrial democracy will do mor e than
all els e to restore the socia l conditions under
whic h the fruits of the t ree o f life would no
longer be found in increasing numbers in the
f e e ble minded the Vicious the criminal and th e
insane T hat would n o t t en d to rac e degen
,
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
-
,
,
,
.
e racy.
T h e scho ol t h e churc h the family thes e
are t h e great social agencies f o r human bet
te rm e n t Under industrial democracy the tim e
for t he j ust demands of t hes e in stitutions
the funds for their support and the strengt h
of body and the peace of mind which mak e s
possible and profitable study worship love
— all th ese will be at las t wi thin th e re ac h
—
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
[ 46 ]
,
I N DU S T R I AL
of all
e racy
DEM OCR A C Y
T hat will not tend to race degen
.
.
I ndustrial democracy will produce more
goods and bett er goods I t will also produce
.
stronger people wiser people and bett er peo
ple I t will deliver mankind from race degen
e r a cy and will start anew the processes of t h e
evolutionary perfection of the human race
,
.
.
“
T hird I t only remains to ask Will indus
”
trial democracy corrupt the state ?
T he government is now corrupt but not b e
cause the people are bad E ven bad people
want others to behave themselves T he demo
cratic and republican parties h ave not cor
ru p te d the government
T hese pa rties like the
general government and the gr eat mun icipali
ties are not the authors of corruption P olit
ical parties both in and ou t of office are co r
rupt when they are corrupt because there ar e
certain great private interests which must exist
under industrial despotism and which profit
most when the governm ent is most corrup t
T hese are the pri vat e interests of the indus
t rial monopolies the professional polit icians
and the purchasable voters
.
,
,
.
.
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
[ 47 ]
DEM OCRA CY O R DE S PO T I S M
T h e industrial monopolies could no t us e th e
public power as they do did they depend on
intelligent public ma o ritie s fo r t h eir ability to
do so T hey can s e cur e and keep control of
these public powers only by the misus e o f poli t
ica l parties and they ar e able to do this because
of their power by th e use o f mon e y t o make
or br e ak t he men t emp o rarily in c on t r ol o f
p olitical o rganization s
T h e only meth od by w hich they can secure
t h eir own inte res t s i s by political corruption
H enc e t h ey are c e aseless w o rk e rs in political
practices necessarily c orrupt
?
W h y do s o me m e n sell their v ot e s T here
ar e s everal reasons S ome t imes it is b e cause
t hes e v ot es ar e the only th ings t hey hav e to sell
wh ic h are marketab l e So metimes i t is becaus e
wh en they sell their v ot es and make the de liv
e ries t hey don t miss anyth in g wh ich they h ad
b ef o re B ut it is a l ways tru e that t h ey sell
th eir v ot e s becaus e the privat e owners of the
gr e at indus t rial monopolies are e ve r r eady and
abl e to make t h e purchas e
T h e s e purchasable vot e rs ar e alm ost en t irely
m ade by t h e misfortunes i nciden t al to indus
trial de s p ot i sm T h e in du str i al d e spot s use
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
,
.
.
.
o
’
,
.
.
.
[ 48 ]
DEM OCR A CY O R DE S PO T I S M
private interests within the industries whic h
could be opposed to the common good
T he boodler s barrel would disappear along
with the industrial despot s loss of power
T here would be no des pots under industrial de
m o cracy to buy franchises or to monopolize and
abuse industrial opportunities P ublic fran
c hise s would not be for sale at any p rice and
industrial opportunities would be provided for
all on equal terms T here would be no pur
chasable vote under industrial democracy
T he men whose votes are bought are at the
bottom of the human scale N o w they are abl e
to live as idlers because beggary and theft are
in separable from industrial despotism T hey
tell one they are hungry and without work
T he y are given bread by those who cannot give
them work When work is always within the
reac h of all workers then such men will go
hungry or they wil l go to work I f they go
h ungry the y will not last long after which
they will cease from troubling I f they go t o
work they will vote in the industry if] which
they are employed and about the thin gs which
they help to do T he n they will h ave some
thing b e sid e s th e ir vo t e s w hi ch will b e mark e t
.
’
’
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
[ 5 0]
I N D US T R I AL DEM OCR A C Y
able T hen they will miss something should
they sell their votes T hen their votes will be
directly related to the things which they them
selves would be engaged in doing T he n they
cannot vote burdens upon others which will not
fall upon themselves T hen they cannot vote
to give away what is not their own or what
concerns them only in some r e mote and u n ce r
tain way T hen they will vote about their own
a ffairs and they will know about what they
vote about T herefore they cannot be misled
T hey will be personally and vitally interested
in the result H ence they cannot be bought
N o private interes t would remain which
could a f ford to pay them what their votes
would be worth to them in their own busi
ness
T he purchasable vote and the boodler s bar
rel both go with the coming of industrial de m o c
racy After their departure the professional
politician becomes a n impossibility P olitical
corruption is alone possible because of the in
T he political boss and the
du strial despot
purchasable vote must go also with the going
of industrial despotism and the coming of ih
du strial democracy
.
.
,
,
.
.
,
.
,
.
.
.
.
,
.
’
.
,
.
.
.
[
51
]
DEM OCRA CY O R DE S PO T I S M
An d
so again industrial democracy instead
of threatening to corrupt the government
p roves to be on examination the only means of
escape from the corruption which has befallen
t he government under industrial despoti sm and
which must last as long as industrial despotism
lasts
T he machinery of self government if it is
to be e ff ective anywhere must be constructed
so as to be available wherever collective inter
ests are fo und T o consent to a pretense of
democracy under forms of orga n ization under
which real democracy is impossible is an old
trick of the beaten despots C ollective inter
ests are not only found in the in dustries but
the greatest collective interests of all are in
these industries A scheme of self governmen t
which still makes self governing industries im
possible and leaves the millions who v ote de
pendent for their existence on the wishes of
great private monopolies will not avail in the
struggle for world -wide mastery between des
o tism and democracy
p
P olitical democracy cannot endure if it rests
on an economic foundation of industrial des
I
ndustrial
democracy
once
estab
o
t
m
i
s
p
,
,
,
'
,
,
,
.
-
,
,
.
.
,
-
.
-
,
,
.
,
.
[
52
]
I N D US T R I AL
DEM OCRAC Y
lisbe d,
democracy must and will become a t onc e
triumphant in every other department of
human interest and endeavor for the reason
that when despotism can no longer threaten the
m eans by which th e mil lions live no other mo
t ive can be fo und strong enough and vile
enough to mak e p o ssible any longer anywh er e
t he in fam o us r ela t ions h ip of maste ry and serv i
t ude
,
,
,
.
[ 53 ]
,
CH A P TE R V
T
H E LE C T IVE FRA N C HI E
E
S
T h e vot e is the m eans by which a member of
any group gives e xpression to his wishes con
cerning its collective a ffairs T he right to be
heard in such a way is called the elective fran
chise
T h e right to vote is much older than the be
gi n nings of written human history I t has been
seen that under the earliest forms of s o ciety
the tribesmen not only acted together by com
mon consent but t he questions of disput e were
so simple and the interests of each so per
f e ctly evident that the tribal groups were able
to determine the simple questions arising
among them by unanimous agreement Under
such conditions no one was asked to help to do
that which he did not personally feel to be the
wisest thing to be done T he un animous agree
ment required in a modern trial by j ury is a
survival of this ancient usage
.
.
.
,
.
.
.
[ 54 ]
T
H E E L E C T I VE FRA NC H I S E
I n the barbarian Village communities which
were everywhere in existence in the last days
of barbarism this democracy was everywhere
present T here were few thin gs to be decided
and no decision was arrived at except by unani
mous agreement
.
,
.
When to the simple occupations of the earlier
barbarism was added worldwide military ad
venture unanimous agreement in the choice of
commanders and in making decisions as to the
policy to be adopted for the battle immediately
a t hand
became impossible T hus maj ority
rule succeeded unanimous consent because of
the exigencies arising out of military n e ce s
,
,
.
,
sity.
T he conquered tribes were enslaved and so
lost all voice in the management of their own
affairs T he conquering tribes continued dem
o cratic self government as to their own a ffairs
for many centuries
T he elections reported in the writings of
M oses concerning important matters in the rise
of the J ewish nation the elections among the
Greek tribes and later in the G reek cities and
the elections among the R omans are all in
,
.
-
.
,
,
,
[ 55 ]
DEM OCR A C Y O R DE S PO T I S M
stances of the survival of an elective franchise
not established as a modern achievement but
inherited as one of the most ancient usages o f
human society
I n some of the S wiss Cantons elections are
still held by all the people gathering on a day
which is made a h oliday a day of feasting and
of sports and t he decisions are taken by gath
ering in to O pposite groups th ose o n th e oppos
ing sides of the proposal submitt ed T his is
not onl y a survival o f a usage so ancient t hat
the memory of m an runnet h n o t to the con
”
trary
but it i s a surv iva l of the v ery f orms
of the mor e ancient el e c t ions
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
“
,
.
T h e despotic form of government as o p
posed to democracy found its beginnin g when
the war chief of some ancien t t ribe refused
longe r t o submit to the elect ions o f h is t ribes
men and so carried into his own tribe th e mili
tary forms of administration which had been
established by h im ov e r t h e peoples in con
quered dist ricts All t h e contes t s O f m odern
history so far as t h e y r elate t o t he r ise of
free institutions hav e been e ff ort s to capture
back from military mas t ers this elective fran
,
,
,
.
,
,
[
56
]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
owners o f a particular kind o f property o r
they were voiceless in all matters n o matter
how vitally they m ight concern them
,
,
.
The earliest advance o f the elective fran
chise in America was secured by those who
passed beyond the Alleghenies and established
new states in the M ississippi V alley H ere
they assumed universal su ffrage and j ust be
cause every man was possessed of his o wn rifle
he insisted upon the right to vote A s new
states were added in the West the older states
fell under the western influence and gradually
the principle o f manhood su ffrage ha s been
quite generally admitted in America
In all E nglish colonies the su ffrage is much
more advanced better safeguarded and ap
o a che s more nearly to the ideals of manhood
r
p
su ffrage than in the m other country where
plural voting still prevails that is as many
votes for each man as he owns pieces of prop
e rty in the di f ferent election districts
In G reat Britain at this time nearly one
half of all her native born male citizens who are
twenty one years o f age are not permitted to
participate in the elections Both in G reat
.
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
-
'
-
,
.
[ 58 ]
TH E ELECTIV E FRANCHISE
B ritain and in all other E nglish speaking coun
tries with but few exceptions and in the most
limited manner all women are forbidden to
v ote
,
,
.
L et it be borne in mind that the only reason
why any one votes or should vote is because
those who vote together have interests of some
sort which affect them together S o long as a
woman is seriously concerned in the laws of t h e
coun try and is vitally a ffected by all the acts
o f the government it is impossible to discover
any rational ground why she should be refused
the opportunity to be heard in matters which so
directly concern her
That woman is not permitted to vote is not
the result of a deliberate purpose It is in
stead an inheritance from the time when all
governments were military in their character
when voters were fighters and the things they
voted about were the things they were fighting
about Woman was not present as a soldier
She was n o t directly a factor in the fighting and
accordingly had no share in the vo t in g A s it
has b een seen all governm ents are shifting
from the military to the industrial m ode l T h e
,
,
.
,
.
.
,
,
,
.
.
.
,
.
[ 59 ]
DEMO C R A C Y
OR
DES P OT IS M
o v er wh e lmin g m aj ori t y of w o men are w o rki n g
women and a ll wo men are directly c o ncerned
in t he matters cont rolled and ad m inistered by
the m odern state
J us t because she was not
g iven a vote at the time w h en she was n o t d i
re ctly a factor in the mi litary estab l is hment is
n o reason why she should now be d enied a vote
r egarding matters which so vi t a lly conce rn h e r
in the mo d ern in d u st ri a l sta t e
.
,
.
T h e r e are m a tt ers wh i ch p er t ain onl y t o
s mall groups o f peop l e Th o se who are to
get h er concerned in such m at ters ought to vote
to gether There i s no reas o n why those who
are not concerne d sh o uld be permitted to vo t e
concerning things which d o no t concern them
b u t there is every r eas o n w hy t h ose who are
concerned shou ld be per mitted t o vote concern
i ng the t hings wh ic h d o concern t hem
This shoul d app l y t o l oca l sel f-gove rnm ent
t o in d ustria l groups t o great geogr aphical
su b d ivisi o ns of territory and finall y t o great
international a ffairs
If the e lective franchise is to be j ust i t mus t
be extended until none are excluded from bein g
consulted c oncernin g their o wn affa irs b u t a t
.
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
[ 6 0]
T HE ELECTI V E FRANCHISE
the s ame t i m e l imited unti l no one shall b e
permitted t o vo t e in m atters whic h in no wa y
concern him
The world h as outgr o wn the simp l e primitive
comm unity The citiz en of the m o dern state
h as m any interes t s I t would be iIn p o ssible
j u stly and e ffectively t o adminis t er co ll ective
a ffairs b y unanimous agreement T h e l on g
perio d o f military m as t ery is a t an end M i l i
tary powe r h as b rought t h e en d s o f the earth
t ogether I ts culmin ation in the E uropean
wa r h as o ut ranke d a ll previous records o f dis
a s ter
Whi le milit arism l as t s th e centralization o f
authority an d the resulting despotism o f m il i
t a ry forms o f or ganization are inevitable Bu t
that is desp o tism The ba ll o t is as essential to
democracy as the bayonet is to despotism M a
d
o
rule
is
the
o
nly
rational
met
h
od
o
f
a
r
i
t
j
y
ministering t he a ffairs o f a free s tate The
e lect ive franchise must be universal It must
be given o n equal terms to al l who share in the
advantages and b ear the responsibilities o f liv
ing within the b or ders o f such a s t at e
,
.
,
.
.
.
.
.
.
,
.
.
.
.
.
.
[
61
]
C H AP T E R V I
T
H B U SIN
E
E
SS B ODY
CALLED
T
H S TA T
E
E
The State it has been seen comprises in it s
organization all forms of organized activity
This includes all forms of business organiza
tions The State itself is nothing m ore than
such a business body
The State exists in order to do certain things
These things involve all the collective activities
o f society and especially those involved in the
great business o f making a living that is pro
vidin g f o r the general welfare
,
,
.
.
.
.
,
,
.
Smaller b usiness b odies i ssue s h ares of s t ock
as indicating the membership in them o f those
persons o f w h o m they are composed The
m embers o f suc h a business body are called
shareholders o r partners as the case may be
The members o f the business body called the
State are called citizens and their right to par
ticip ate in the control of the State is ca l led the
e l ective franchise or the right t o v o t e
.
.
,
,
.
,
[ 62 ]
THE B U SINESS B ODY CALLED THE STATE
P olitics is nothing else than the business o f
carrying on those a ffairs in which all the mem
bers o f society are j ointly concerned An elec
tion is in fact a S hareholders meeting held to
elect directors o r superintendents and to vote
instructions to these public servants as to the
wishes of the public to which the business
b elongs
The State the government the public the
social organism call it what you will the co l
le ctiv e life of all the people is simply a big
business corporation or unlim ited partnership
in which everybody is an equa l shareholder with
al l the rest
It has been aptly and truthfully said that
every citizen o f the United States is an equal
shareholder in the richest and most powerful
b usiness corporation o n al l the earth
.
’
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
Notice some of the sound business pr incip l es
which no rationally conducted privately owned
business would ignore but which do not usually
prevail in the control of the business o f the
State as a busin ess body
1 In a rationally conducted business no
shareholder vot e s for a director because he is a
,
,
.
.
,
[ 63 ]
D E M O C RA CY O R D E S P O T I S M
friend o r a rela t ive o r because h e is a fe ll ow
m ember of a ch ur ch or a l od ge I t w o uld no t
”
be good busin e ss t o d o s o
No one wou ld vo t e for a r ep ubl ican a d emo
erat or a prohibitionis t to he l p m anage a gol d
m ine o r a shoe fac t ory on accoun t of p olitics
not capacity A corpor at ion wh o se a ff airs
w ere so managed wo u l d in the en d be m anage d
by a r eceiver
N o capa bl e b ui ld er emp l oys c a rp ente rs be
cause h e i s p ersona l ly fo nd o f t hem or keeps
them on the j ob f o r social re ligious o r partisan
reasons o r f o r any other reason any l on ge r
than they are satisfact ory as workin gmen
The only questions asked in the emp l oyment
of labor in a ra t ionally conduct ed privately
owned business are que s tions as t o effi ciency
an d r esp o nsibility The introduction o f any
other m atters wou l d be disloya l ty to th e busi
ness O ne o f t h e strongest ar guments o ffere d
by t h e trades uni o ns fo r the close d sho p is the
guarantee that it o ff ers o f the e fficiency and
r esp o nsibility o f the men so emp l oye d
But the State is such a business body A ll
o f the people are all the time serving the State
in some way so far as they are usefu l peo ple
.
“
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
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,
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.
,
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.
.
,
[ 64 ]
D EMOCRACY OR DESPO T ISM
In the election o f a corporation director
no shareholder would be refused a vote be
cause a woman o r for any other reas o n what
s oever so long as t he shareholder s interest in
the business was admi tted and hi s ownershi p
not disputed
Women who are out in act ive opposition to
woman su ffrage tha t is in opposition to
women having voice in the greatest of all busi
ness bodies and in which they are adm itted to
be shareholders do no t t hemselves neglect or
refuse t o vote their own shares in rail way in
surance manufacturing an d banking com
2
,
.
,
’
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
a
n
i
e s.
p
”
“
The Sta t e i s n o t a social clique o r a pri
vat e club The relations o f the citizens t o
each other are not the relations o f the club
”
members in any certain social set
The re
latio n s o f the citizens o f any State to each
other are p urely and on ly o f a business char
act er
N o wh ite man refuses to sell goods to or to
b uy corn or cotton from a negro an ignorant
farmer a woman o r a foreign born citizen
o r even a criminal under the l aw
In every
r ationa l business body the only question asked
,
.
“
.
.
,
,
,
.
,
[ 66 ]
T HE B U SINESS B ODY CAL LED THE STATE
is,
”
“
In what way are you concerned ? It is
frankly admitted if o n e is in no way concerned
in any matter then he has no business to inter
fere but if he is concerned his right to be heard
and to be taken into accoun t must not be d e
nied
In the business body called t he State all
are S hareholders all are concerned all have the
right to vote each on the S ingle shar e that he
holds no more and no less A n d every
o n e has that right regardless o f sex race nat
io n ality possessions payment of poll taxes
education character or occupation f o r in spite
o f any o f these considerations he is still a share
holder In so far as this shareholder s right
is denied to anyone f o r any reason despotism
is triumphant and democracy abandoned
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
—
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
’
.
,
.
No private b usiness corporation woul d
buy from another what it could produce with
its own equipment and within its own resources
at a less price or o f a better quality
All the world over the State society the
great collectivity is all the time paying f o r the
u se of the natural resources for t ransporta
t i on for manufactures f o r the u s e of credit
3
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
[ 67 ]
,
DEMO C RA C Y O R
DESPOTISM
for s t ora ge an d for fina l distribution v as t
sums in e x cess of t he cos t o f these thin gs an d
serv ices
This is especially true of naval and milit ary
equipment and o f the food clothing and su p
plies o f armies and o f t he munitions of war
But through a ll the great social services o f
every sort the great business body ca ll ed the
State in which all are shareholders is being
robbed by these sma ller business b o dies the
private monopolies in which the many are not
shareho l ders These vast sum s in excess o f
the c o s t o f the services are privately approp ri
ated to the e n richmen t and demoralizati o n o f
the few and to the oppression and impoverish
ment o f the many with great correspondin g
loss to the State that is to t he comm on good
If the State with all i t s powers and re
sources were the direct possession o f a g rea t
private company it is inconceivable that this
wasteful and unbusinesslike and harmful pol
icy o f buying from another wha t the company
could more cheaply produce for itse l f would
long prevail
While i t does prevail it can prevai l only
thr o ugh th e co n tro l b y th e priv at e i nt er e s t s
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
[ 68 ]
T HE B U SINESS BODY CALL ED THE STA T E
of
t he few o f the a ff ai rs o f a ll This can be
done on l y through special privile ges o f some
sort bu t that is d espotism So far an d so
lon g a s th a t prevails desp o t ism st i ll s u r
vives
.
,
.
,
.
th i s point in th e argument th e cl aim is
made that in asmuch as this sort o f business in
ability is shown by the State t herefore the
S tate cannot safe ly be trusted with the d irect
administra t ion of great business a ffairs
But it is seen above tha t the State fail s as
it does fai l on ly because o f t he contro l o f the
State by great private interests The fai l ure
o f t h e State to provide for the co m m on g ood
t hrough th e failure of the S t ate to att en d e f
fectively to its o wn a ff airs is the failure o f
State control by great private in t erests There
fore it is an ar gumen t f o r th e endin g o f t he
control b y the great privat e int erest s of pub
lic a ff airs and for s ec uring in the d irec t serv
ices o f t he State t he great managerial abil ity
of th o se who do m ake go o d in th e a ffair s of th e
few and c ou ld make go o d in th e a ff ai rs of a ll
i f m a d e the servant s of a ll in s t e a d o f th e bo n d
sla ve s o f th e fe w
At
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
[ 69 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
E very undertaking by which the State the
whole body o f the people substitutes public
enterprise for any great private monopoly and
the use
so secures at the cost of the service
o f natural resources transportation m an u f ac
t ure credit storage or delivery helps to make
an end of this wasteful and unbusinesslike mis
management o f the collective a ff airs of all It
saves the needless payments of unearned
ground rents unearned interest payments and
unearned monopoly profits and it saves the
State from the demoralization o f those who get
w hat they do not earn and the impoverishmen t
o f those who earn what they do not get
S o far and so fast as this prevails despotism
dies and democracy is made triumphant
The State is a business body E verybody
i s a shareholder in the State The man age
m ent o f the State is everybody s business When
everybody will give intelligent attention to his
o wn business o n real business principles favor
itism clique rule monopoly control that is
despotism wil l disappear and democracy will
prevail
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
.
’
.
,
,
—
,
,
.
,
PAR T I I
C URR E NT P O L I TI C S
D EMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
man m eans a new change in his environmen t
and each such change means a new adj ust
ment
P olitics h as t o d o with these continuous re
ad u stm e n ts o f laws and institutions which are
the conscious and purposefu l creation o f man s
collective in terests always abreas t o f the new
”
”
occasions which forever teach new duties
,
.
,
’
“
,
“
.
It is frequently c o mplained that conflicting
s ordid personal clique class o r race interests
i n terfere with man s rational progress But
the sum total o f these interests makes up the
environm ent and j ust because this environment
is forever changing— changing as the result o f
every activity o f man— the fact is that these in
te re sts are themselves the v ery elements and
means o f human progress Thus it is seen that
the problems o f politics are problems ever in
process o f so l ution yet never solved It is
because of this that all rational advance is not
independent o f o r in spite of but because o f
t hese conflictin g sordid personal clique class
Therefore rationa l
o r race interests o f men
advance will be sought for not b y ignorin g
these con flicting int eres t s n o t in t h e e ff o rt to
,
,
,
,
,
’
.
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
[ 74 ]
POLITICAL PARTIES
avoid them but in the midst of and by m eans
o f these very conflicts
,
,
.
,
We h ave seen h ow the ba llo t th e ri ght to b e
heard and t o be accounted for is the point of
attachment between the individual and the co l
I t is by the
le ctivity of which he is a part
power o f t his ballot or right to b e heard in
his o wn hands that he m akes himself an e f
f e ctive part in whatever group he may find
h imself a factor It is by this ballot in the
hands o f others that his relations to others and
t he demands o f others upon himself are e ff ect
ive ly made known to him
Should o n e attempt to act singly in the use
o f h is ballot the power of his citizenship could
b e but slightly felt in commun ities where the
maj ority vo t e is the final authority The only
e ff ective use o f the ballot is in its collective
use The only rational method by which bal
l ots can be so massed a s to have the force of
m aj orities and so t o contro l the public power
is by their collective use The very nature o f
vo t in g is an array of interests with each other
which groups of men
o r agains t each other
h old w ith eac h other o r a g ainst e a c h o t he r
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
.
.
,
,
,
.
D E MO C R A C Y OR D ES P O T IS M
I n primitive commu nities there were no re gu
The ques
larly organized politica l parties
tions dealt with were simple easily understood
and readily disposed o f by a S how o f hands
or by a division into groups standing apart
in expression o f conflicting interes t s o r
Wishes
It was in this way tha t th e sma ll village co m
m u n itie s o f the later days o f b arbarism m et the
s imple questions o f co mm on defense or of t he
p ersonal quarrels a m ong the tribesmen New
questions were easily understood and as there
was practically economic equality o f o pp o rtu
n ity t h ere were no l as ting economic classes with
in the barba rian co mm unities o n which to base
the existence o f regularl y organized politica l
p arties And j ust because permanent economic
classes di d not exist permanent political par
ties had no s h are in the life o f the field and
fo rest d we llers in the savage and barbarian
c ommunitie s
I n t he same way even n o w no small village
c omposed of citizens
havin g practically the
s ame economic interests would be able to o r
n
i
z
and
preserve
permanent
political
p
ar
a
e
g
ties la st ing o u t hrough th e ye a rs we re i t n o t
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
P OL I TI CAL PA R TI ES
for th e gr eat er na t iona l in t ere s t s whi c h first
cause t he existence of such parties an d after
wards are ab l e to m aintain their e xistence even
in such l ocalities n o t because o f any local co n
flict o f in t erests but because the l arger nationa l
organiza tions a re abl e t o do min at e th e smal l
co mm unitie s
Thus nati o nal p a rt i es co m e in t o exis t ence as
the r epr e sentatives of co nflictin g economic in
I n smal l neighborhoods where the
te re sts
eco nom ic interests are understood to be all o n e
way or the other separate contending politica l
par t ies wit h nothin g to contend about are able
to ma intain o nl y an unce rta in and precarious
exi s te nce
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
As t he b arbarian t ribes thr ough the process
of fe d eration gr ew into the ancient nations
political partie s made th e ir appearance
T h e P atrician and P lebeian parties of R om e
w ere a t ypica l ins tance of what occurred when
ever an unequa l econ omic sta tus l e d t o a g en
eral c l as h o f econom i c in t eres t s
T h e G racchi di d not creat e these part i es
The clash o f interes t s created the opposing
groups an d t h e G racchi bec am e t he spokesmen
,
,
,
.
.
.
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
of
the P lebeians not because they wanted to
talk about something not j ust because they
wanted a party but because the war o f interests
was raging and they were bound to speak and
vote and if nee d be to fight in order to win the
victo ry for the grou p whose cause t hey h a d
espoused
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
New interests deman d new adj ustments
E ach new adj us tment is made necessary by a
clash o f interests else there would be nothing
to adj ust J ust because the c l ash o f interests
forces the new ad u stm e n ts it creates new par
ties o r rebuilds old ones and j ust because this
is the only way o f securing the adj ustment of
o ld conditions to new interests
the politica l
party becomes a most important factor in pol
itics It is in fact the last step in the process
by which with o r without a resort to arms new
interests obtain the mastery in the modern
state It is therefore the last alternative next
preceding civil war The triumphant polit
ical party must be obeyed o r government
fail o r civil war must follow Its purpose
is to compel obedience to the public will and t o
avoid civil war
.
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
.
[ 78 ]
P OLITICAL P AR T I E S
I f the political part y could always exis t
for suc h a purpose the current problems
of
pop ul ar government w ould be easily
solved
But the fact is that whi l e a ll this is true
nevertheless it is also true that political parties
like governments themselves like churches
fraternities and all other associations o f men
— no matter how hard it is to build them for a
worthy purpose when that purpose has once
been served o r when organizations can no
l onger serve the pur poses for which they have
b een created it is harder to get rid o f them
when no longer needed t han it was to b u il d
them in the first place
P arty battle cries personal m emories of d e
parted leaders the sense o f belonging to th e
group that won t he pennant to an organiza
t ion with a history to an organization which is
t he on ly point o f connection between one s self
and great and distinguished people the few
living and the many dead — all these make th e
abandonment o f any kind o f an organization
dif ficult when once i t has served a great an d
be n e fice n t purpose
Such party fealty becomes a s ort o f a po lit
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
’
,
.
[ 79 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPO T IS M
ical superstition and j ust as a religious super
stitio n m ay su rvive the death of religion itself
and so secure a wicked and worthless servant
o f the church so does political superstition l ea d
millions o f people to loyally support outworn
and impossible political parties in utter disre
gard o f the pub l ic good
,
,
.
If se l f government is to p reva il th e organi
z atio n and managemen t o f politica l parties
m ust be taken seriously in hand f o r politica l
parties are and are likely to remain a com
m anding factor in the machinery o f se l f go v
-
,
,
,
-
e rn m e n t.
If condemnation could have disposed o f po l
itical parties then they would have disap
re d long ago
e
a
p
If urging public men t o be above party spiri t
and to l ove their country more than their party
could avail th en politica l parties would h ave
been fo reve r agencies sole l y fo r the pub li c
oo
d
g
If warnings aga ins t th e d angers o f par t y
spirit were sufficient t hen the sober farewell
words o f W ashingt on th e first P resi d ent of
t h e Unit ed Sta t es w ould h ave mad e pa rt isan
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
[ 8 0]
DEMOCRACY OR DE S POT IS M
It will be confined in the furnace There i t
will create the energy which usefully app l ied
will hasten h u man progress as has no oth er
instrument of socia l se rv ice ye t known t o m an
.
,
,
,
.
[ 82 ]
C H AP T E R V III
O BS TR U C T IVE
FO R M S
or
P A RT Y O RGAN IZ AT ION
E very new partisan measure takes o n its
earliest form and gets its first public support
in a caucus o f some sort
The caucus may be privately held and made
up of invited men representing some faction
o f a party or it may be open well advertised
and composed o f such members of a party as
m ay take the trouble to attend
H ere programs are agreed o n candidates
named f o r primary elections if they are to be
held o r delegates selected for conventions
when the primary is not required In any
event it is the caucus which rules the policy
of the party names its authorized spokesmen
and makes the beginnings o f all political war
fare
When primaries are held a factional S late
is made for each faction or active interest in a
factiona l caucus and preparati ons are m ade
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
[ 83 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DES P O T ISM
for winning the contro l o f the party through
victory at the primaries Then the conventions
—
follow city co unty state an d nationa l con
,
.
,
,
ve n tio n s
.
In all of these the conflicts at t he firs t un d er
taken in the caucuses are fought out over and
over again for final mastery within the party
No o n e can ever tell in a satisfactory m an
ner the story o f the swaps bargains mutual
understandings alliances betrayals purchases
sell outs parades banners factional he adqu ar
t ers midn ight intrigues carousals m an u f ac
tu r e d excitemen t and personal e x ce sse s which
characterize these various conventions C on
fusion is specially plann ed for D isorder is
arran ged sub ject to the cal l o f those who need
it and it is continued f o r a fi x ed number of
minutes o n each special occasion a s it may
arise all arranged and paid for in advance
It is doubtful whether any self respecting
citizen has ever taken an active share in such a
convention and has yelled his share o f the yell
ing an d afterwards has discovered t he nature
of the performance in which he has been e u
gaged wh o h a s n o t refle ct e d o n his own con
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
'
.
.
,
,
.
,
-
,
,
,
[ 84 ]
DEM O CRACY OR DESPO T ISM
T h e usua l work o f a politica l convention cov
ers the makin g o f party rules o f a party p l a t
form the naming o f candidates and the e l ec
tion o f committees
Ru l es and platforms are usually written
overnigh t under conditions where only t h e
m ost hasty and unsatisfactory work can be
undertaken Such a platform is the result o f
such numerous compromises and of such hasty
an d ill considered action that it is usually an
ins t r um ent which no o n e can c o nscientiously
endorse o r long respect
I t t h en becomes the function o f l etters o f
acceptance and c ampaign speeches to m ake u p
for its de ficie n ce s and to explain away its omis
sions and accidents The public o fficers sup
posed to have been e l ected for the purpose o f
carrying o ut the platform declarations usually
proceed to administer the public offices for the
private advantage of the special interests in
control while platform promises are h el d up
f o r ridicule o r are entirely i gnore d
S ometimes platforms are no t written over
night They have been prepared long in ad
vance by special and powerful interes t s In
such a case the platform committee is ma d e
,
,
,
.
.
-
.
.
,
,
.
.
.
[ 86 ]
PAR TY ORGANIZATION
u p in the convention o f the a gents and spokes
men o f these same interests Such a comm ittee
makes no pretense o f writing the platform
It favorably repor t s the platform already
w ritten
Such platforms usua ll y appeal t o the p re j
u di ce s of the people are carefully wr itten with
t he purpose to excite and to enlist every par
tisan fee ling and entirely to overlook o r in
definitely to pos t pone all questions of real con
.
.
.
,
,
tro ve rsy
.
In such platforms issues that are to be m ade
the very center o f campaign battles are indef
in ite ly stated and then after the shouting is
over and the voting is done it is still a question
whether t he promised revision really meant
”
”
revision up o r revision down
,
,
,
,
“
“
.
The sam e is true with regard to candidates
Al l the deliberating is done in advance D ele
gates are elected pledged either publicly o r
privately to do certain things to support cer
tain candidates not to deliberate but to obey
If any particular candidate cannot get the
nomination then the leaders of his group are
free to bargain and the usua l delegate co n
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
[ 87 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
”
“
firms the action of the boss and votes accord
ing to the group to which he belongs regard
l ess alike both o f his own intelligence and of the
p ublic good
The o nly excuse for t he existence of part y
conventions is that men get together to confer
t o deliberate to get the benefit o f j oint j udge
m ent but none o f these things are possible in
the ordinary politica l conventions Thought
ful men are always disappointed O nly the
in triguers and bargainers who want what can
not be secured by calm consideration are heard
t o declare when the work is over : The great
es t gathering o f thoughtfu l men ever assem
bled in calm consideration o f a nation s des
”
t iny
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
“
’
.
T h e party committees ar e m ade up of men
who are entitled to more consideration than
ever has been given them It is these com
m itte e s which control the preliminary arran ge
m ents for all conventions They manipulate
the delegations contro l their organization ap
point their committees furnish the comm ittee
reports ready made or in the making name
t he c a ndidates name th e i r s u cce ss or s in o ffice
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
[ 88 ]
D E M O C RA C Y O R D ES PO T IS M
f o r t h e co m mittees cont rolling the party is
above all things necessary if rationa l self
government is to prevai l
,
,
,
.
C ampaigns S hould a lways b e campaigns o f
education The purposes o f the campaigns are
to presen t t he merits of the measures proposed
the de m erits o f t he m easures opp o s e d an d the
qua lificat ions o f the candidates
V as t sums o f money are raise d which are un
necessary f or t hese purposes G reat a rmi es
of workers are emp l oyed who know nothing o f
the issues involved and who cou l d not exp l a in
them even i f t hey did understand them B u t
these workers seek for and obta in votes by
meth o ds which do n o t appeal to the public
intelligence nor are t hey subj ect t o m ora l
considerations
In t he great general e l ections a hundred o r
more di fferent persons are running as candi
dates for local state and nationa l offices All
th ese are grouped together while as many ques
tions o f public importance are at the same time
under consideration any one o f which would be
worthy o f more attention than all together are
ab l e to secure in an ordinary campaign docu
.
,
,
.
.
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
[ 9 0]
P AR TY ORGA NIZA T I O N
m ent o r at an ordinary ca mpai gn m e e tin g T h e
information given is hast ily prepar e d It is
p repare d b y th ose directly int eres t e d in t h e
conc lusions r eached I t i s distrib u te d a t th e
expense o f th o se who are directly seeking pri
vat e benefit thro ugh the u se o f the public
po wer
I t i s no t possible for one to be in entire
a greemen t with a ll these measures b ut he can
n o t vote for the measures he w ants with o ut at
the same t ime voting f or the measures h e does
no t w ant O f the candidates who are named
o n his party s t i cket he canno t know them al l
Some of those whom he does kn ow he kn ows
to be unwort hy of his confidence Ye t he can
n o t oppose those whom h e does n o t want with
out endangerin g th e e l ect ion o f those wh o m h e
does want
I n th e mi d s t o f such d oub t as to the fa ct s
as t o the merits o f measures as t o the m erits
o f candida t es
and as to the real outc o me o f
v ictory o r defeat is it any wonder that large
and increasin g numbers of t he most in telligen t
citizens t ake no s h are in party a ffairs and are
n ot even comin g t o the elect ions to share in a
farce whic h th ey can see no way t o av o i d an d
,
.
.
.
.
,
.
’
.
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
[ 91 ]
DE M O CRA C Y OR DESPO T ISM
have no t the unfortuna t e capaci t y lo nger t o
endure ?
I n th e e l ections t he r egis t rat i ons are f al si
fie d R epeaters are regi stered at the same time
in di fferent precin c t s o r w ards an d even in
di ff erent cities and states M en are s h ippe d
into doubtfu l districts to vo t e under registra
tions attached t o vacant l ot s o r t o other places
o f impossib l e residence
or to vote un de r the
names o f men l ong dea d but still carrie d on
the vo t ers lists for t he very purpose o f p ro vid
in g an opportunity o f perpetrating elect ion
frau d s Working men easily l ose their resi
dence under the l aw and in that way l ose their
right to b e voters and hence some millions
o f citizens who are m ost vitally interested
in t he e l ections are each year una b le to vot e
at a ll
I t is wel l known that in great municipa l ities
t he political m achines o f both parties have a
j oint machin e covering the activities o f both
parties f o r business purposes These mac hines
make up and contro l election boards and some
times they m ake t h e count to cor respond to
”
the exigenc i es o f a b argain to make good fo r
.
.
,
.
,
,
.
.
,
“
[ 92 ]
C H AP T E R I X
O BS TR U C TIVE F O R MS O F G OVE R N M E N T
PR O C ED U RE
P opul ar go v ernm ent means the ad o ption as
the highest public authority of whatever m ay
be the rea l ma o rity choice as to any particular
public a ff air P olitical parties primari ly and
properly exist for the purpose of crystallizing
in t o the forms o f l aw and in to the active proc
esses o f public administra t ion whatever th at
m a o rity will may be a t any par t icu l ar tim e
.
.
I t wi ll r are ly h appen t hat a special stu d ent
o f public a f fairs will be able to act at any given
time in behalf of all measures o r policies which
as a resul t o f his specia l studies m ay see m t o
him to be desirable
Such a specia li st must a lways act for some
t h ing s omewhat l ess than what he himself is
ready to support Such a person is not aban
d o ning his o wn c onvictions by supporting wha t
,
,
.
,
.
[ 94 ]
,
GO V ERNMENT PRO C ED U R E
the maj ority are ready to accept while pro
m o tin g further study o n the part o f others
with regard to advanced positions to which he
himself may be prepared to give support The
purposes o f self government will be best se
cured and such a specialist will render the best
services if the general average of intelligence
and conscience can always be crystallized into
public autho rity
The agitator must seek to raise the general
average o f intelligence o n public matters The
statesman must seek to enact and to enforce
that which the genera l average of inte lligence is
r eady to accept
,
.
,
-
.
.
.
W e h ave seen in th e prece din g chap t er h ow
the forms of partisan organizations contrive to
defeat the public will It is not only true o f
the forms o f partisan organizations but the
forms of government in the established consti
tu tio n s and usages o f all countries are o bstru c
tive in their forms o f procedure as related to
the doing o f the public will
In monarchical countries where courts are
appointed and legislation is revised by heredi
tary authorities the power t o defea t the public
.
,
,
.
,
[ 95 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPO T ISM
wil l is direct easily understood and can be
overcome only by revolution
In countries like the Unite d States where
popular institutions h ave been established and
the forms o f hereditary political authority
ab o lished the forms o f government established
fo r the purposes o f Obstruction while not so
e v ident are frequently found to be even more
e ff ective
In the writing o f the C onstitution o f the
United States it is no longer questioned that
the purpose o f the authors was to protect great
private interests against invasion from the
p opular will
Where governing authority had been heredi
”
tary ch ecks in the processes o f government
procedure had been established by the people
as against these hereditary authorities The
authors of the American constitution were able
to persuade the few who had voice in its adop
tion that even when hereditary authority had
”
been abolished the checks provided at the
first as against hereditary authorities should
then be made operative as against the public
will The public will was the only remaining
”
power to be made sub ect to such checks an d
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
“
,
.
“
,
.
“
[ 96 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPO T ISM
and not as his o ffi cial title would indicate t h e
executive O fficer O f a free state
The legisl ative department o f the govern
m ent has two houses The first is elected by a
p op ul ar vo t e f ro m i Co n gre ssio n al districts cre
ated in proportion to the population and the
other is m ade up of t wo S enators from eac h
s t ate regardless O f popu l ation and until very
r ecently not e l ected by popular vote at all bu t
by t he severa l state l egislat ures I n this way
i t happened cont inuously that men Of grea t
p ersona l wea lt h o r acting as t he servants o f
great private interests through the paying o f
t h e campaign expenses of legislative candi
dates were able to purchase their way to seat s
in the S enate In this way it frequently o c
curred t hat men maintain ed their positions as
S enators from states in which it would have
been impossible to elect them to any o ffice what
soever by popular ma o rity
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
E ven now inasmuch as each s t ate re gar dl e ss
o f its population has two votes in t he Senate
it still happens that twenty five o f the smalle r
states having a maj ority vote in the Unite d
States Senate have all together fewer cit izens
,
,
,
-
,
,
[ 98 ]
GO V ERNMENT PROCED U RE
th an th e t wo states o f New York and Pe nn syl
vania
The elected repr e sentatives o f fourteen mil
l ion peop l e in t he sma ller states now have the
power to o ut vote the representatives of eighty
Is
six million people in the rest o f the nation
it any wonder tha t the senatoria l seats of
M aine R hode Is l and D elaware F lorida W y
oming M ontana Utah and Nevada are of sp e
c ial interest to the great private monopolies and
are given attention and patronage o u t o f all
p roportion t o their im portance ?
.
-
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
The J ustices of the Supreme C ourt are ap
pointed by the P resident and confirmed by the
Sena t e Neither t he people nor the H ouse o f
R epresentatives have any voice whatsoeve r in
creating these J ustices of the Supreme C our t
O nce appo inted their tenure o f office is fo r
life They can then be reached only by im
n t proceedings
e
a
h
m
e
c
p
The Senate may throw out any bill passe d
by the lower H ouse The P resident may veto
any bill passed by both H ouses o f C ongress
and t he Supreme C our t by a ma o rity vote of
it s memb ers m a y d ecl are uncons t ituti o na l any
.
.
.
.
.
,
,
[ 99 ]
DEM O C RACY OR DESPOTIS M
l aw after it has been enact ed by both H ouse s
o f C ongress and approved by the P resident
.
In international matters there is no de m o c
racy
Treaties are negotiated by men appointed
for that purpose Their appointments are con
trolled by those most in terested in international
trade The S t andard O il C ompany has used
the diplomatic service o f t he United States as
its business agen t fo r m any years The inter
national commercial and financia l interests are
the masters of all foreign policies These inter
ests are controlle d by great priva t e monopolies
The great priva t e monopoly int erests cont ro l
the internationa l r elations o f all t h e nations
In this country t reat ies are confirmed by
the Senat e The H ouse o f R epresent at ives has
nothing to say in the mat t er No int ernational
r epresentative is elected by a p opular vote in
any country nor are these represent at ives ever
m ade answerable to t he public wi ll in any way
Intern ational representatives are the agents o f
despotic interests the worl d over
But these int ernationa l treaties when on c e
ma de b ecome th e supre m e l aw o f a ll l and s
,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
,
.
.
,
.
.
,
,
[ 1 00]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
are frequently made for the express pur
pose O f prevent ing the consideration o f such a
bill
Should the committee consent to report the
measure to the favorable consideration of the
H ouse the Speaker may recognize o r refuse to
recognize whomsoever he will during its c on
sideration Again in this way and for a lack
of a hearing a meritorious measure may be
s l aughtered in the H ouse o f its friends
If such a measure is passed by either H ouse
it must be sent to the other H ouse to be re
ferred again to committees to which point
nearly al l of the proposed American p ro gre s
sive legi slation goes only to go no further It
is the Senate committee which is said to be
the b urying ground o f American progressive
legislation
The life of a C ongress is f o r two years A t
the end of eve ry two years all measures in proc
e ss o f consideration are marked o ff the calendar
and the whole process of committee reference
boss ruled discussions uninformed vo t in g in
the one H ouse only to be smothered in the
o ther
mus t be undertaken all over again if
l e gi slati o n i s t o advance at a ll
e n ce s
.
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
,
.
.
,
,
,
.
[ 1 09 ]
G O V ERNMENT PR O C ED URE
Again when an election in the Novemb er o f
any year put s o ut o f o ffice large numbers o f
the members o f the H ouse of R epresentatives
”
this discharge of undesirable C ongressmen
does not take e ff ect until the fo ll owing M arch
and in the usual course of things the newly
elected C ongressmen do n o t take their seats in
C ongress to undertake the duties o f o ffice for
more than a year after their election In
the meantime f o r a whole winter term the
defeated members against whom the people
of
their districts have declared their lack
”
of confidence
still continue to write the
laws o f the very nation which has repudiated
them
,
,
“
,
.
,
,
“
,
.
While all this is going o n under th e con stitu
tion as it stands it is true that the constitution
itself may be amended But to do S O both
H ouses must concur in a resolution submitting
such an amendment Two thirds o f the State
L egi slatures must approve o f the amendmen t
in order to secure its adoption
But few amendments to the constit ution
have ever been adopted and these have been
adopted in times o f great excite ment an d wh en
.
-
.
.
[ 1 03 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
the
maj orities necessary for their submission
and adoption have had ample partisan reasons
for securing such a result
The State L egislatures may p ropose an
amendment to the nation al constitution wh en
ever the L egi slatures o f two thirds of the
states shall concur in such a proposal When
this has been done it has been held that the
action o f the various state L egislatures was no t
taken concurrently if they did n o t act at the
same time or during a certain year o r term o f
years and therefore what the overwhelming
maj ority of the people have deman d ed even
under the forms o f l aw as they stand has been
r efused by these special defenders of m onop o
l istie power and S peci al privile ge in our cou rt
o f highest resort
.
-
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
it not perfectly eviden t that if the popul a r
wil l is to be easily and certainly crystallized
”
into public authority then these checks which
special privileges have es t ablished to l imi t the
u se o f the public power in behalf o f t h e p u blic
good must be se t aside ? F orms of popul ar
government which operate t o make popular
g overnmen t impossible are inc onsi st en t wi th
IS
“
,
[ 1 04 ]
C H AP T E R
X
M IL ITAR I S M AN D S E L F G OVE RN M E N T
-
The great E ur opean war the prolonged an d
repeated revolutions in M exico the recent
great disturbance o f the usual occupations of
the people together with the transformation of
industria l activities which has been occasioned
by the deman d f o r the supplies the weapons .
and the munitions o f war and the unexpected
revival o f the warlike spirit in the Unite d
States all together make it impossible to give
any satisfacto ry conside ration to the subj ect
o f current politics without a brief discussion of
militarism and se l f g overnment
,
,
,
,
,
.
It has been seen how primitive d e m ocracy
was destroyed by the rise of militarism in the
l ater days o f barbarism because battles could
not be managed by a maj ority vote and ho w
the exigencies o f battle were finally extended
to contr o l a ll of the collective int erests o f
society
,
.
1 06
MILITARISM AND SELF GO V ERNMEN T
-
It was o ut o f t hese necessities o f war that
absolute despotism at the first obtain ed contro l
in the world and it has so far been the unbroken
record o f all the wars that they lead to
despotism
The private monopoly of land the coming of
chatte l slavery the subj ection of woman the
forcing o f the whole world into the two classes
o f soldiers and slaves and then lords and serfs
and finally employers and employees and all
the time— the o n e class o f the people made up
of exploiters and the other of the victims o f
exploitation were all of them the fruits o f war
.
,
,
,
,
—
.
,
T h e j oint existence o f military e fficie n cv an d
democracy is utterly impossible E very step
towards the e fficiency o f the battalions o f fight
ing men is a step away from self governing
institutions The despots have always been
t he champions of an e ffective defensive force
against a foreign enemy But they have always
used these defensive forces against the unarmed
and defenseless people within their o wn coun
tries in order to c o mpel submission to industrial
conditions to which the workers would not
otherwise submit
.
-
.
.
.
[ 107 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTIS M
There never was a slave whose bondage was
not created and enforced by soldiers and there
never have been great military establishments
w ithout sooner or later these soldiers have
been used to maintain compulsory industrial
service at the first to provide the supplies and
the munitions o f war and finally to produce
w ealth in which the workers ha d no ownership
through the right o f the producer an d fro m
which they were able to obtain but the b ares t
subsistence
This is why in al l ages t he rea l masters o f
the armies have been the real masters of indus
try The war lord and the landlord h ave al
ways worn the same clothing exercised the
same powers in fact have been th e same
persons
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
.
Stil l t here are ser i ous probl ems in th e mo d
ern world which must be solved before the
armies can altogether be disbanded
In the final triumph o f industrial j ustice it
is inconceivable that the prison the policeman
and the criminal court will not p racticallv dis
appear But no one proposes their immediate
abolition The real problem is h o w ( 1 ) t o e x
.
,
.
.
[ 1 08 ]
D E M O C R A CY O R DES P O T ISM
M uc h in the same way the army as a powe r
fo r political wrong doing must be capture d
and used for social bettermen t in such a way
—
that its age long work o f slaughter and o p p re s
sion may be changed an d harnessed at last t o
socia l services of the highest or d er
It m u st be admitted that unfortunate as is th e
presence of the army in the m odern worl d stil l
n o one country is likely t o disarm in th e pres
ence o f the armed forces o f al l other countries
I t is n o t likely that the industrial masters o f
any country with vast resources and great in
du strial power will place themse lves at t he
mercy o f the armed and aggressive indust ri a l
masters of any other country
It must be admitted that no one nation can
have the power to make an end o f internat iona l
war quite independent o f o t her nations Very
fe w really thoughtfu l people would contend
that a l l the national government s of all the
earth could make an end o f war excep t by the
creation o f a centra l world governm ent wi t h
authority to investigate and to settle all ques
tions o f internationa l controversy and espe
including questions o f internationa l
c ially
trade an d international credit an d with a force
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
.
,
[ 1 1 0]
MILITA R ISM AND SELF GO VERNMENT
-
su fficient to compel obedience to the terms o f
such settlements
It is quite impr ob ab l e that any nation will
cease to make preparation to defend its own
b o rders until some centra l power S hall be e s
tablishe d able t o de f end all borders a n d so
constituted that there will be every reason t o
believe tha t it wil l defend all borders That
once done the m ilitary establishments Of all the
S eparate nations could reasonably be aban
do n e d and an international army and navy less
than that maintained at present by any o n e o f
the great powers wou ld m ore than suff ice f o r
all t he world
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
But no such world power can be easily estab
lishe d so long as the industria l masters are per
m itte d to exploit the workers of their o wn
countries and are forced to do so under co m
m e r cial conditions which compe l th e m all
the time to seek to exploit through interna
tio n al trade the workers o f other countries as
well
The whole question o f d emocracy o r d espo t
ism in world politics is involved first of al l
in t he t ri um ph O f in d us t ria l d e mocracy an d
,
,
,
[ 111 ]
,
D E M O C RA C Y O R D E S PO T I S M
h ence of industria l j ustice in t h e d omes t i c po li
tics o f all t he grea t nations of the eart h
Unti l this shall c o me to be wh atev e r m ay
b e o ur wishes a mi l it ary estab lishmen t of som e
sort i n re l at i o n t o foreign a ff a irs seem s to be
unavoidabl e j us t a s a pol ice d e p artm ent o f
some sort i s u n av oi d abl e i n th e city s t re e t s
,
.
,
,
,
.
But this d oe s n o t m e an th at whi l e w orkin g
m en are earning fifty dollars a m ont h in in d u s
trial emp l oyments t he army s h a ll b e m a d e u p
o f m en willing t o b e e mp l oye d for th irt een
dolla rs a m o nth
I t d oes n o t m ean th at th e a rmy must b e so
o rganize d t ha t id leness an d cont empt f o r l a b or
shall be instil l ed into t he men o f arms
I t does no t m ean t hat camp con d iti ons s h a ll
b e m aintained detrimenta l t o th e high es t well
be ing
I t d o es not mean th a t a term in the military
servi ce sha l l tra i n men t o regard lightly the vir
tu e o f women o r t o d isqualify them eith er
p hysicall y o r m o ral ly fo r famil y li fe an d for
th e social services o f fath erho o d
It does n o t m ean that t he army is to be
organized an d used b y th e in d ust ria l m asters
,
.
.
.
,
,
.
[ 112 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
for maintaining a military camp and a detach
m ent o f soldiers at the city b order of every
great industrial center in America
It does not mean tha t there is j ustification
for putting every great factory in t his country
”
o n the
war maps of the army and the build
ing o f the modern f actq rie s as fortified places
in the very hearts of these great industria l
centers
American factories will need no defense if
they treat j ustly the American workers They
—
do not deserve defense
certainly the nation
cannot a fford to maintain an army f o r their
—
defense if it is proposed to extend to all in
du strie s the industria l hell established now by
the steel mills engaged in the product ion o f the
weapons and munitions of war o n a larger scale
than ever before in t he his t ory of the world
.
“
,
.
.
,
,
.
The bui l ding o f t h e P anama C ana l has d e m
o n strate d that the army officer can be a use fu l
citizen in time of peace It di d more than tha t
I t demonstrated that a working force o f forty
five thousand men could be organize d on th e
basis o f voluntary employmen t and filled with
the enthusiasm o f a great arm y struggling fo r
.
.
&
[ 114 ]
MILITARISM AND SELF GOV ERNMEN T
-
the nation s honor and f o r the comm on good
It demonstrated that such a vast undertakin g
could house and feed and care for itself ; that
sanitary conditions could be established in the
face o f the greatest difficulties that the cost of
living could be enormously reduced tha t the
fraudulent contractor graf te r an d adventurer
could be excluded from any S hare in a great
public undertaking that the usual disorder of
a frontier encampment could be avoided and
schools libraries concerts baths and fire side s
could make themselves the sole successors o f
the old disorderly houses gambling resorts and
drinking saloons
It would h ave been an easy matter to have
doubled the number o f workers to have
equipped al l for military service to have given
certain hours to military drill to have produced
an a rmy o f the highest character and capacity
and to have made an army as well as an army
o fficer o f s o me use in time o f peace as well as in
time o f war
The reclaiming of arid lands the storing o f
the flood waters the draining of the swamps
the forc ing backward of the seas from the in
valuable tide lands the opening up of mines
’
.
,
,
'
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
[
115
]
DEMOCRA CY OR DESPO T ISM
and the putting o f all these into a condition of
highest productivity all involve vast e x p e n di
tures They o ffer the opportunity f o r the em
p l oy m ent o f great armies o f workers not on l y
in bringing these natural resources into u se
but in their operation afterwards These t hin gs
woul d make available natura l resources m ore
vas t t han are o ffered by all the l ands now
drenched in blood in a struggle for their p o s
session in E urope It would be a peaceful
conquest at home greater than that ever ac
complished by any war o f invasion at any time
in t he history o f man
I t could be undertaken during those months
o f t he year when there are vast armies o f the
unemployed M ilitary trainin g could be given
i n al l the camps A ll the workers could be
permanently equipped with weapons o f the
most modern make for their o wn permanent
possession Al l these works could be close d
during th e b usy seasons and t h e indus t rial
army at once transferred to the w h eat fields
to the orchards and to all other places where
part of the year the work is too much and par t
for regular a ll the
o f the year
n o t enough
year round employmen t
—
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
.
.
.
,
,
,
,
.
[
11 6
]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
tive war f are away from h ome for product ive
enterprise at home
An army so equipped and so employed could
never be used to coerce labor The whole ques
tion o f wages hours and the genera l conditions
o f emp l oyment wou l d be solved for all labor
for t hen no private employer could keep his
working force un l ess the wages h ours and gen
eral treatment were as good as in this industria l
army whose doors would be always Open for
t h e wronged o r the exclud e d worker from
every field and that without the loss of
citizenship or the abridgement of the e l ective
franchise
Such an army would not be a social danger
to the commu nity where it might be stati o ned
Neither war babies nor ruined womanhood
w ould follow in its wake
S u ch an army could not be used for the pur
poses o f industrial oppression
Such an army would defend this nation
against al l others with a devotion never shown
b y any body o f fighting men at any time o r
anywhere Such an army would never again
tempt the great private interests to foment
war as a means o f private advantage
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
.
.
.
.
[ 118 ]
MILITARISM AND SELF GO V ERNMENT
-
Unt il universa l peace can be made possib l e
if t here must be armies give us such an army
Until then N o t another dollar and not an
”
other man ought to be the watchword of de
m o cracy
Until the nation will safeguard
itself a gainst the misuse of the army by its
enemies at home it would be better f o r the real
democrat to take his chances with foreign foes
rather than deliberately to put his neck com
l
e te l
o
f
under
the
yoke
the industrial despot
p
y
Such an army would not be the tool of the
despots I t would hasten the coming of indus
trial democracy as could no other single thing
But industria l democracy means the end o f
war because it will be the beginning of world
w ide j ustice
,
.
,
“
,
.
.
.
.
.
P o l itica l par t ie s o f some sor t canno t b e
avoided They must be reorganized and made
the servants o f the popular will not the tools
of despotism
G overnments o f some sort cannot be
avoided Their organization and manage
ment must be so reconstructed that the pop
ular will cannot be thwa rted by obstructive
methods of governm ent procedure
.
,
.
.
.
[ 11 9 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
National defensive forces o f some sort can
not be avoided as lon g as chaos rules the wor l d
in international affairs The men o f the armies
and o f the navies o f all the world ought to b e
made usefu l producers in time o f peace The
equipments the munitions and the sup p lies
ough t to b e pr o duce d b y p ubl ic enterprises
more l argely benefite d b y main t ainin g peace
than by reso rt t o war n o t b y pr iva t e m on op o
lies interes t e d in fom ent ing w ar
T h e e ff or t to secure these resu lts invo lves all
the g reat p r o bl e m s o f c urr en t po li t ics
.
.
,
,
.
.
[ 1 2 0]
C H AP T E R XI
U N IVE RSAL E D U C AT I O N
I
N
P O LI T I CS
An ignorant vote may be as disastrous as a
corrupt o n e Universal su ff rage presupposes
universal intelligence
P opular institutions
and popular ignorance are utterly in co m p ati
ble In all countries where popular in stitu
t ions prevail popular education is undertaken
W here despotism prevails general ign o
rance in the community is as essential to the
continuance o f despotism as is general in te lli
gence necessary to the success o f democracy
P ublic schools wherever they exist are
given support o n the assumption that general
intelligence is a public necessity under demo
cratic forms o f government
But n o twith
standing this in these schools there are no
attempts to provide for the particular study o f
those particular questions which may at any
time come up f or sett l emen t at the ball ot
bo x
.
.
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
[ 1 23 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DE SPOTISM
It i s everywhere insisted that education is
n ec essary in order t hat there may be j ust and
efficient pol itica l activities While the pu bl ic
schoo l is provided for t h e sake o f intelligence
in politics the schoo l s are teaching almos t
everyt hing with the exception of politics
F requently campaigns o f educa t ion a re
undertaken prior to o r as a part of the usua l
politica l campaigns But such campaigns are
usually financed by great private interests
The persons or corporations who furnish the
money are usual ly interested in misleading
r ather than in accurately informing the public
on the merits of whatever questions m ay be up
for settlement
.
,
.
,
,
.
.
,
,
.
M ost o f the State Universities in America
and specia l departments o f practically all mod
e rn g overnm en t s
are d oing work of grea t
va lue in specia l inves t igations o f topics o f gen
era l socia l and industrial importance In con
n e ctio n with t h ese investigations
it has be
come an es t ablished custom to publish regu
larly o r a t frequent intervals bu lletins con
taining special information o n whatever topics
have be en under inves t igation These bull etin s
,
'
,
.
,
,
,
.
[ 1 24 ]
DEM O CRACY OR DESP O TISM
also publishes at irregular intervals va luabl e
documents o n topics o f legislative interest and
these are mailed at public expense to such
persons within the state as may ask for them
after the same m anner as is the case with
other Un iversity publications ;
,
,
,
,
,
It would seem that some means o ught to b e
provided for placing at all times the widest
and most accurate information possible within
the reach of all the peop l e covering all the
questions which are likely to come up for action
in the elections
This information sho ul d be presented as
far as possible without bias and should be
provid ed by those who are experts on the topics
u nder consideration and be posted directly in
r egular monthly or weekly publications to all
v oters
Such an undertakin g could be properl y
m ade the work of a D epartment of P olitical
Science in the usual Sta t e University o r
where this is not practicable a G overn ment
Bureau could be specially organized and
equipped for the purpose Such a bulletin
would not need to be a large o n e It shoul d
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
[ 1 26 ]
U NI V ERSA L ED U CATION IN POLITICS
provide f o r direct and expert answers to ques
tions of inquiry covering all matters relating
to politics and in which the general public
would be likely to be interested O n questions
of controversy discussion should be entered
upon only o n a petition o f a considerable num
ber o f citizens
,
.
,
,
.
There are m an v proposals which l egislators
would be glad to see investigated
This would
be specially true of such matters as they do
not yet feel prepared to vote upon The bul
le tin s now published in connection with the
elections where the initiative and referendum
are in operation are only available after the
laws have been drafted and within a f e w davs
prior to the time when the citizen is called upon
to decide for o r against the measures already
under discussion
F or the sake of general intelligence it would
be a wiser plan if such a measure as would be
most likely to be proposed under an initiative
petition S hould not at the first be presented to
the individual citizen by a petition for its
enactment into law A more rational proced
ure would be to petition for the special investi
.
.
,
,
.
.
[
1 27
]
D E M O CRA C Y OR D ES PO T I S M
and discussion o f such proposal s Those
in favor of such a measure and those in opp o si
tion each could be given certain limit e d space
i n the bu ll et in
T h is special a dvantage of expe rt i nforma
tion as to the facts present ed in paral le l co l
um n s by those both for and against c o uld c o n
tinne the discussion under the direction of per
sons se lected by bo t h sides in the controversy
and each month or week the information and
the argument would go directly to all voters
and so continuously until the study had b een
carried to that point that public inform ation
and public sentiment would j ustify a petition
for a vote o n a definite measure involvin g the
settlement at the ballot box o f the ques t ion in
controversy un less perchance the legis l ature
S hould yield to a unanimity of sentiment as a
result of inves t iga t ion an d discussion and
enact the measure withou t a direct re ference to
a popul ar vote
t
n
a
i
o
g
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
-
,
,
,
.
Suc h a b ullet in cou ld b e m ad e t o se rv e o th er
and important purposes It has been seen
how uncertain and f requently how misleading
are party platform declarations where a multi
.
,
[
128
]
DEMOCRACY OR DES P O T IS M
coul d b e direct simple and unmistakable
P art y pla t forms would cease altogether to be
a means Of misleading confusing o r avoiding
public measures of impor t ance
.
,
,
.
As t o th e
expense o f suc h a publ ication it
wo ul d n o t need to require a very serious ex
n ditu r e o f money
e
It
would
be
much
less
p
expensive than are the present campai gns
much more e ff ective in spreading reliable in
formation o n topics under controversy and the
information would reach the people in a man
ner which would protect t hem from being
either corrupted or misled
At the beginning such a publica t ion could
be established by an independent association of
citizens but properly it S hould belong to the
D epartment o f P ublic E ducation and the ex
pense be paid from the public funds for a really
reliable and most important public service
Such an expenditure would save to the state
over and o ver again all it would cost in the
economi es resulting from an improved more
j ust and more e fficient administration of pub
lic a ffairs If such a publication were given
the monopoly of the legal advertising required
,
.
,
,
&
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
[ 13 0]
U NI V ERSA L ED U CATIO N IN P OLITI C S
under the law it wou l d at once pay al l the cost
of its publication and rea lize a considerable
saving to the state
.
These then are the advant ages
,
,
of
such a
O p o sal :
r
p
Under such an arran gement t he people of
the state which would adopt and carry o u t
such a plan o f continuous state wide study of
important public measures would become the
best in formed and the most trustworthy of all
o f the people of all the states
O nce this was
successfully undertaken in any state it would
rapidly spread to all the states and to the na
tion in al l matters o f nationa l o r of interna
tio n al impo rt ance
C orrupt campaign funds would not only lose
their power to mislead but would lose all ex
cuse for their existence and would disappear
L e gi slative bodies would be delivered from
the presence o f the lobby because the l obbies
would lose all power to control
A hasty and ill advised referendum would
become impossible N O one would S i gn a peti
tion for a referendum on a measure which had
not already been widely discussed If the dis
,
-
.
,
.
,
.
,
.
-
.
.
[ 1 31 ]
D EM O C RACY O R DESPOTISM
turned against the proposal tha t wo ul d
be the end o f it If the discussion t urned in
its favor the si gnatures c o uld be easily o b
tain e d and a referendum s o i n itiate d w o u ld b e
quite certain t o car ry
P ar t y convent i ons wi th a ll th eir p o ssibi l ities
for evil would becom e entirely without power
in the matter of real platform maki ng
In the matter of th e public measure s t o be
considered the intrigue o f t he party caucus
the confusion o f t he party convention the con
n ivan ce o f party committees the betrayals of
party candidates wou l d al l o f t h em l o se t he ir
power t o d o harm in such a s t ate
c u ssio n
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
[ 1 32 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
men fo ll owin g the demands o f their emp loy
ments find themselves in large numbers dis
qualified as voters because there are no means
provided u nder the law by which such persons
can establish and maintain a legal residence
a t any particular place If such a one is able
t o do so and is emp l oyed at a distance from
h ome in order to have his vote count he must
l ose the tim e and incur the expense o f going to
his home three times in order to have his wishes
recorded once
The only place a working man can sell his
labo r is a t those points where there is a demand
f o r it
Under modern industry this involves
frequent removals with the result that large
numbers o f men who are most vitally interested
in public a ffairs are unable t o have any share
in their managemen t
.
,
,
.
.
,
.
’
O ne s m embership as a S hareho l der in a busi
ness company or as a member o f a church fra
terna l society labor union or in a social or
comm ercial club when once established can be
main tained without such needless regulations
as have been established s o metimes with the
purpose and always with the result o f hamper
,
,
,
,
,
,
[ I3I ]
AN E STA B L ISHED CITIZENSHIP
ing one s right to be h eard as a member o f
the civic co m munity O ne s members hip in
society and his right to vote as a member o f
society ought to be established in such a way
that when once established it should stan d for
all t ime without further notice or attention on
his o wn part and certainly without the f re
quent repetition of its registration
’
’
.
,
.
G reat pains have been taken in the regis t ra
tion and in the preservation o f the books of
registration covering titles to real estate
It woul d seem that each county could pro
v ide for a registration of o n e s citizenship after
the same manner as deeds are registered or
recorded and when once so recorded the rec
o rd should stand without further amendment
o r repetition unti l the rights thereunder S hould
terminate
J ust as land is specifically described in such
registrations in order that each plot may be
recorded with a description which will not over
lap or be overlapped by any like description
o f other t racts so this registration o f the indi
vidua l voter on his coming o f age or o n his
desire t o estab lish h is first residence as a v ote r
.
’
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
[
1 35
]
D EMOC RA CY O R DES PO T I S M
in a particular p lace could inc lude t h e signa
ture of the voter his age occupation nation
ality height weight color o f h is eyes and his
photograph
H e co ul d be given a card certificate of citi
z e n shi
containing
a
duplicate
f
the
matter
o
p
recorded and a further copy coul d be m ade
an d be recorded and preserved at the state
capital There are many reasons for filing a
further duplicate a t the nationa l capital but
his rights as a citizen in any pa rticu l ar state
would be sufficiently guarded without such a
nationa l registration desira bl e as that would
b e f o r other reasons
O n the remova l o f one s citizenship to so m e
other precinct or county in the s t ate the old
re gi stration could be cancelled before a new
o n e would be m ade possible
O n establ ishing
his citizenship in any other state or on t he
death o f the voter that fact S ho uld b e properly
certified and should be recorded o n th e regis
ters both in his o wn co unty and at the capital
A necessary part o f every deat h an d b uria l
certificate should be this certificate o f citizen
ship attached to and made a part of this fina l
recor d o f ev ery citizen and th e nam e rem oved
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
’
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
[
I 36
]
D E MOCRA CY O R D ES P OTISM
o r to m utilate or destroy any such pub l ic rec
ords The penalty should be equally severe
for voting in one state while holding an u n can
celled certificate o f citizenship in any other
.
.
The advantages o f this system of registra
t ion are very many In some countries they
have old age pensions In all countries o ld age
pensions are sure to be established at an ear ly
date Such a record of citizenship will be most
valuable in securing one s right to participate
in their benefits
The problem of the unemp l oyed is each yea r
becoming more serious Such a certificate o f
citizenship would be and ought to be entitled
to special considera t ion in arranging for em
ployment o r f o r any other necessary provision
which society may make for the individual use
and b enefit o f those who are citizens
In some municipalities the income from
public ly owned forests is now paying all pub
l ic ch arges and an annual dividend to t he citi
z ens besides P ublicly owne d ground rents
and publicly owne d industria l an d social serv
ices will at an earl y day make all government s
d ividend paying bodies as against t ax gather
.
-
-
.
.
’
.
.
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
-
,
[ 138 ]
A N E STA B LISHED CITIZEN SHIP
in g agencies Then this certificate o f citizen
ship will have the same value as a stock ce rtifi
cate in a private company I t will be one s
cert ificate of his single equal S hare in the great
b usiness bo dy called the state by vi rtue o f
wh ic h h e wil l b e heard in its a ffairs and will
s h are in it s benefit s H e w i l l h ave a stake in
h is country
F inally such a re gis t ration woul d b e so com
l
e
t
e
that
one
s
righ
t
as
a
voter
would
be
fully
p
p ro t ected while no o n e could repeat edly vote
at t he same place o r at di fferent places at the
same el ections or impersonat e those either
absent o r dead and it would make unnecessary
al l l o s s o f time and all expenses incurred in the
frequent an d unne c essary r egistrations which
no w pr ev a i l
.
’
.
.
.
,
’
,
,
.
[ 1 89 ]
C H AP T E R XI II
A S
H
ARE
I
N
T
H G OVE
E
N ME N T
G OVE RN ED
R
A LL
BY
T
H
E
In t he later days of barbarism the kin gs f re
quently submitted questions o f public impor
tance to the tribesmen The tribesmen had an
”
”
equal opportunity to vote Y es o r N o o n
the questions submitted
It has been shown in another p l ace t h a t
under curren t p o l itics the m odern voter is little
more than a servant of a politica l mac h ine
which determin es for him what the issues shall
b e in any given e l ection All that he can do
”
”
is to vote Yes o r N o o n t he questions sub
mitte d and usually h e mus t do that with the
certain knowledge that the modern king is the
persona l agent of some p ri vate m o nopoly an d
hence the spokesman o f a corrup t machine
In every parliamentary body the right t o
m ake motions to propose resolutions that is to
share in the raising of questions as we l l as t o
,
.
“
“
.
.
“
“
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
[ 1 40 ]
,
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
The referendum is ve ry closely related an d
S hou l d be treated in connection with the initia
tive This is a provision that whenever a legis
lative body shall enact any measure into law
S hould a petition be fil ed after the same manne r
as in proposing a new m easure and within a
fixed period then the legislative enactment is
n o t to become law until a public vote is taken
If the maj ority vote shall confirm the act o f
the legislature the measure becomes a law
otherwi s e i t ha s b een defeated by popu l ar
vo t e
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
The advantages o f the initiative and the ref
e re n dum are many and important :
1 Under it no legislative m achine can long
o b struct the public will
2 No legislative machine can betray the
public good in be h alf o f private interests by
enacting vicious legislation because any at
tempt in that direction wil l be overtaken b y
referring such matters to a public vo t e
3 No legis l ative m achine can delay progress
by refusing action o n matters o f importance
because under t he initiative any such measure
can be forced t o a vote entire ly in dependen t o f
.
,
.
.
,
.
.
[ 1 42 ]
A SHARE I N THE GOV ERNMENT
great p rivat e int erests and in spite o f the ir
corrupting infl uence in l egis l ative bodies
4 All measures so presented are presente d
entirely indepen d ent o f any ot h er measure so
t ha t a citizen can vote for what h e w ants o n
o n e matt er without being compelle d t o v o te f o r
wh a t h e does not want on somethin g e l se
5 Al l measures so presen t e d are pr esente d
entirely independent o f all candidates f o r Office
so that a citizen can vo t e for w h a t he w an t s o n
a pub lic measure without being require d to v o t e
for a can didate whom he does not want
6 The fruits o f a victory under a refe r
e n du m vote cannot easily be made into politica l
capit a l for t he b enefit o f a partis an machin e
,
.
.
,
.
.
.
.
.
I t i s usually provi d e d th a t the referen d um
S hall n o t apply to measures o f urgent an d
imme diate importance Where such laws exis t
t h ey should be amended and when new laws o f
t he sort are enacted they Sh ould provi d e tha t
l aws declared to be urgent S hould b e limi t e d
solely to measures involving disastrous floods
fir es eart hquakes cont agi on o r plague an d
should not invo lve propert y rights t he confer
rin g of franchises th e usua l app rop ri at i ons o f
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
[ I 43 ]
DEMOCRA CY OR DESPOTISM
public funds or in any way a ff ect the regu l ar
and permanent necessities o f society It should
further provide that such acts as are deeme d to
be of urgent an d immediate importance within
these limitations S hould go into operation at
once but shou l d be sub ect to referendum after
the same manner as other laws and on a ref e r
e n du m being carried against them t h ey shou l d
be declared repeal ed
,
.
.
,
,
,
.
The initiative and referendum shou l d be se
cured in the constitution and the co n stitu
tio n a l amendmen t by which it is establishe d
should contain all provisions for carrying it o u t
It should also pr ov i de that no repealing law
could be enact ed o r its operation be in any way
interfered w ith o r modified except by an initia
t ive petition and a m a o rity vote o f the people
It is claime d tha t under suc h an arrangement
unwise and ill considered laws will be presented
and pub l ic prej udice appeal ed t o for securing
t heir enact ment through t h e initiative The
answer i s th a t where t he initiat ive is in opera
tion the necessity for its use is l ess frequent
than wou l d reasonably b e expected in co n sid
e ra tio n o f the l ong years of poli t ical o b str u c
.
.
-
.
,
[ 1 44 ]
DEMO C RA CY OR DESPOTISM
covering most matters the in dividual officer
can be controlled thr ough the power o f the
public recall and in that way administrativ e
obedience can be secured
But this cannot reach those questions o f suc h
serious controversy that the opposition will
yield only to a S how o f force In every such
instance the maj orities back o f the successful
referendums must secure direct control o f t h e
administration of the measures adopte d by
them and hence be in a position to compel the
obedience o f rebellious minorities
That makes necessary the control o f a p o l it
ical party which in turn wi ll administer the
state and so secure an e fl e ctive adm inistration
of the disputed measures
It wil l sometimes occur tha t o ld part ies can
not be cap t ured and new organizations mus t
be created for such a purpose It has been
shown by actual experience t h at t he mos t e f
f e ctive manner of making the beginning in the
creation of a new party is by a m ovement t o
in itiate a party very much correspondin g to
the initiation o f a new l aw Wh en a new party
organized by o nly a few peop l e and making
battl e for s ome h otly dis p uted po sit i on i s
,
.
.
,
,
.
.
,
.
,
.
[ 1 46 ]
,
A SHARE IN THE GO V ERNMENT
un dertaken it must necessarily meet with many
Obstacles and incidentally may become the
occasion o f pub lic harm
It may withdraw to the ranks Of a hopeless
m inority the very persons who otherwise might
cast a favorable and controlling vote o n other
and im portant measures S ociety can ill a f
ford to lose the voice and vote o f those S O con
sc ie n tio u s and so devoted to the public welfare
as to be personally willing to be counted in a
hopeless minority for the sake o f a distant
good while they possess the power to be
a determi nin g factor in a battle for what
may be a less but an imm ediate social a dvan
tage
There is no goo d reason why the maj ority
wh ich can adopt a measure by a referendum
cannot also e l ect the public o fficers who must
be de p ep de d o n to make e ff ective its adminis
,
,
,
.
.
,
.
tratio n
.
It cannot be because of a lack of public con
victio n as to the wisdom o f such a measure that
such independent parties fail because the ma
j o rity is a lready voting for o r is ready to vote
f o r th e measure under the referen dum
It
mus t b e b ecau se o f a l ack o f con fid ence on th e
,
,
,
.
[ 1 47 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
part of the many in the possibility of t h e elec
tion of such new party candidates
There can be no other reason why popular
measures carried by great maj orities are so
frequently betrayed in their adm inistration
and new parties which champion these popular
measures are defeated by the very voters who
are themse lves in favor of these measures
.
,
.
It is not an unusual thing in the organiza
tion o f a business company to carry o n an e n
te rp rise which cannot be successfully under
taken without a given amount of capital to
accept subscriptions to its stock with the co n
dition that no subscriptions are to be in force
until all o r enough to render the venture a
safe o n e has been subscribed
In fact t o collect an d t o expend a th ousand
dollars in an enterprise requiring a million
with no assurance that the other nine hundred
ninety nine thousand wou l d be forthcoming
could be little less than criminal carelessness
The P rohibitionists the Socialists and those
in t he labor parties have made a life long battle
for m easures which o n their merits command
the confidence o f th e maj orit y But these pa r
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
-
.
,
,
-
.
[ 1 43 ]
D E M O C RA CY O R D E S PO TI SM
I t i s everywhere admitted that a party w hi c h
could secure a regul ar and contributing party
mem b ership equal to ten percent of the total
vote in any city state o r nation would have
a t once a fighting chance to take cont rol It
w ould moreover be financed through its mem
hership in suc h a way that i t would n o t be de
penden t for its existence o n any great private
interests whatsoever
Then why insist o n
spending th e t h ousand unti l the million is in
S igh t ?
Why not make a battle for a party mem
be rship and deliberately stay O ff the b allot
in any city state o r in the nation unti l a t
least t en percen t o f the voters are in the
party organization ? With such a member
ship and standin g f o r a m easure which is
ab le to c o mmand a maj ority support o n its
merit s such a par t y could at once force a
division of a ll the vo t e rs along t he line of
the int eres t s in vo l ved in t he m easure pro
posed
T O nominate candida t es b efore this previous
organization is secured cannot secure the en d
desired I t d oes effectively disfranchi se those
w h o v ot e for such minorit y p ar t ies and it
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
[ 1 5 0]
H
A S AR E I N
T
HGO
E
VERNME N T
makes m o re d iff icu lt th e bui lding u p of th e
m embership to a point where victory for the
new measures and the new party to adm inister
and to enforce t hese m easures b ec o mes a possi
bility
.
The governed have a right to a S hare in the
government which governs them There is no t
only the right but there is the correspondin g
duty to S h are in t he gove rnmen t Those in the
minority parties have their opinions and second
choices concerning the men and measures of
other parties If minority parties would n o t
nominate until t hey first ma d e their organiza
tion strong by at least a ten percent member
ship and in the meantime woul d l eave their
members free t o vote f o r second choices amon g
other can didates they would be a determining
factor at once in m any curren t elections and
would a ll th e sooner win the strength both to
name an d t o e l e ct t h eir own can did ates In
that way they would all th e soone r s ecure the
suppo rt o f a party organizat ion fo r t hei r own
proposals and tha t a party create d for t he ex
press purpose o f providing n o t only for t h eir
adoption but f o r t heir e ff ec t ive a d ministration
as we ll
.
,
.
.
-
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
[
1 51
]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
It may be said then
1 That in all ordinary questions of l egis l a
t ion the init iative and t he referendum make
possible the doing o f t he p ublic wil l
2 That in cases where the beaten m inority
refuses t o surrender t he recal l can ordin arily
enforce conformity to the public will as wil l
be S hown in the succeeding chapter
3 That in cases where the subj ect o f dis
pute is such that a comp l ete division o f society
is inevitable the political party arises as the
organized champion o f one side in the contro
ve r sy and as the last remaining alternative next
preceding civi l war In fact it is at this point
where the politica l party becomes both inevi
table and desirable
4 That t o render such a service under such
circumstances is the only excuse for the exist
ence of a political party If under such cir
c u m stan ce s the political p ar t y becomes indis
ensable
then
to
be
a
partisan
in
such
a
party
p
b e comes the highest virtue To be a p artisan
under any other circumstances i s t o forget the
larger good of al l f o r the factional advantage
a part and hence is a betrayal of the
of
common good
.
,
.
.
,
,
.
.
,
.
,
.
1.
.
,
.
,
,
.
[
152
]
D EMO C RACY OR DESPOTISM
tion are p e rf ected they are sure to be exten d ed
to nati o nal and finally to international matters
and se lf -government will at last be made a
reality everywhere and all despotic institutions
wil l utter l y d isappear
,
.
[ 154 ]
C H AP T E R XI V
O FFI C IAL F I DE L I TY
AN D
E FF I C IE N C Y
E N FO R C ED
&ite apart from the mea ures to be adopte d
u
s
and adm in istere d in the carrying on o f public
a ff airs is the question o f the fidelity and effi
c ie n cy o f those in o ff ice
It has been seen that the political machinery
o f a free state must provide for universal intel
lige n ce concernin g public m atters an estab
lishe d and certain citizenship f o r all the mem
bers o f society and methods o f organiz ation
suc h that all citizens S hall be assured a voice
not only in settling questions when they are
once up for settlement but in bringing up new
questions for settlement
There is the fu rther nee d o f some more e ff e c
tive method o f securing the se l ection and con
trol o f the wisest and most capab l e f o r t h e
p l aces o f responsibility in t h e public se rvice
and for the removal of those who sha ll prove
t hemselves faithless o r incapab l e
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
[ 1 55 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
In the solving of t his problem there is in
volved the consideration of the fo llowing :
1 The nomination o f candidates ( 1 ) by a
party convention ( 2 ) by a party referendum
3
( ) by a party primary o r ( 4 ) by a non parti
san petition
2 The voting for candidates ( 1 ) by a plu
rality
2
( ) by a maj ority with a second elec
tion if found necessary to secure a maj ority
vote o r ( 3 ) by preferential voting
8 P roportional representation
4 A ccurate and honest election returns ( 1 )
by the secret ballot and fair count or ( 2 ) by
the voting machine
5 The proper control o f those in office ( 1 )
bv a party committee ( 2 ) by a legislative com
m itte e ( 3 ) by a legislative caucus ( 4 ) by a
party referendum o r ( 5 ) by a public recall
6 The S hort ballot
.
,
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,
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.
,
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,
.
.
.
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
the nomination of candi d ates ( 1 )
It has already been seen that nominations se
cured through political party conventions are
most unsatisfactory and it is not deemed n e ce s
sary to give that method o f nomination any fur
ther consideration than to mention it in order
1
.
A s to
.
[ 1 56 ]
DE M O C R A C Y OR DESPO T ISM
usua l voter wi ll neve r vote for a new politica l
p arty as l ong as he can fin d anyt hing in it which
he does not approve b u t he will continue to
vote f o r an o ld political pa rty as long as he can
fin d anythin g in it which he does approve If
the new organization is faultless in every re
spect e x cept in some matter of minor impor
tance and if at the same time the o ld party is
wron g in every particular o f serious concern
and can b e a p proved of only f o r some reason
entit led only to the slight est consideration the
usua l v ote r stan d s by his earlie r political
al liance
S o far as the non partisan petition can as
sist as i t certainly does assist in delivering
men fro m the superstitions and prej udices
whic h b ind them t o ou t worn an d useless p o
litical o rganizations so fa r it is to be approved
P olit ica l part i es with a rea l mission are not
crea t ed m ere ly by party names n o r their e x ist
ence m a intained simp ly by the survival of
party cat ch wor d s p ar ty l ab els o r party
prej udice s
R eal p o litica l parties arise as th e re p re se n
tative s o f conflicting economi c interests o f the
m os t serious im port ance No minations ma d e
,
.
,
,
.
-
,
,
-
.
,
,
,
,
.
.
[
158
]
OFFICIAL FIDELITY AND EFFICIENCY
by non partisan petitions cannot remove these
economic causes
C andidates so presented
cannot SO successfully avoid real issues of im
portance as can the old style parties with their
corrupt machine ry their conventions o f con
fusion and disorder their badges their b an
ners and t he ir rallying cries
I t is unquestionably t rue that nominations
by referendums o r primaries are a great a d
vance over the old conventions and finally
that nominations b y non partisan petitions
wh ere al l party label s are excluded may ren
d er so great a service in d elivering voters from
the narrowness an d prej udice o f o u t worn p o
litical organizations as to altogether more than
j ustify any loss which could arise through the
disappearance o f partisan labels This is e s
because
o f the fact that with the
s
o
c
i
a
l
l
e
p
y
disappearance o f partisan l abels only public
questions can remain over which divisions at
the ball o t b ox can possibly arise
-
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
-
,
,
-
.
,
.
A s to the methods of voting f o r candi
dates and of determining elections
It
must
be
said
that
where
there
are
1
( )
several candidates f o r the s ame o ffice and no
2
.
.
[ 1 59 ]
DEMOC RA C Y OR DESPOTIS M
of t hem gets the m a o rity to give t h e e l ec
tion t o the o n e having the l arges t vote though
his vote is less than a maj ority of the votes
polled is a direct surrende r to minority con
trol and as frequently occurs leads to the
adoption o f policies and m easures entirely con
trary both to the pu b lic interes t and to the
p ublic j udgment
2
If
the
maj
ority
is
t
o
elect
and
there
)
(
are only two candidates for the same o ffice the
way is easy but if t he maj ority is to control
and there are m ore than two candidates with
none o f them h aving a m aj ority over all the
rest then a second election in which some o f
the competing candidates in the first are
dropped from the ballo t is usually adopted
M ost frequently all are dropped except the
two with the highest votes Then those whose
candidates do n o t reappear in the secon d e l ec
tion may by their second choice votes deter
m ine which o f t he other candidates shall be
given the office
The obj ection to t his m eth o d o f election is
that it immediately leads to bargaining b e
tween candidates to fusion arrangements b e
t ween campaign committ ees and t o the de
one
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
.
,
,
[ 1 60]
DEMOCRACY OR D ESPO T ISM
sha ll refrain from voting at al l in the fina l
election But the trouble with this is that
actual experience demonstrates that the m ost
S incere and active of the members of any such
party will not refrain fr o m voting their se c
ond choice when the candidate o f their own
party is not on the final ballot o r when for
any reason their own party is without a can
.
,
,
,
didate
.
F or the reason that reasonable voters will
vote their second choice anyway and for t he
fur ther reason that the common good under
de mocratic control j ustly requires the recor d
ing of that second choice j udgment o f minor
i ty parties and inasmuch as any e ffort to con
tro l these second choices in such elections can
lead only t o corruption and confusion the
wiser policy is to l eave to each citizen his o wn
second choice of candidates and to l eave his
right to his second choice vo t e unchallenged
Such an arrangement would have the fur
ther advantage that j ust because the remain
ing candidates could not bargain with com
m itte e s o r mislead conventions o r interfere
with a re f e re n du m in the fight for endorsement
th ey wo uld be o bliged to make their fight b y
,
,
,
,
.
,
[ 1 62 ]
O FFICIAL FIDELITY AND EFFICIEN C Y
d irect concessions to the measures supported
by mi nority parties as the only way by which
t hey co uld secur e maj orities in the final elec
t ions
3
There
remains
for
consideration
only
)
(
t he method known as preferential voting By
this method all voters vote for all of the can
didate s submitted in the order of their choice
”
”
m arking each name
F irst
Second
”
Third etc in accordance with their prefer
If any o n e o f the candidates has a ma
e nce s
o rit
over
al
l
others
he
is
declared
elected
j
y
If however no candidate is given a ma o r
i ty then the candidate having the smallest
vote is dropped from the list and the second
choices o n those ballots which had voted F irst
”
choice for the candidate whose name is n o w
dropped have their second choices counte d
am ong the remaining candidates
This process o f dropping the name with
fewest votes is continued until some o n e o f
the remaining candidates shall have secured a
maj ority o f either first second o r third
choices
The advantages of this method o f voting
are very many Al l elections under it are by
.
.
,
,
“
“
,
,
“
.
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
“
,
.
,
.
.
[ 1 63 ]
,
D E MOCRA CY OR DES P O T ISM
m a o rity vote All voters under this arrange
ment may freely vote their first choice with the
certainty t ha t if no one of t he candidates is
given a m aj ority o n the first count their se c
ond choices will be sure to be counted and in
this manner the advantages o f the first and
second and even a third choice are m ade pos
sible without any possibility o f int ervening
bargains o r corrupt practices o f any sort
Besides this it gives each vo t er an o pp o r
tun ity to give fu ll expression to his own wishes
o r convictions o n t he whole fiel d o f possible
politica l action H e m ay choose and be ready
t o support wit h very grea t earnestne s s a can
didate representing a cause t o which only a
smal l portion o f his neigh bors are ready t o give
their support In that case h owever he would
stil l h ave a preference b e t ween remaining can
didate s H e owes i t to himself to use all the
j us t powers o f his citizenship and his country
is entit led to t he benefit o f his furth er choice
Under t he preferential method o f voting al l
this is possib l e I t is possible without any sec
The trouble and expense of se c
o n d election
Second and third
o n d elections are avoided
a n d fourth ch o ice votes are possi bl e an d al l
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
,
.
.
.
[
1 64
]
DEMOCRA CY OR DESPOTISM
divided by six and the quotien t so Obtained
would determine the number of votes n e ce s
sary f o r any candidate in order to be declared
e lected
Then al l first choices would be counted in
the same manner as under preferential voting
All those who secured first choice votes equal
to that required number would be declared
e l ected The votes polled f o r any such suc
c e ssf u l candidate in excess of the required
number would immediately be counted for
their second choices o n the remaining candi
dates If this shoul d secure a sufficient n um
ber f o r any o n e o f the r e maining candidates to
give him the number require d he woul d be de
and any surplus o f votes re
clare d elected
maining of his second choice votes would be
counted for the names below When there
would b e no longer a remaining surplus from
successful candidates the name having the
lowest vote in the list would be dropped and
his second choices counted among the still re
maining candidates after the same manner
unti l five candidates would have been chosen
The arguments in behalf of this method o f
electing members o f legislative b o dies are that
.
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
[
1 66
]
OFFICIAL FIDELITY AND EFFICIENCY
m inority parties in this way will be given rep
re se n tatio n in the legislative bodies in propor
tion to their numbers and that group interests
o f any sort existing in the community may thus
be easily and certainly given expression in the
governing bodies
It is certain that under the organization o f
political parties by industrial groups as is pro
posed in C hapter X V proportional re p re se n
tatio n would greatly hasten industrial r e p re
in the administration o f public
se n tatio n
a ff airs
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
2
.
4
A s to accurate and hones t election
.
re
turns
Anyt hing that can be done to guarantee the
purity o f the ballot box certainly ought to be
done The introduct ion of the Australian bal
lot that is the large ballot sheet with the
names of all candi dates printed o n the o flicial
list and with secrecy in its marking guaran
teed has been o f incalculable value in Am eri
can elections and throughout the world where
ever it has been adopted But th e voting ma
chine recently invented and coming quite
rapi dly into genera l use gives a greater guar
.
.
—
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
[ 1 67 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
antee for absolute secrecy absolut e accuracy
in the count and a return sheet so completely
protected that it is practically fraud -proof in
making the returns
B esides no ballot is necessary further than
a list for the conven ience o f the voters in mak
ing up the names for t heir o wn direction in
u sing the machine
The cost of printing the ballots and the en d
l ess task involved in their counting and the cer
tainty established by all the records o f Official
recounts that accuracy in the counting o f bal
l o ts is practically impossible all together o ff er
the strongest reasons why the voting machine
should be everywhere adopted The initial ex
pense in introducing the machine is not to be
compared with the permanent econ omies re
su ltin g fr o m its use while the advantages o f
speedy returns accurate counting and ab so
lute secrecy are of the gravest impor t ance
,
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
A s to the pr o per c o ntro l of those once
elected to o ffice
1 ) This has usually been undertak e n by
the pa r ty executive committee The power of
the committee to promote o r to rui n th e m an
5
.
.
.
[
168
]
DEMO C RA CY OR DESPO T I S M
t h e fo rce o f a vote o f no confidence in th e p u b
lic o fficer it has th e force of a vo t e o f co n fi
dence in an unofficia l gro up wh o are n e ces
sarily s o r elate d t o the duties o f the O ffice that
they ca nn o t possibly h ave in hand th e in f o r
mation nece s sary f o r wise an d e f fec t ive guid
ance
3
As
to
t
he
l
egis
l
ative
caucus
I
n
l
egis
)
(
l ative bodies it is a l ong established practice
that the representatives o f a party and some
tim es those interested in a measure regardless
o f party meet in a regular or special m eetin g
”
kno wn as a l egislative caucus
There h as been much discussion ov e r the
p ropriety o f these meetin gs and conce rning
the powers which they e x ercise B ut the fact
is that in the ba ttl e for measures an d policies
in such bodies t he cont ending forces mus t be
gi ven direct i o n in som e way If t h e party can
c us is to b e abandoned there woul d th en re
main no p o ssib l e way by which part y p l e d ges
coul d be made goo d and the party s action an d
responsibi lity be pr o t ect e d fro m th e personal
weakn es s o f it s m e mb ers or t h e corrupting
”
p ower o f t h e par ty boss and the sinister in
”
te re sts whi c h usu a ll y co nt ro l th e p a rt y b oss
,
.
.
-
,
,
,
,
“
.
.
,
,
.
,
’
,
“
“
.
[ 1 7 0]
O FFI C IAL FI DELITY AND EFFI C IEN C Y
&
That a legislator in the pr o motion o f any
cert ain mea s ure should b e guided in the detail s
of it s provisions and in the tactics of the bat
tle for i t s a d optio n by h is associa t es wh o ar e
also co mmi tt ed t o its support woul d see m to
be t he m et h o d most likely to be helpful and
least e x posed to the dange rs o f unwise o r dis
honest a cti o n o u the part o f its supposed sup
p orter s
Anyway i t is necessarily a choice between
”
”
th e party boss o r the party caucus or an
utt erly unorgani zed and chaotic mob o n th e
one si d e as against a so l id unit o n the ot h er
for the enemies of the public g o od know th eir
”
master s voice and forever heed its ca ll
I
t
is
further
proposed
that
w
h
en
a
pu
b
4
)
(
lic Officer Shall prove unsatisfacto ry to a party
whic h support ed his candidacy that in tha t
l
case he S hall be sub ect to recal by a re f e ren
dum to the party which elected him o r by the
act o f his party s executive
The obj ection to this is that he was e lected
by a maj ority vote as against the rest of
the comm unity but he is to be instructed by a
party comm ittee o r by a maj ority vote within
the p arty which could never be much m ore
,
,
.
,
“
“
,
,
,
,
“
’
.
,
,
’
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,
[ 171 }
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
than one fourth of the total vote o f the co m
munity and frequently w o uld be o nly the
smallest fraction of the persons actually con
cerned P ublic Officers have been more f re
quently corrupted by the great privat e inter
ests controlling comm ittees which contro l t he
o fficers than by directly corruptin g the o ffi
cers themselves Any such committee control
it has been agreed is most dangerous But
any power on the part o f a maj ority o f the
members of a party to displace a public o ff i
cer once h e has been elected by a maj ority o f
the whole comm unity is a direct departure
from maj o rity rule f o r while on ly a m aj ority
can elect to Office it still gives an insignificant
minority the power t o discharge a public offi
cer who should be elected and controlled n o t
by sma ll minorities but by the maj ority o f
the whole c o mmunity
5
This
leads
us
to
the
one
an
d
only
re
( )
maining method for controlling those in Office
t hat is through the public recal l
In a popular government it is always possi
b le t o elect men to Office who would bett er be
left in private life It is true th at such an u n
fortunate officer may be rem ove d at t he end
-
,
,
,
.
,
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,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
.
[ 17 2 ]
D E MOCRA CY OR D E SPO T ISM
The means by which that m ay be acco m p
lishe d is by arranging that by a general peti
t ion signed at any t ime by a reasonable por
tion of the community after the same manner
as in the referendum an election may be called
retirin g a t once such a faithless public servant
and electin g in his place a successor who will
obey th e pub lic wil l
T h e wisdo m o f the publ ic r eca ll o f a
faith l ess o fficia l has b een conceded by some
and then the o b e ction m ade that i t o ught
no t t o apply t o j udges in t he co urts o f
l aw
T hi s o bj ection is base d o n the O bvious fact
tha t t he m aj ority o f the v o ters in the co m
m unity cannot possibly be versed in the intrica
cies of t he law and are therefore incapable of
a j ust j udgment o n t he actions o f a j udge in
his ru lings in t he court or o n h is decisions as
t o the m eaning o f the l aw
But this is o nl y the sam e o ld o bj ect ion
again s t pop ul ar ru l e I t h as b een seen that
the dangers o f popu l ar r ul e are many but
that they are neve r S O great as is fixed arbi
trary irresponsible and despotic power vested
in any way in anyone be h e an industrial mas
,
,
,
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,
.
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
[ 17 4 ]
OFFICIAL FIDELI T Y AND EFFICIENCY
ter a par ty b oss a mi lit ary l ord a court j u d ge
a president king o r kaiser
It is quite l ike ly however tha t the reversal
of a court decision would be found to be more
e ffective t han the recall o f the j udges This is
true for t he same reason that it is easier t o re
verse the action of a legislative b ody on some
particular l aw than it would be to recal l from
o ffice al l those who had voted f o r the ob e etion
able measure But the wiser arrangemen t stil l
would be to pr ovide for either method o f p ro
c e du re an d in that way u nder t h e form o f l aw
the fina l authority in government is made be
yon d a ll powe r t o prevent it the wi ll o f th e
ma o rity
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
.
The sho rt ballot
T h ere are three great t asks in the adm in is
O ne is the fixing o f
tratio n Of public a ffairs
the things to b e undert aken and the genera l
policies which are to prevail This should b e
done by the maj ority vote an d hence mus t be
done in the elections The next is the work
ing o u t o f these general purposes an d pol icies
in their details in the legislative and a dmin is
An d
trative act ivities o f the governmen t
6
.
.
.
.
,
.
.
,
D E MO C RA CY OR DES P O T IS M
fina lly,
th er e i s the t ask o f actual ly o rganiz
in g and carryin g on th e w ork o f d o in g t h e
thin g s so agreed upon
In all t his the gr eatest wi s d o m an d e fficiency
demands tha t t he persons wh o d e t e rm ine the
d etai l s of l e gis l ation an d o f a dministrative
p olici e s S hou l d be r ep resent at iv e o f a ll th e
great s ocia l inte re s t s concerned B ut re pre
sen tatio n of t hose interests ough t no t t o be
duplica t ed o v er and over again with a nee d less
multiplication o f publ i c o ffi cials on ly t o con
fuse the sit uat i on
In th e e x ecuti o n of t h ese undertakings t he
call is s o l ely for e ffi cient management D i
vide d c o unci l an d d ivided responsibility both
tend t o inefficiency
The m ovement for th e s h ort ballo t i s an e f
f o r t to r e d uce t he numb er o f electe d o ff icia ls
t o cent ra l ize an d de finite ly fix responsibility to
p romot e eff iciency in any executive service by
p romo t ion i n th e servic e and t o secure all the
advant age s o f traine d an d cap abl e w o rkers
under long t im e engage m ents
Against this m os t sensible p roposa l it i s o h
j e cte d t ha t it is n ot d e mocratic H ow it is
unders t oo d t o b e especially democratic to e lect
.
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,
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[
176
]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
a bl e to determine the things to be un d e rt aken
and the general policies to be adopted
To attempt m o re th an this by direc t e l e c
tion is only to d o violence to the simp l es t prin
c ip le o f e f fective organization wh ile under the
pretense of being democra t ic rea l dem ocrac y
is made impossible
.
,
,
,
,
.
The contention so o ft en ma d e that dem o c
racy and e ff iciency are not possible is absur d
The citing of the obstructive forms o f pa rty
or g anization and t he Obstructive forms of gov
e rn m e n t procedure in this country as instances
o f democratic failure
is no t j ustifie d by the
fact s
This country is controlled by t he great pri
vate interests every o n e of which is an indus
t ria l despot ism
The obstructive fo rm s o f
part y o rganization and the Obstruc t ive fo rms
Of governmen t procedure are b oth the w o rk
o f t h e despo t ic powers of monopolized in d us
t ry T h ey are still in the mastery no t becau se
o f d em o cracy b u t for the lack of d em ocracy
N o goo d can be accomp l is h e d b y any su g
ges t ed concessions t o aut oc racy All th at is
ne e de d is th e app l ication o f c omm o n s en s e
.
,
.
,
.
.
.
,
.
[ 17 3 ]
OFFICIAL FIDELI TY AND EFFI C IENCY
measures for discovering stating and e n f o rc
ing the public will as the supreme auth ority in
the s tate
,
.
F ro m a ll t h e fore go ing i t is s een tha t fid e l ity
an d e fficiency in pub lic o ff ice can b e best se
cured b y t he initiative and the referendum by
n om in at i on s b y pet ition by preferent ial vo t
i ng b y pro port i o nal representation by t h e use
o f t h e vo t ing m achine in the p l ace o f t he
pr int e d bal l ot by the p ublic recall and w ith
t h e s h o rt ballo t
,
,
,
,
,
.
[ 17 9 ]
C HAP T E R XV
T
HI N D U S
E
T RIAL
O RGAN IZ AT I O N
OF
PO L ITI CAL
PAR TIES
I t has b ee n seen in C hapter E ight how
through the unofficial caucus t he unwieldy
and disorderly conventions the mac h ine made
committees and their corruptly chosen candi
dates politica l parties are used to o b struct the
public will and as instruments in the hands of
p rivate interests in the doing o f public harm
It has been seen in C hapter S even that th e
r eal occasion for the existence o f political par
t ies is the existence o f the great conflictin g in
te re sts which these parties are created to rep
r esent in t h e battle o f these interests for the
control and use o f the public power If t he
political party is t o be m ade a means of rea l
service in the promotion o f the public goo d
then some means must be devise d by which
each party and the co mm ittees which represent
and c o nt ro l e a ch party c an b e m a d e dire c tly
,
,
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,
,
,
.
.
,
[ 1 8 0]
DE M OCRACY OR DESPOTISM
b e given in open disp l ay the badges of the
private monopolies he really stands f o r
It is only by hiding the fact as to whom they
r e ally represent that corrupt political ma
chines are able to continue their contro l of
public a ff airs The great private monopolies
h ave everything t o gain by keeping their in
du strial group contro l o f the country o u t of
sight
But the usefu l people lose all by not openly
organizing for political purposes along the l ine
of their great industrial group interes t s
.
.
.
.
R emember that m en should vote together
only because they have in terests together R e
member that po litica l parties have no excuse
f o r their existence except as they represent
these great collective interests
What are the great collective interests of
mos t serious concern to the people and co n
cerning which the control of the government
?
in their behalf is o f the graves t importance
O nly a little while ago all progressive coun
t ries were engaged in a great conflict over 10
cal self government It was j ustly contended
that only those wh o were concerned in t he a f
.
.
-
.
[ 1 82 ]
IND U STRIAL ORGANIZATION
fairs of a city a county o r a state should hav e
voice in its a ffairs
But why was this contention made ? There
is but o n e answer It was because those who
lived in a city county o r state would be bes t
informed as to its needs and most vitally con
cerned in its welfare
,
,
,
.
.
,
.
Bu t since the building o f t h e American
sta tes there have grown up in this count ry
great group interests o f more vital concern
than any which now prevail within any certain
geographical subdivisions o f the co untry
D uring the last fifty years the most marked
thing in the productive processes by which the
m eans o f existence are provided in the organ
iz atio n s o f business bodies in the orga ni zations
o f labor
and in the activities o f the modern
state has been the appearance and rapid
gro wt h o f the great industrial o r occupationa l
group interests
C onsider the processes o f production F ifty
years ago the world s work was done in the
main by each worke r employing himself a
part o f the time in many l ines o f work The
same man was a farmer a carpenter a s t one
.
,
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’
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,
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[
1 88
]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
mason a tanner a shoemaker a blacks m ith a
fuel producer and a transport worker A part
o f the time he worked on each of many di ff er
ent kinds of tasks
D uring the last fifty years more than fifty
great private ind ustries a ll of which h ave
gro wn into great private monopolies have
been developed ou t o f l ines of work which had
before b een carried o n by self employed men
i n smal l s h ops of their o wn in any o n e o f
whic h they were emp l oye d only small porti ons
o f the t ime
C onsider th e ne w fo rm s o f business organ
F ormerly the prosperous self em
iz atio n
ployed producers would n o t only be working
a part o f the time at many tasks but they were
owners as individuals or as partners in many
lines of business
N o w the lines o f b u siness organization have
b een extended along the lines of these great
industria l o r occupational group develop
m ent s Business companies are mining com
n ie s railway companies lumber companies
a
p
h ardware companies cotton o r woolen manu
f a ctu rin g companies and so o n to the end o f
the list of all the great business undertakings
,
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[ 1 84 ]
D EMO C RACY OR DESPOTISM
B ut this only indicates in the smallest way
the great activities of the government in the
industry and commerce of the nation In the
various departments there are bureaus or sub
divisions o f the public service directly relating
the administrative activities of the nation to
almost every activity or service in which any
o f its citizens could possibly be e m p l oyed
.
,
.
The importance o f all this is understoo d
when it is remembered that one s occupation
involves the most important of all his social
relations It is from his occupation that he
must obtain the means of existence and be able
to provide for his o wn It is through his ocen
patio u that he must mainly render whatever
service he may be able to render in behalf of
the c o mmon good
It is by his occupation and his e fficiency o r
inefficiency in it that he is j udged and honored
o r discredited by his count rymen
It is by his occupation that he is able to dis
cover his o wn capacity and realize his o wn
possibilities It is by his occupation that his
strength and his character are developed o r
h is manhood undermined and his personal p o s
’
.
.
.
.
.
[
1 86
]
IND U STRIAL ORGANIZATION
sibilitie s
are blighted No other choice in life
is more serious than the choice o f an occupa
tion
There are no other social bonds outside
those of the fireside so strong o r SO holy in
the thought of a worthy man as the bonds with
which men are bound to each other in the o ccu
n s in which they wear o u t their l ives to
i
o
t
a
p
gether in social service
There are no collective interests through
which o ne s citizenship can better be trusted to
speak S incerely in its e ffort to speak f o r the
common good than through the very industry
o r occupation by m eans o f which one serves
society
.
.
,
,
.
’
,
,
.
The enemies of progress are already act ing
politically through the industries and the o c
cu p atio n s through which they exercise despotic
powers and by means of which they are able to
conver t a supposedly free state into a practical
despotism
The politica l party which is t o fight the bat
tle for real democracy must not only declare
for industrial democracy as an end to be sought
for but it must build its o wn organization an d
.
,
[ 1 87 ]
DEM O CRACY OR DE SP O TIS M
elect and control its o wn committees with the
h ighest consideration given to the industria l
groups not to ge o graphica l b o undary l ines
,
.
V o t ers are n o w regi s t ered as t o th eir o ccu
t
i
o
n
a
s
In cases where an organized p olitical
p
party provides f o r a regular dues payin g m e m
be rship the occupations are usually registered
It woul d be an easy matter to classify al l
citizens according to their occupations
The transport workers the building trades
the m iners the farmers factory workers co m
m e rcial workers iron and stee l workers the
housewives the pro fessional workers and other
such occupations would each constitute a
subdivision in the party E ach such group
could be given its representation accordingly
And whenever proportional representation
would be estab lished industrial representation
in the legislative bo dies woul d become in e vita
b le
C ommitteemen delegates and pub lic
o fficers elected and subj ect to instruct ion o r
recal l by those emp l o yed in an indus t ry to
serve that industry in political warfare would
make an end o f the power of the mon o po ly
controlled politica l mach ine
.
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[ 1 88 ]
DEMOCRACY OR D ESPOTISM
er s in t h e occupations would be represente d
by men o f their o wn choice It would then be
c o me impossible f o r those who make a p ro f e s
sion o f politics o r f o r lawy ers and bankers
longer t o so preponderate all other occupations
in the public service
Under such an arrangement the two million
o rganized farmers and the three million othe r
workers who are in l abor organizations inevi
tab ly would be heard and the committeemen
se l ected and the public O fficers chosen would
speedily become less acceptable t o the great
private interests because no longer subj ect to
their control T h ey wou l d at once become
responsive to the needs and wishes o f the
industrial groups which would b e represented
b y th e m
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
In the nature o f the case any par t y create d
after that manner cou ld not become the too l
o f the industrial despot and for the same rea
s on it cou ld no t escape from becoming the
serv an t o f t he millions of usefu l peop l e all o f
whom live b ecause o f their vital and constant
connection with t h e indus t ries in wh ich they
are em p loyed
,
,
,
,
.
[ 1 90 ]
IND U STRIAL ORGANIZATION
I t would be as impossible for such a part y
to carry o n its own affairs or finally to control
the state except in the interest of all those who
maintain useful relations to society as it would
be for any o n e of the workers to live at the
expense o f any industry while r endering no
service in the industry
It has been feared that in such an arrange
ment some few o f the larger industries woul d
be victimized by the combination of m any
smaller ones o r that the smaller industries
would be practically voiceless because of the
very great numbers o f those employed as
farmers miners or housewives in c o mparison
with the smaller number o f commercial o r
professional workers
But that could har dly occur f o r the reason
that in all matters the referendum to the whole
b ody o f the community would be the fina l
arbiter in all serious disputes
It S hould be further said that should any
indust ry be seriously inj ured in its interests
or any other unfairly benefited in the indus
trial republic o f the future then the desertions
that would follow from the o n e industry and
the swarm o f new workers o ffering f o r the
,
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,
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,
[ 1 91 ]
D EMOCRA C Y O R DE SPOTISM
other industry would compel a m ore equitable
arrangement
F rom al l the foregoing it is seen that the
great productive undertakings the grea t busi
n ess monopolies
the organizations o f labor
a n d the departments o f government activity
a re all forming along the lines of the great
industries
It is seen that the great private int erests
because they act wit h the collective power o f
the industrial group monopolies are ab l e to
exe rt despotic contro l over political parties
and hence over public a ffairs in their o wn b e
half and j ust because the useful people have
so far failed to make these industrial groups
t he units of organization in the control o f
political parties and so in the control o f public
a ff airs in their o wn behalf despotism has been
t riumphan t
It is seen how t h ese industrial groups in the
in d ustries the great private business monopo
l ies which contro l the industries an d the activi
ties o f the government all dove tail into each
o t her in the great social services of the modern
sta te in such a way that private monopoly h as
b ecome its master
,
.
,
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,
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[ 1 92 ]
PA R T I V
T H E O RD E R O F AD VA N CE
DEMOCRACY OR DE SPOT IS M
It is always true that things actually ac
complished are more easily understood than
things only proposed
It is a sound policy to undertake the easiest
things first The fundamental causes o f polit
ical wrong are the same in the municipality
the state the nation and in world politics
The easiest way to raise an issue in the state
is in the e fl o rt to fo llow up with the authority
and the resources of the state some matter
which the great municipalities in the state have
carried forward to the limits of their j u risdic
tion It is then easily seen by all that it must
be taken up in the l arger field and continued
in the larger way if the b es t results are to be
secured
In the same way b etween the state and the
nation W hen a state has done all that it can
do in some public matter and any further ac
t ion is either beyond its q i sdictio n o r be
yon d its resources such a question then
becomes naturally and inevitably a question in
nationa l politics All questions of interna
tion al trade international credit and the mas
te ry o f the high seas must always be questions
o f international as well as of nationa l concern
,
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,
[ 1 98 ]
HW TO PROCEED
O
In m unicipal state nationa l an d interna
tion al politics the causes of division strife
partisan war f are within the states and mili
tary undertakings between the nations are al l
o f them economic in their character
In the municipalitie s the great cont roversial
questions in politics arise o ut o f the private
ownership o f municipa l a ff airs such as unim
proved ground values street railways water
gas electricity an d the like and the neces
sary economic wrong and politica l corruption
whic h m ust always result from the conflict
between the public good and the private
advantage o f the private owners of these
monopolies
E xactly the sam e kind o f socia l services are
the cause of the great political controversies in
the state and nation In the same way inter
national strife is always the result o f the e f
forts o f great private interests in the various
nations t hose of eac h nation through t he
power o f their o wn count ry seeking to extend
their power to exploit to the disadvantage of
competing industrial monopolies in other
countries
It mus t b e a d mi t ted t hat bo th in dustri al
,
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[ 1 99 ]
DEMOCR A CY OR DES PO T IS M
and po litical despotism mu s t re main as long a s
t h ese conditions cont inue I t must be a dmitted
also that no loca l achievement in behal f of t h e
pub lic ownership and de m ocratic mana ge ment
o f these great inst rum ents of social service can
de liver even th a t l o calit y f r o m fur t h er e x to r
tion in the larger enterp rises which a re nat i o na l
and internationa l in their s c o pe
It is impossibl e for any city t o s ettl e th e
questions involve d in l and m onopo ly tran s
rtatio n monopoly manufac turin g mono p o l y
o
p
commercia l m onopoly and financia l monopoly
and it is equally c lear tha t no s t ate can so lve
t hese proble ms withou t t he co op eration o f th e
nat iona l aut h orities an d finally no nation can
s ecure even for itself t he conditions of peace
and the advantages of world wide trade
e x cept wit h the co operati o n Of the o thér
nations
.
.
,
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,
-
.
In co nsideration o f a ll t he f o reg o ing is it
n o t evident tha t whatever is to be unde rt ake n
in the improvem ent o f social condit ions ought
to begin with t h e small a ffai rs of the munici
and
by
each
smaller
achievement
e
x
t
a
li
y
p
t end t he e x perience increase the p ower an d
,
,
[ 2 00]
C H AP T E R X V II
WH
AT
To
DO
I t was seen in C hapter Ten tha t u n iver sa l
political education is of fundamenta l i m por
tance in the improvement of the administrativ e
m achinery of a d e mocratic state
P ublic meetings reach but a few and reac h
t hese in small groups which are rare ly re p re
se n tative o f t he whole life even of any given
c ommunity The press is pre u dice d and sub
t
o
the
c
o
ntrol
of
great
private
interes
t
s
e
c
t
j
It was seen that the most rational meth o d o f
reaching all of the people with accurate an d
r eliable information would be through the pu b
licatio n o f a bulletin in which both sides of
every controverted proposa l could b e f air ly
presented and these bulletins regular ly pos t e d
t o all the voters
In order to get this bulletin established in
a ny state it will m ean a prolonged campaign
while the bulletin itself wou l d be of the great
.
,
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.
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,
[ 2 02 ]
WHAT TO DO
value in promoting even the campaign for
its own creation
e st
.
The first thing t o do in im proving po litical
m achinery is to spread the in formation con
cerning public matters in a bulletin regularly
published widely distributed and in which
bo t h sides o f public questions of importance
are regularly presented by representative and
admitted spoke smen from both S ides This is
altogether a practicable and possible u n de rtak
ing The expenditure would not be large and
could be provided by voluntary contributions
Information co ul d thus be furnished for de
b ating clubs in the country schools in all sorts
of socia l groups and particularly in the high
schools o f the state where large numbers o f
people could be in terested in considering the
fact s and arguments concerning matters o f
immediate public concern
R eferences for
further study the placing of books required
in the public libraries and the in tro du c
tion of these topics into the University E x
tension lectures would all help in extending
the public in formation concerning public
a ff airs
,
,
.
.
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
[ 2 03 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
When once this was successfully done the
takin g over o f the bulletin as a part o f the
educational work o f any state could be easily
accomplished and thereafter the most impor
tant instrument for public service in a dem o
cratic co mm unity would be permanently
secure d
,
.
In order however to promote any sor t of
undertaking collective action wil l be found
necessary I n order t o give e fi e ctive support
to any m easure t h ose favoring the meas ur e
m ust be organize d P l acing the fullest in f o r
mation in the hands of all o f the people wi ll
not succee d in securing the desired result
un less the peop l e are associate d together
for j oint action as rapidly as they come
into agreement concernin g their co n vic
tions
I n C hapter F ou rteen it was seen tha t the
m ost e ffective m eth od o f politica l organization
wi l l b e f o und to b e a l ong the line o f the great
industria l groups J ust because the great m o
n O p o lie s are als o organize d along the same in
du strial l ines an d because al l the real ly gr ea t
political questi o ns arise o u t o f the conflict s be
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
.
[ 2 04 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
Any
community which wi ll undertake s uc
even in t h e smalles t
c e ssf u lly these things
municipality wil l have laid th e foundation for
the further work which must u ltimately brin g
the comple t est victory to democracy and mak e
impossible any further exis t ence o f d espo t i c
institutions
,
,
.
[ 2 06 ]
C H AP T E R X V II I
CO N S T I T U T I O N AL A ME N DME N T S
I t h as been seen that the evils of despo tism
are inherent in the political machinery estab
lishe d by t he C onstitution o f the United States
These s ame unfortunate features were ex
t ended t o t he states I t wil l be very difficu l t
t o go very far in the work o f im provemen t in
t he machinery o f legislation and o f a dm inis
tratio n without making certain very important
amendments t o the C onstitution
.
.
.
F irst of all both in im p o rtance and in o r
der o f their undertaking should b e t he
initiative the referendum an d t he recal l
W here these exis t t hey mus t be m ade more
e ffective by universal political education and
b y the industria l group organization o f polit
i ca l part ies and they must be so amended as
t o guard against abuses under the guise o f
pretended urgency
Amendments wh ich un d er th e p ret ense o f
sa feguarding the referendum propose t o limi t
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
[ 2 07 ]
D EM OCR A CY OR DESPOTISM
its operation are t o be o pposed The only
safeguard needed and the only safeguard
which can be truste d in using these measures
must be measures f o r securing the un iversal
intelligence o f the people of the states which
adopt them
Where the initiative the referendu m and
the recal l have not been adopted movements
S hould be pushed at once for their adoption
These measures shou l d be ex t ended constantly
to be made to apply t o all matters o f national
and of international concern
In another place wil l be considered a method
of forcing the issue where no provision now
exists under the laws for the voluntary initia
tion of statute laws or of amendments to the
constitution
Wherever the initiative and referendum do
exist steps should be taken to remove all l imi
tation s placed by the people in the co n stitu
tions which in any way li mit the fields o f
action on the part of the people the m selves
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
.
.
,
,
,
.
There ought to be placed in al l the consti
tutio n s as soon as they can be m a de really
d e mocratic by the initiative the referendum
,
[
2 08
]
,
D E M O C RA C Y OR DESPOTISM
territories wil l speedily j us t ify th e l arger
undertakings
R emaining provisions in the f orms o f gov
e rn m e n t intended to obstruct the pub lic w ill
like the ass u med and final authority o f the S u
preme C ourt its life tenure in o ffice and the
absurdity o f an upper house in all the states
and in the nation itself would spee dily dis
appear as their obstructive relati o ns to the rea l
activities o f t he people would be ma d e m ore
evident
N o au tho rity cou l d b e r egarded any l onge r
as supreme as agains t the popula r wi ll e x
pressed in intelligent and e ffective m aj orities
Universa l su ff rage would speedily follow T h e
initiative and referendum would enab l e its
advocat es to keep the question constant ly be
fore the public until universa l su ff rage woul d
su ffrage independen t of se x race
b e given
creed education property qualification o r t h e
payment of taxes
Al l this would fol l ow rapidly once th e in it ial
conditions in real indus t rial de mocracy wer e
secure l y es t a blis h e d
.
,
,
,
.
'
,
.
.
—
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
[ 2 1 0]
,
C H AP T E R XIX
P U BL I C LY O W NED I N D U S T R IAL E
N TE RPR I SES
It has b een s een t h a t so l on g as th e pr iva t e
own ership o f natura l resources and the means
of transportation manufactu re storage an d
exchange are subj ect to private monopoly
o wnership and control that long industria l
despotism must remain
The only e ffective way of escape ever under
taken to relieve the community from the mis
fortunes o f any such private monopoly has
been to esta blish a public enterprise in its
place
,
,
,
,
.
.
I n un d ertaking the creation of such pub li c
ent erprises it will be found the part o f wis
dom to make the attack upon those private
monopolies whose robbery is most evident
whose adm inistrations have been most de s
hose
position
in
the
public
mind
is
o
t
i
w
c
p
the most unpopular and if possible monopo
li es against which there are great social and
m oral reasons f o r public interference
,
,
,
,
,
.
[ 21 1 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
It will also be found sound tactics never to
present the ca s e as simply one o f p rohibi t in g
evils b ut a lways o n e o f securing benefits
Fo r t he sake of an illustration t ake those
great industries w hich involve a great haza rd
o f life pr o perty the public health o r the pub
l ic morals because they deal in explosives poi
sons narcotics opiates or intoxicants Among
the most i nfamous o f the great American mo
n 0p o lie s m ay be named the O il Trus t
th e
P owder Trust the Tobacco Trust the D rugs
and M edicine Trust and finally the D rink
Trus t
C oncerning al l these i t m ay be said t hat they
h ave no friends ; t hat where they ren d er a
needed socia l service they do i t wit h great loss
o f life make exorbitant charges maintain in
famous conditions o f employm ent an d are
known to be so r e l ated to the political activi
ties o f the country that all the way from the
corruption funds o f these g
reat industrial des
pots to their unclean and infamous political
club house the subsidized d ri nking saloon
which is the rallying point and the only m ar
ket place f o r large groups o f corru ptly in
fl u e n ce d and helpless voters — everywhere
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
-
,
[ 212 ]
D EM OCRA CY O R D ES PO T IS M
That once done an d un d er the initiative an d
re ferendum prohibition would prevail as f ar
and as fast as t he evil of int oxicants co uld be
r eally appreciated and an in formed p ubli c
could act accordingly free from the in terf e r
ence of private interests either i n t he enact
m en t o r in the a dm in is t rat io n o f p ro hibitory
l egislation
,
,
,
,
.
Take t he matter o f t he privately appro
riate d ground r ents
derived
from
natura
l
p
r esources t he gift o f nature and from advan
tages o f l ocation the achievements o f society
They are enormous They probably amount
each year to more than the value of o n e fourt h
o f all the products o f human labor
But any
campaign simply t o prevent their private ap
propriation canno t possibly have the grip nor
p ower tha t a campaign woul d h ave wh ich
would offer to use these ground rents t o pro
vide a rational exis t ence for the yo ung t he
aged and the d isabled to Open up farm s
equipped w ith stock and too l s as se l f suppo rt
”
ing going concerns and to build homes with
all m ode rn conveniences in the midst o f parks
and boulevards with every socia l and educa
,
,
.
,
.
-
.
,
,
,
-
“
,
,
,
[
214
]
IN D U S TR IAL
E N T E R PR I S E S
tio n al
advantage an d to p l ace these within the
easy an d certain reach of a ll
It may b e difficult to interest the m ill ions o f
unemp loyed in theories about gr ound rents
I t is no t diflicult t o in t eres t them in any rea
s onable pr ovision f o r their own employment
o n t erms where they m ay have for t hemselves
a ll t he wealth created by their own l abor with
this labor reasonab l y equipp e d by funds pro
vide d sim p l y by appropriating for the com
m on good t h e gro und rents which are pri
v ate ly appropria t ed t o the demoralization o f
those who get t hem an d to t h e imp overishmen t
o f tho se who create them
.
.
,
,
.
The sam e is true o f the whole field o f t rans
m
inin
g
of
manufactures
and
of
rtatio n
o
o
f
p
fin ance
P ublic enterp rise once undertaken with
the power s o f t he s t ate unshack l ed with the
resources of the nation at c o mmand industrial
despotism which is both the motor and the mo
tive back of all forms o f political despotism
would rapidly disappear while industrial de
m o cracy would become its inevitabl e successor
at every step in the process
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
[ 21 5 ]
C H AP T E R XX
I N D U S TR I A R E PRE SE N TAT I O N
L
The great business b ody called the state
has never yet even attempted to make up a
statement of its assets and liabilities It has
never yet made up or tried to make up a
statement o f its receipts and expenditures In
no such part ial statement have the values cre
a t ed by society ever been mentioned as being
the rea l income of society
In no such statement have those who have
rendered al l the ser ice in production been
listed as the only claimants against th e prod
u cts and services so provided
In the bookkeeping of the m odern state
the p rincipal charges against the social income
are f o r items entirely unearned and therefore
if entered on the debit S ide the national ledger
could have no correspondin g credit entry
against which to make a balance If t he ao
c o un tan ts of the national l ife were t o enter
bo th the debits of the exploiters and the cred
,
,
.
,
,
.
.
v
.
,
,
.
[ 21 6 ]
DEM O CRACY OR DESPO T ISM
must prevai l in a democratic state H ence in
du strial r epresentation in the government be
comes essential to d e mocracy j ust in the pro
portion that the governm ent becom es the co n
trollin g factor in t he industries
.
,
.
The pub lic o wnership of the industries pre
sents no serious problem That has been ac
complished in m any nations and in many
undertakings All o f the rea l difficulties are
found in the solution o f the problems involved
in the democratic management o f the indus
tries The unhampered civil rights of pub lic
employees their special right to be heard in
the industries or occupations in which they are
employed their right to be represented in the
city state and nation through the collective
voice o f the industries in which they are em
ployed the citizen s right to employment in th e
occupation o f his choice —none o f these are
possible without the public ownership o f the
great monopolized industries The public o wn
e rshi
o
the
great
monopolized
industrie
s
f
p
without these is possible only under a po li tica l
despotism
P ublic ownership once es t a bl ished th en th e
.
.
.
,
,
,
’
,
,
.
.
,
[ 218 ]
IND U STRIAL REPRESENTA T ION
pu bl ic l edger mus t take account o f all t h e
services rendered in beha l f o f the common
we l fare These items wil l make up the cre di t
si d e o f the individual s ac count and the de b it
side o f the public l edger O nce public owner
ship is estab lished th e pub l ic ledger must take
account o f al l t h e services rendered or articl es
o f u se provi d ed b y so ciety to the indivi d ua l
These items wi ll make up the credit side of
th e pu bl ic l edge r an d t h e d ebit S ide o f the indi
vidual accoun t Then all accounts must ba l
ance and j us t ice wi ll at l ast be done
.
’
.
,
.
.
.
But i t is not only true that both public an d
private accounts will at last be made both
sim p l e and hones t It is also true that the
pub l ic l aws defining and enforcing personal
an d property right s will be so simple that
t hose wh o are expected to o b ey them wi ll b e
ab l e t o understand t hem and their j ustice will
b ecome so evident that the enforcement o f the
pub lic l aw will never again be m ade the m eans
of making pu blic ene mies
The l aw s a ffecting the o wnersh i p and con
tro l o f pri vat ely owned but co l lective ly used
r ai lways an d s t eamship lines woul d make a
.
,
,
.
[ 219 ]
DEMOC RACY OR D E SPOTISM
library an d no j udge or lawyer can ever l earn
them well enough so t hat his know l edge ever
”
gets beyond an opinion
while the laws
a ffect ing the publicly owned and collectively
used post o ffice service can all be written on an
ordinary page and can b e so easily under
stood that not a S ingle j udge o r attorney at
l aw o n all the earth is able to make a living
”
wri ting opinions o f what he t hinks they
mean
,
“
,
,
“
.
F rom al l the foregoing is it no t agreed t ha t
in the order of advance close o n the heels o f
publicly o wned industrial enterprises must
come representation o f the industrial or o ccu
i
o n al gr oups in the management o f public
a
t
p
a ff airs ?
A s in mos t other political matters the place
to make this beginning is in the municipality
I ns t ea d o f further punishing public emp l oyees
for p ernicious act ivity in politics give them
direct representation in t he city the state t h e
nation E nlarge the field o f public ownership
E xten d th e fiel d o f in d ustrial representat ion
Neither is possible in a democratic state with
o u t the other
T O extend eit h er is to promote
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
.
.
[ 2 20 ]
C H AP T E R XX I
D EMO C RA C Y I N
WO RL D
P OL ITI C S
There are two genera l notions of w or l d po l
itics
.
O ne o f them is tha t the way to m aintain the
peace is to make a l arge number of in dep e n d
ent nations an d to m ake eac h o f these so s t rong
that all the others wi ll be a frai d of i t and so
disposed to keep the peace
W hen any na tion is too small t o h ope t o
”
be ab l e to become a terro r t o evi l doe rs in
other nations it is e x pected to beco m e a d e
penden t o n some nation which is the military
”
menace o f t h e world or th e acknowl ed ge d
”
m i st ress o f t he seas
”
T his preparedness and these a lliances in
dea li ng with inte rnational matters are in a ll
countries under the control of th o se who are
seeking to get s o methin g o ut o f other coun
tries w hic h they expect the o ther countries t o
be willing to fight for rather t han to yield
”
and hence pre p arednes s fo r suc h a n ev ent
,
.
“
,
“
“
.
“
,
“
,
,
[ 222 ]
DEMOCRA CY IN WORLD POLITI C S
”
“
is everywhere the policy o f burglars o f in
du strial monopolies and all o thers who hope t o
do forbidden things o n forbidden ground
S o metimes this policy has kept the peace
within some o n e country by makin g it the mili
tary lord o f al l the earth and then by keeping
all the earth too weak and too poor to make
rebellion possible But peace o f this sort is
only possible by maintaining conditions under
which such a pe ace is even more unendurable
than is war
In the end every such a world peace has
always end e d in bloodshed and in confusion
and chaos E ven then its ending was better
t han its being
,
,
.
.
.
.
,
.
The other general notion o f worl d politics is
that war is always because o f insanity o r be
cause someone is trying to get what does not
belong to him o r to keep what he ought not
to have gotten
So far as these causes operate they are usu
ally mixed and always confused so that in the
turmoil o f battle it is never possible to get a
statement o f the cause or purpose o f any war
to which both sides will agree and the chief
.
,
[ 22 3 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
task o f all the his t orians o f a ll the wars has
”
been to find o ut what it was all about
Nevertheless it is believed that if an int er
national power could be established which
could gi ve to all what really belongs to them
and could prevent any from successful ly taking
the advantage of any other that then the in
sane could be restraine d once the p l underers
were excluded and wor l d peace cou ld be main
“
.
,
,
,
,
tain e d
.
The rea l prob l em then in worl d po litics is t o
establish some sort o f a world agency by whic h
those questions which might lead to war if not
j ustly settled m ay be settled not when wa r
is threatened but as they arise and h ence be
fore any threats are necessary
,
,
,
,
,
.
The great questions of in t ernationa l contro
ve rsy are industrial and economic in their char
acter But these questions always involve the
industries o r the occupations o f the peop l e
concerned
The miners of al l na t ions have i nteres t s in
common S o do the transport workers the
manufacturers the pr o ducers o f cotton of
wool of dairy pro ducts o f wheat an d corn The
.
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
[ 224 ]
.
DEM OC RACY OR DESPOTIS M
lishe d
in any country without the workers in
al l the industries in that country be co m in g at
once missionaries f o r its like establishm ent in
a ll countries while by its example the workers
in all industries in all other countries wi ll be
encouraged either to seek like advantages i n
their own countries or to bring their allegiance
and their power to serve to the country which
has become self governing in its industries
'
,
,
-
.
W ith the co min g of the pu blic ownership an d
democratic m anagement of the great industrial
and commercial monopolies the great priva t e ly
owned exploiting monopolies would utterly
disappear When they cease to e xist in any
country they must necessarily cease to intrigue
o r to conspire in any scheme o f international
wrong doin g which would require prepared
”
ness to destroy life rather than to provide for
the common welfare Industrial representa
tion in any nation will at once create the public
authorities within that nation best calc ul ated
to seek for peace o n a basis o f economic j ustice
between all the nations
That will be the beginning o f international
industrial democracy The natural extension
,
.
,
“
,
.
.
,
.
[ 226 ]
DEMOCRACY IN WORLD P O L ITICS
t he democratic control of the industries fro m
the enterprises within any given nation until it
sha ll reac h and win a ll nations will make an
end o f the economic causes o f war It will
create an international democratic power able
to do j ustice to those wh o serve and to restrain
t hose who attempt to m ake the peaceful work
ers o f the w o r l d t he Victim s o f internationa l
of
.
[ 227 ]
C H AP T E R XX II
F O RC I N G
T
HI S SUE
E
I t h as b een seen h ow t h e forms of p art isan
organization and the usua l modes Of procedure
under constitutiona l forms o f government to
gether with the survivi ng hereditary powers in
the modern state are all opposed to efficiency
in the administration of the public wi ll
A change in any o f these constitutiona l an d
established forms o f government canno t be
undertaken without the consent of hereditary
and established powers and this c o nsen t t hey
refuse to give
If se l f governmen t is t o prevai l a t all i t
would seem that unusual arbitrary and re vo lu
H ow
tio n ary measures must be undertaken
ever a closer examination reveals the fact that
al l hereditary privileges and specia l powers in
the state depend for their continued existence
upon the c o ntinue d consen t o f the co mm on
people
According to the forms o f l aw the common
,
.
,
.
-
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
[ 228 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
p etitions are addressed are masters with th e
power t o grant or to withh old what the peti
tio n e rs ask f o r
A gain the petitioners usually represent cer
tain minorities or certain influences o r interest s
b elieved to be o f m ore o r less importance in so
c ie ty
M inorities may respectfully petition
but m a oritie s ought no t to petition M a ori
ties are mas t ers M as t ers do not pe t i ti on they
co m m an d
.
,
.
,
.
.
,
.
It is a fre quent pract ice in seeking t o secur e
the adoption o f a new l aw to pledge in advance
candidates for the legislature to support such
a measure if elected I S it not possible instea d
o f seeking t o p l edge the candidate to procee d
i nstead t o command those already in o ffice an d
to do so with such numbers and by such impera
tive action as to make it impossible that t h e
command should be ignored or the desire d
services refused ?
R emember tha t the first essential is t o r e
cove r th e power to give or to withho l d the
consent of the gove rned as relate d to particular
m easures
The d em ocra t ic d o ct rine is th a t all g ov e rn
.
,
,
.
[ 9 30 ]
FORCING T HE ISS U E
“
m ents derive their j ust powe rs fr o m th e c o n
”
sent o f t he governed that is from the consent
o f the governed to p articipate in the govern
m ent n o t their consent to submit to an outside
and superim posed authority
T h i s power to give o r t o withho l d the consent
o f the gove rne d is the very h ea rt an d soul o f
civic power
R emem b er fur th er th at with the initiat ive
and referendum once established and made to
apply t o constitutiona l amendment s as we ll as
to the s t atute laws together with the right to
recall and that made to apply to j udges o r to
the decisions o f j udges there will thereafter b e
no occasion f o r forcing any issue by any means
not then provided for under the law
This be ing t he case this chapter is o nly of
importance wh ere the initiative the referendum
and th e recal l are not yet es t ablished or where
they e x ist un der limitations o f some sort whi c h
m ake th e m pr ac t icall y va l uel ess
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
Wh ereve r th e s e l aw s d o no t exist th e firs t o f
all battles is t o secure the m The agitat ion in
their behal f must firs t be c arrie d to a po in t
wh ere i t i s c ert ain th a t t h e O verwh elmin g m a
,
.
[ 231 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
j o rity o f the people are ready to make battle
for them T o secure a ballot previous t o suc h
an a gi tation would be a misfor t une rather than
a victory
The l aw s h ould be first prepared in the form
o f a constitutiona l amend ment and the usual
e ffort should be made to secure its submission
to the vote of t he people for its adoption I f
the legislature refuses o r if the great private
interests apply obstructive tactics in such a
way as to make its submission im possible
through legislative act ion then as a last resort
a pledge petition could be prepared substan
tially as fo l lows :
.
,
.
,
.
,
-
,
P L E D GE -PE TI TI O N
We the undersigned qualified voters in the
state o f
petition al l o u r fellow citizens
in this state to j oin in the use of their power as
citizens to compel the submission of the fol
lowing amendment t o the constit ution of this
state to a vote o f t he people amendment being
as follows :
Be it enacted ( form o f the amendment )
In consideration o f the refusal Of the s t ate
legislature t o submit this amendment t o the
“
,
,
“
.
“
[ 232 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
e ach other never t o vote f o r any man for any
o ffice whatsoever who now being a citizen o f
this state S hall neglect o r refuse to S ign this
pledge and t o suppo rt in eve ry reasona ble way
the enactm en t o f t his law
This p l edge petition however shall be
b inding o n n o o n e and shal l be enforced in no
p articular whatsoever until it shall have been
signed by a number o f qualified voters equal
to fif ty o n e percent of the votes polled in this
s t ate in the last election preceding the presenta
tion of this petition after which time all o f the
provisions of this p l edge petition S hall come
into force an d S hall remain in force until this
amendment shal l have been submitted an d by
the vote o f the peop l e shall have been made
”
a part o f th e constitution o f this S t ate
,
,
,
.
“
-
,
,
-
,
-
,
,
.
In considering the a d vantages o f this m ethod
of forcing an issue in spite o f political machines
and in defiance of the grea t private interests
in contro l o f politica l machin es it S hould be
borne in m in d that it is proposed only as a last
r esort
It is admitt ed that pledging candidates is a
fre quen t an d e ff ective method of procedure
,
.
,
[
2 34
]
FOR C ING THE ISS U E
b ut this must have failed o r the legislature
would have submitted the amendment with o ut
a r esor t to such a drastic measure as is here
pro posed
It is admitted that politicians frequently
m ake p l edges carelessly and as carelessly aban
don them but this pledge petition is n o t taken
t o the politician at all except as he is al so one
o f the citizens
It asks nothing o f the G overnor o r o f the
l egislators o r o f candidates which it does not
ask o f all It is both a pledge and a petition
I t is a pledge with teeth and a petition with
”
b oots o n
It is admitted tha t it is a great and an e x
pensive task to secure a maj ority o f al l the
citizens in any state to S ign any sort o f a
docum ent but i t is not so great a task nor
is it so expensive as would be a resort to arms
nor is it so serious a matter as would be a
further surrender to the despotism o f the
private interests now in contro l of public
a ff airs
,
.
-
,
.
.
.
“
.
,
,
,
.
It must be remembered that this is the tu rn
i ng point away from democracy and toward th e
[ 235 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DES P O T IS M
hopelessnes s o f despoti sm or away f r o m d e s
t
i
s
m
and
towa
r
d
t
h
e
p
erfecti
o
n
an
d
t
riump
h
o
p
o f democracy
An y task is not to o great for such a reward
Any sacrifice even the horrors o f civil war
w ould be better than so serious a surrende r
S elf government is a serious undertakin g
Those who would have self govern ment must
pay the price L iberty has never been cheaply
obtained It is almost always cheaply lost I t
is absurd to suppose that free institutions are
worth the gift of life itself an d that t he mer e
asking f o r them under such a p l edge pe t ition
could not be secured in a stat e fit f o r sel f
control
A state which cou l d no t secure t h e s e signa
tures after a reasonable e fl o rt fo r so great a
prize would not be an instance o f fre e men
doomed to bondage It would b e an instanc e
of a state where citizens were volun t ary s l ave s
u nworthy o f freedo m
The war b e t ween d emocracy an d d espotis m
is to the death If self g overnmen t cannot be
secured by this program and a viol ent revo
lu tio n is not to follow then all t h e wrongs of
despotism mus t at last prevail
.
.
,
,
.
-
.
-
.
.
.
-
.
.
.
-
.
,
.
[ 23 6 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
s o as to be b in din g o n anyon e unt il a maj ority
of all the voters interested enough in public
a ffa irs to have v oted at a ll in a previous elec
tion shall have signed it
If any citizen stil l then is unwi lling to be
guided by a maj ority so obtained he cannot be
at all in favor of m aj ority rule and has no
right to ask for the consideration of those who
do stand f o r and are re ady t o de fend de m oc
r acy H e is a despot or t he slave o f a despot
and should be treated f o r what h e really is
A citizen Of any state who will not j oin in an
e ff o rt to make it altogeth er free is by that re
f u sal pr o ven t o be un fi t t o b e t he servan t of a
fr ee s t at e
.
,
.
,
,
.
.
[ 238 ]
DEMOCRACY O R DESPOTISM
freemen or o f masters and Slaves and that
between these there can be no l astin g com pro
mise
Y ou h ave seen that the greatest o f a ll co l
le ctive interests of the people are t hose which
h ave to do with the great tasks involved in
making a l iving You have seen that the elec
tive franc hise is nothing other than one s right
to b e heard and to b e taken account o f in the
m atters wh ich conc ern him
Y ou have seen that the state is on l y a busi
ness body seeking to transact the collective
business o f al l the people a business corpora
tion in which every citizen is an equal S hare
holder and among w hose assets are al l the
resources o f the earth
Y o u have seen how pol itica l parties become
a necessity in the collective action o f those
whose collective interests come into conflict
with the collective interests of oth ers
Y o u h ave seen how the industrial despots
h ave captured control through their economic
power and have provid e d Obstructive and im
possib l e forms of procedure both for political
p arties and for constitutional governments
Y ou h ave s een h ow free ins t itutions m ake
,
,
.
.
’
.
,
.
.
.
[ 2 42 ]
S U MMARY AND C ONCL U SIO N
abso lute ly necessary universal political educa
tion how those who do not understand are as
dangerous to the public good as those who are
deliberately corrupt
Y o u have seen how a citizenship firmly estab
lishe d for all actually realized by all and free
from espionage corruption o r fraud is essen
tial to a self governing state
Y o u have seen how an intelligent m aj ority
may always be made the actual masters o f the
state and how that maj ority may enforce its
will through a constant contro l o f the activities
o f the government
Y o u have seen how and why the political
party can and ought to be made responsible to
the great industries o r occupations in which the
useful people o f the world are all employed not
to the private monopolies which o wn them but
to the people who through these occupations
render the social services which m ake l ife pos
sible
Y ou have seen how in the order o f a dvance
in the fight for de mocracy the practical path
is from the smaller to the larger things from
the municipality to the state the nation an d the
w orld
,
.
,
,
,
,
-
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
[
2 43
]
DEMOCRACY OR D E SPOTISM
Y ou have seen how a voluntary group O f citi
z ens can reach all the people with both sides of
the great questions of current controversy an d
can make th e many understand the nee d for
ac t ion
Y o u h ave seen what constitutiona l a m end
ments are o f fundamenta l importance i n the
extension o f democracy
Y ou have seen how publicly owne d i n d u s
trial enterprises can be undertaken an d how
representation in the government o f the indus
trial or occupati o nal groups in the pub l icly
owned industria l undertakings m ust nece ss arily
fol low
Y o u h ave seen h ow the interna t i o na l char
acter o f the great industrial and co m mercial a c
tivitie s wi ll necessarily make a world de m o c
racy when Once industrial democracy is s uc
c e ssf u lly established anywhere
And finally you have seen tha t t he p eop l e
are not dependent o n the consent o f the indus
trial despots the political machines the s en
”
lords o r courts nor is their overth ro w
a to rs
by force necessary in order to make an en d o f
their despotic sway and a rea l begin n ing of
d emocracy
.
.
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
“
,
,
,
.
[ 2 44 ]
DEMOCRACY OR DESPOTISM
It nowhere asks for anythin g except by m a
j o rity rule with an enlightened maj ority and
that maj ority rule always within the reach of
the people and su b ect to their own contro l
With that maj ority rule once secured this
program asks f o r no change o f the laws e x cept
by popular maj ority It will ask for no new
public enterprises to be un dertaken until ap
proved by the deliberate and informe d j udg
men t o f the community but as fast as it can
secure this power by this means and the suc
ce ssf u l doing o f the smaller things shal l j ustify
t he larger tasks it will extend industria l de
m o cra cy until self governing institutions shall
be established in all the collective interes t s of
mankind
Thi s is the way to deliverance
D emocracy is ours f o r t he askin g
,
.
,
.
,
,
-
.
.
.
[ 2 46 ]
H
H
T E INTE RNATIO NAL SC OO L
OF SO CIAL E CO NO MY
BE R
C AL
.
C O URS ES O F S TUDY
C l ss s i His t y E c m i c s C rr t P r b l m s
d i P bl i c S p ki g c
d c t d by C r s p d c
a
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.
LE C TURE C O URS ES
L c l C r s s f L ss s
L ct r s
Sp c i l
C m p i g s i b h lf f M i ci p l B tt m t i th
P bl i c O w
r s h i p f P bl i c U ti l i ti s
i th E t
si
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P UBLICATIONS
s by W lt T h m s Mills
TH
E S TRU GG LE FO R EXIS TENC E
6 4 0 p ag e s
sold
PRI CE
p s t p a i d 1 0 c o p i es
S i n gl e c p i es
a dd ress p u rc h a sers p ayi n g th e f re i gh t
an d a f re e c p y t th e l cal p u bl i c l i b r a r y
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.
O C RA C Y O R DES P O TIS M
( J us t ff t h e p ress )
2 6 0 p ag es
A n up to—d a t e d i s cuss i o n f t h e m o s t
u r g e n t p r o bl ems f C u rre n t P li t i c s
DE M
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.
PRI CE
i n g l e c o p i es
p o s t p a i d 1 0 c o p i es
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f ree c p y to th e l o c a l l i b r a ry
S
.
,
,
,
o
to
o ne
w th
i
a
.
HILDA F MILLS S e c re tary
INTERNATIONAL S C HOO L O F S O CIAL EC ONO MY
B rk l y C l if
.
e
,
e
e
,
a
.
H
T E STRUGGLE FOR E XISTE NCE
H
OM
WALTER
By
AS MILLS , M A
T
.
.
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dis t ricd Df r t yl pp mg s t iI c s
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Mo r e t h an
a gu a r an t y t h a t a f t e r r e a d i n g th e b o o k t h e m n e y
w u l d b e re t u r n e d if t h e b u y e r was d i s s a t i s f e d wi t h
h i s p u r c h a s e an d no t o e bo o k was e ve r re t u r n e d
In c l o t h bi n d i n g
p o s t p ai d
In p a p e r b i n d i n g
po s t p aid
T e n Co p i e s i n p a p er bi n d i n g 5 0¢ e a c h i n c l o t h
e a c h p u rc h a s er p a yi n g f re i g h t AND FR EE
CLO T BO UND C O PY f o t h e l o c a l o r Pu bli c Lib r a ry
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If y a )
as b e e n
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.
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H
,
,
,
r
.
THE INTERNATIONAL SC HOO L
O F S O C IAL E C ONO MY
B r k l y C l if
e
e e
,
a
.