Free government is self-government. A government of the people by the people. The best government of this sort is that which the people think best.
The Sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy such as ours, three rights - the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn.
In excited states of the public mind they have scarcely a discretion at all; the tendency of the public perturbation determines what shall and what shall not be dealt with. But, upon the other hand, in quiet times statesmen have great power; when there is no fire lighted, they can settle what fire shall be lit. And as the new suffrage is happily to be tried in a quiet time, the responsibility of our statesmen is great because their power is great too.
But the mass of the old electors did not analyse very much: they liked to have one of their "betters" to represent them; if he was rich they respected him much; and if he was a lord, they liked him the better. The issue put before these electors was, which of two rich people will you choose? And each of those rich people was put forward by great parties whose notions were the notions of the rich whose plans were their plans. The electors only selected one or two wealthy men to carry out the schemes of one or two wealthy associations.
A political country is like an American forest; you have only to cut down the old trees, and immediately new trees come up to replace them.
Trending Quotes Topics:
One liners Quotes Moving on Quotes Trust Quotes Wedding blessings Quotes Pregnancy Quotes Farewells Quotes Soulmates Quotes Hard Work Quotes Baseball Quotes Betrayal Quotes |
|
 | Walter Bagehot Quotes |
