GC YEIu'fi'.-EItfT S.
The earliest goveruments' are supposed to' have been theocracies
or patriarchies. The father, the head of the family and high priest
we believed to receive his authority direct from the deity.
The rule of Abrahari is an example1. The patriach had power of life
and death over his household, and they could marry nor do any impor
tant act contrary to his will-. The next step was tribal government,
in which several families had a common ancestor. The chief of the
tribe was the closest in decent from his common ancestor. As popula
tion grew, tribes with a common ancestry united to form the "nation".
The word nation from nascor, to be born, indicates this kinship,
or race unity. The "divine right of kings" and hereditary ascent to
the throne are based on the assumption that the royal family has a
strain of divinity in its veins. In the racial understanding of the
term, the Jews and Gypsies arc still a "nation", though the scion of
that race is "a man without a country".
As the people became more commercial and less reverential toward
ancestors, the ruler was chosen for his ability and leadership, rathej
than his ancestry. The developement of the idea of the state then
followed. The Greeks considered the state a sort of glorified body
politic,above and outside themselves, to which they owed the most
servile allegiance. The state v/as a stern master. They were ser
vants, and almost slaves ,wi th no inalienable rights, inherent in
themselves, which the state was bound to respect. They existed for
the welfare of the state, not the state for their welfare, which re
minds us of the saying,’’The Sabbath was made for man, and not man
for the Sabbath”.
The earliest governments were monarchies, ruled by one head.
The monarchy might be absolute, as in Russia under the Czar; or lim
ited as in England today, where the monarch is little more than a
figurehead. The monarch was often assisted by the heads of some of
the families or tribes over which he ruled. This was the origin of
the council of advisers or house of Lords. As the peoplr became bol
der, they issisted on a share of'the advisory power, and elected
their own popular assembly, or lower branch of the legislature.
When a group of noblemen ruled the country, the government was
an oligarchy, from the Greek word oligus, meaning few or an aristoc
racy, from the Greek word aristos, best - for they modestly consider
themselves the "best” people in the country and best fitted to rule.
Popular and the dignified government" as well as the’ dignity of
the individual is an idea that has ever marched onward throughout |
history. Ever larger and larger groups of citizens have come to
share in the making of governments, as progress has zigzaged its way *
down the ages. The so called "republics" and "democracies” of ancient
times, were really oligarchies, for it was only the smaller upper
classes who were freemen and permitted to share in them. The rest
were subject or enslaved classes.
The modern form of government is one of popular control - a re
public. In such a government representatives and officials chosen
by the people act for the people in carrying on the government.
In a democracy, every citizen helps to decide every question of
policy. Such a government is possible only in very small groups.
Even so small an organization as a womanrs club is not a democracy,
but a republic. We do not go into committee of the whole to decide
but we leave these to committees appointed to function as our repre
sentatives, and who are able to- particularize on their assignments
and so give more time and expert attention to them.
For these reasons a pure "democracy" exists only in theory. In
actual practice "there ain't no such animal". _Exchange.