the duties of the State; it ignores the rights of the State and the
duties of the individual.

It is true that our voluntary system of military service has done
wonders in this war, far more indeed than could ever have been
expected of it; but this does not alter the fact that it is _wrong
in principle_. It is quite conceivable that a similar voluntary
system of monetary contributions would, if compulsory taxation were
abolished, supply the necessities of government; but it would be a
most iniquitous system, pressing heavily on the generous, and
allowing the niggardly to escape. We all, in fact, admit that it
would be entirely improper to replace the income-tax form by the
begging-letter. For precisely the same reasons it is entirely
improper that enlistment for home defence should depend on the
voluntary sacrifice of the patriotic minority, while the careless
and worthless majority elude their duty.

It is, moreover, deeply humiliating to the national pride to see
the protection of our shores, and the existence of our Empire,
dependent on the response made to advertisements, to platform
appeals, to music-hall songs, and to the kisses so generously
proffered by popular actresses.

It will be no small compensation for the immeasurable losses of this war
if the lofty old-English ideals of duty and service are restored to
their rightful place in our political system, and if in respect of the
essentials of national existence, viz., defence of the realm and
obedience to law, we completely eliminate and frankly repudiate--as we
have already done in the sphere of taxation--the enervating one-sided
individualism of the voluntary principle.

IV

PASSIVE RESISTANCE

I. THE NEW PERIL

For a long time past there has existed in this country a sort of
smouldering rebellion known as passive resistance. It is difficult to
say when it had its origin; but probably it could be traced back to the
Reformation. For it is merely a veiled manifestation of that anarchic
individualism and that morbid conscientiousness--the extremes of
qualities admirable in moderation--which first became formidable in
England on the break-up of mediaeval Christendom. In recent times it has
displayed itself in many new forms, and on an increasingly large scale,
until now, in this great crisis of our fate, it has grown to be a
serious menace