d make a great mess of it if they
could. The truth is, that we are living politically on a tradition
which arose when by government was meant government by a class, when
one man or a few exploited the rest in the name of the state, and when
therefore it was of imperative importance to bring to bear upon those
who were in power the brute and unintelligent weight of the mass. The
whole democratic movement, though it assumed a positive intellectual
form, was in fact negative in its aim and scope. It meant simply, we
will not be exploited. But that end has now been attained. There is
no fear now that government will be oppressive; and the only problem of
the future is, how to make it efficient. But efficiency, it is
certain, can never be secured by democratic machinery. We must, as
Allison rightly maintains, have trained and skilled persons. How these
are to be secured is a matter of detail, though no doubt of important
detail; and it is one that the new generation will have to solve. What
they will want, in any case, is government. MacCarthy's idea of
anarchy is--well, if he will pardon my saying so, it is hardly worthy
of his intelligence. You cannot regulate society, any more than you
can spin cotton, by the light of nature and a good heart. MacCarthy
mistakes the character of government altogether, when he imagines its
essence to be compulsion. Its essence is direction; and direction,
whatever the form of society, is, or should be, reserved for the wise.
It is for wise direction that the coming generations cry; and it is our
business to see that they get it.

"I have thus indicated briefly the view of social and political
questions which I believe will be that of the future. And my reason
for thinking so is, that that view is based upon science. It is this
that distinguishes the new generation from all others. Hitherto the
affairs of the world have been conducted by passion, interest,
sentiment, religion, anything but reasoned knowledge. The end of that
regime, which has dominated all history, is at hand. The old
influences, it is true, still survive, and even appear to be supreme.
We have had ample evidence to-night of their apparent vitality. But
underneath them is growing up the sturdy plant of science. Already it
has dislodged their roots; and though they still seem to bear flower,
the flower is withering before our eyes. In its place, before long,
will appear the new and splendid blossom whose