working. Should he even be a little more advanced
in knowledge than our friend Ginx, and learn that he helps to elect the
Parliament to make laws on behalf of himself and his fellow-citizens, he
will scarce trust the assembly which is supposed to represent him.
Will he, like a good citizen and a politic, accept with dignity and
self-control the decision of a majority against his prejudices: or will
he not regard the whole Wittenagemote with suspicion, contempt, or
even hatred? See him rush madly to Trafalgar Square meetings, Hyde Park
demonstrations, perhaps to Lord George Gordon Riots, as if there were no
less perilous means of publishing his opinions! There wily men may lead
his unconscious intellect, and stir his passions, and direct his forces
against his own--and his children's good.

Did it ever occur to you, or any of you, how many voters cannot read,
and how many more, though they can read, are unable to apprehend reasons
of statesmanship?--that even newspapers cannot inform them, since they
have not the elementary knowledge needed for the comprehension of those
things which are discussed in them; nay, that for want of understanding
the same they may terribly distort political aims and consequences?

Might it not be worth while for you, gentlemen--may it not be your duty
to devise ways and means for conveying such elementary instruction
by good street-preachers on politics and economy, or even political
bible-women or colporteurs, and so to make clear to the understanding of
every voter what are the reasons and aims of every act of Legislation,
Home Administration, and Foreign Policy? If you do not find out some
way to do this he may turn round upon you--I hope he may--and insist on
annually-elected parliaments, and thus oblige ambitious state-mongers,
in the rivalry of place, to come to him and declare more often their
wishes and objects. Other attractions may be found in that solution:
such as the untying of some knots of electoral difficulty, and removing
incitements to corruption. Ten thousand pounds for one year's power were
a high price even to a contractor. Think then whether at any cost some
general political education must not be attempted, since there is a
spirit breathing on the waters, and how it shall convulse them is no
indifferent matter to you or to me. Everywhere around us are unhewn
rocks stirred with a strange motion. Leave these chaotic fragments of
humanity to be hewn into rough shape by co