Page:A thousand years hence. Being personal experiences (IA thousandyearshen00gree).djvu/28

 that word of disturbing associations, "Progress." What was the real meaning of the term? It meant substantially the suiting and smoothing of the way to the many who were ill-off, in their everlasting struggle to rise some little towards the condition of the few who were well off. If the hundred of the one class were wearied and worried by its incessant dust and noise, the hundred thousand of the other were refreshed and helped onwards to an improved condition.

Democracy and Progress, then, meant the great social and economic change towards a less unequal condition. Instinctively the ill-off masses called out to expedite the progress, while the comparative few, who were already well-off, as instinctively shirked or deferred the ordeal. In this grudging spirit our upper and well-off classes were liable to lose the lead which they might otherwise retain. All our hereditary preferences are for gentlemen in position, manners, and education to lead us socially and politically, if they will only show the due courage, and not be scared by the shadows of inevitable things. If our leading classes would still lead, they must not grudge the disturbance of progress. But if these will not head the inevitable progress, others must push them aside and take their place. It has been sagely said, "Educate the masses first, and enfranchise them afterwards." But in practice it has been found that the only way to secure the progress was to enfranchise first. Thus an unprecedented race has set in since the great franchise extension of