Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 1.djvu/801

 j 730 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [n. s. t 1, 1899

[.»

government in all its departments. We have already seen that

ancient society selected its leader by the methods of the pure democracy. There came a time when these methods broke down because of the great numbers of persons embraced in the body politic. Then the world tried a new plan of government by jj? \ creating an hereditary aristocracy with hereditary kingship. This

system also has failed. Now the effort to secure good govern- ment as representative government is undergoing trial. The theory of this method of government is fundamentally represen- tative by election, but perhaps the principles of representation are inadequately understood. % Let us try to formulate these principles. Fundamental or

primary representation should not extend beyond the boundaries

of the primary units of government. These are townships or

wards, and the governing officers of these units should be elected

by the citizens of the several units. In the secondary units, or

I counties, electors should be chosen by every township or ward

V composing the county, and they should select county rulers or

I city rulers where counties and cities are coterminous. In the third

unit, which is represented by the state in this country, the county

electors should choose the state ruler. In the fourth or grand

'j unit, which is the nation, the county electors should choose

national electors, and the national electors should choose the officers of the general government. This, it is believed, would perfect representative government.

The rights and duties or the theater of operations of the > several units of government should be defined ; that is, township

rights, county rights, state rights, and national rights should be jealously guarded and strictly observed.

History has already demonstrated that the government cannot safely be intrusted to an ecclesiastical body. History has already demonstrated that the government cannot be intrusted to an hereditary body. History has already demonstrated that the government cannot be intrusted to a purely democratic body.

��[r. 1

��rf

�� �