Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/93

A SOCIOLOGICAL VIEW OF SOVEREIGNTY 79 material, but is able to "deal with men" through his possession of the personal qualities of foresight, shrewdness, diplomacy, courtesy, blandishment, and firmness, all of which are factors going to make up persuasion. Here again we are not concerned with the question of public or private management. The same qualities are required whether the work be done by a business manager employed by the state or by a private company, or whether by one who is "his own employer."

The problem of persuasion in each institution requires much the same mental qualities as in business. But in addition there must exist the peculiar quality belonging to the institution in question. In the family, tact, self-control, self-sacrifice, integrity, deception, or what not, are summoned to aid the underlying sanctions and motives of sexual and parental love. In the church, eloquence, entreaty, appeal, personal character and example of the pleader are added to the belief on both sides in God, conscience, divine reward and retribution. Political parties hold their voters together by the arts and arguments of the politician, his sincerity, convincingness, judicious use of party shibboleths, or confusion of issues. He plays upon the class consciousness, patriotism, self-interest of his auditors and readers.

The state is primarily coercive, but where technical work has been absorbed by it, just as its officials must be equipped in knowledge and skill, so also must they learn tact. Penology, pedagogy, "scientific" charity, are highly successful only when the iron hand of coercion is gloved by the arts of persuasion. The state extracts coercion from private hands in order that the latter may be compelled to rely on persuasion, and the criterion of the success of state coercion itself is the extent to which the officials have learned to make it unnecessary. Streets can be kept clean by appeal to the pride and public spirit of the citizen in behalf of cooperation with the sweepers. Policemen can govern a city without revolvers and clubs, if once they see that their duties are to make good citizens rather than suppress malefactors. The state is, indeed, becoming more persuasive and less coercive in proportion as the officials recognize their position as