Page:Back to the Republic.djvu/35

 essence of a republic is that the people speak through representatives. If there is such a thing as a democratic republic, what other kinds of republics are there? There is no such thing as a democratic autocracy. To use that expression is equivalent to speaking of gluttonous starvation.

This line of reasoning will be clarified in the following chapter on "The Golden Mean."

The expressions "representative democracy," "democratic republic" and "democratic autocracy" are among the most dangerous and misleading in current use.

The only qualifying terms that can properly be used to describe an autocracy or a democracy are bad, worse, worst. There are no good ones. The only qualifying terms that can properly be used to describe a republic are good, better, best. When a republic ceases to be good it is no longer a republic; it has merged into either a democracy or an autocracy. Just as in the realm of food the only qualifying adjectives that can be used to describe starvation or gluttony are bad, worse, worst, the only qualifying adjectives that can be used to describe nourishment are good, better, best. When nourishment ceases to be good, it has merged into either starvation or gluttony.

England today is known as an autocracy with a mixed government. It has some of the