Page:Eminent English liberals in and out of Parliament.djvu/301

 every thing,—religion, ignorance, whiskey, destitution, and over-work. The hotter war, the sooner peace. The individual must save himself. By throwing away the state crutch is it alone possible to learn to walk. The true sphere of government is merely to preserve the internal and external police of the realm. When more is attempted it is an illegitimate and baneful exercise of authority, an arrest of progress, a stunting of the national growth. Either the state must do every thing for the individual, or the individual must do every thing for himself. Neck or nothing! It is the ideal social democracy of Germany against the ideal individualist democracy of England. Unfortunately the problem is complicated, and will remain insoluble until monarchy and aristocracy have disappeared from both countries. A privileged aristocracy at the top of the social pyramid necessarily implies protected poverty at the base. Deal with the cause before you meddle with the effect. When some simple form of republican government, based on universal suffrage, such as Mr. Herbert desires, has been attained, it will be time enough seriously to concern ourselves about the intrinsic consequences of socialism and individualism. With a complete democracy, socialist and individualist conundrums will solve themselves. Let Mr. Herbert seek first the republic, and all else will be added to him.