Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/653

 Europe of To-day 6i 5 III. Political and Social Democracy The chief political question of the nineteenth century in all the states of western Europe has been the same, — namely, whether the king should continue to rule in the more or less absolute manner in which he had controlled the government in the previous century, or whether the people should be regarded as the sover- eign and rule through their deputies. Everywhere, conse- quently, though with certain local differences, we find the following four great parties representing four differ- ent views of this fundamental question. 1. The absolutist conservative party, formed by the high officials and landed aristocracy, desired to maintain ab- solute government, the authority of the Church, and the censorship of the press; it controlled all the central, east- ern, and southern states of Europe. It no longer existed in England, for the former absolutist party, the Jacobites, had not survived the century of political liberty. 2. The liberal conservative, or constitutional party, some- times called the Tory, or right center, composed of the upper middle class and the liberal officeholders, demanded that the assembly should control the administration of the government, particularly in financial matters. Its ideal was personal government by the sovereign, with a parliament of two houses, one aristocratic, the other elective. It believed that the electoral body should be limited by a considerable property qualification, and that the parliament should vote the annual budget and leave the prince free in the choice of his ministers and in the direction of general policy. There should be no censorship of the press, but liberty should be restricted to the wealthy classes; the nation's rights should be guaranteed by a constitution. This party was in power in the states which had constitutions; in the absolute monarchies it demanded a constitution, a repre- sentative assembly, and the abolition of censorship. 502. The chief party issues in western Europe during the nineteenth century. (From Seignobos.) The constitu tional party, or right center.