Swartbmore Xecture,

err. We should call it to-day a strong andenlightened public opinion, which—though bydetours—will in the long run find the right way.

There are two fields in which social democracyhas to be developed : the -political and the economicfield.

The most important of all the political unitsnowadays is the State. If democracy is describedas " popular government " where all power isderived from the people and where the will of thepeople is sovereign, the people are presupposedas a social unit. Such a unit is called a nationsuperseding the internal distinctions betweenpolitical parties and economic classes. The moreyou have a cohesion between the citizens, the moreyou can have of true democracy. Such a democracymeans more than individual rights ; its chief aimbeing to produce a collective will. For thispurpose the political party is indispensable as themachine to build up a majority which ratifies andin many cases fashions the will of the people.

But democracy at the same time limits themaj ority right and protects the minority at least bythe right of free speech, possibly by a suffragewhich gives expression to the minority. Andsince the citizens' will can only find expressionwithin the party, non-party politics are meaning-less within the sphere of popular government.On the contrary it is a matter of duty to take ashare in party politics.

While democracy in Europe has its last wordin decision by majority America has devised asa higher court of appeal public opinion. It is this