The Problem of Popular Government (Classic Reprint)

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Excerpt from The Problem of Popular GovernmentIt is impossible to associate much with politicians without being struck by their extraordinary and, as it seems to me, morbid sensitiveness to what they call public opinion. What they are really afraid of is less public Opinion than public silliness. Lf the public only knew how little common sense they are credited with by the very men who, on the hustings, load them with every kind of ¿attery, they would feel far from complimented. The common idea among politicians is that the people can be stampeded by a word, a phrase, some unguarded expression or tri¿ing act which in any way touches, or might be so misinterpreted and twisted as to appear to touch, .a popular prejudice. It is, of course, taken for granted and rightly as things go, that opponents will do their utmost to make mischief Out of the word, phrase or act, but where is that con fidence in the superior judgment and sterling common sense of the masses of the people of which we hear so much on certain occasions Can the voters be at once so wise as we are told, and also so strongly resemble a herd of buffaloes with th snouts in the air ready for a whirl wind dash at the faintest scent of -ger? Ldo not readily reconcile the two conceptions.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.