TOPICS OF THE DAY
PARLIAMENT AND DEMOCRACY
LAST week in his article on the Week in Parliament our contributor deplored the impotence of the House of Cominons to exert any influence on the coal dis- pute and asked whether its failure portended the end of democracy. Our answer. re for this country would bean emphatic`" 1.■'7o " ! and we hope that " New Member " and any of his fellow-members in the House who May haire suffered from depression and 'despair are recovering their faith in democraey after 'a week's 'absence from the Priliee of • 'Westminster.• • We' can 'Well' understand anyone feeling depressed and desperate over the Coal dispute, the muddles 'made, the obitinacy and Jealousy shown, the futility of negotiations condricted in the spirit displayed, the reluctance to take advice from experts, Boyar Conimissioners or the Prinie Minister, the refusal to face new conditions—and all the other farilti for which it is so easy for the layman or for a newspaper to blame the miners and colliery companieg alike. But that is a wholly inadequate reason for losing faith in democracy or in our Parliament—de republica deverare. We have never held it' to be a function of democratic government to take a part in, or to insist upon, the settlement of an industrial dispute. Some- times a Government's plain duty seems to be to keep the ring ; more often to guard the door while protagonists reason out their difficulties. An autocrat might be justified in issuing as orders the terms on which the trade is to be carried on. That is not the way in a free democracy. It is true that some time ago we 'had hopeg that a settlement would come through Parliament, but those hopes were based on the belief in the common sense, the personal good will and influence of members. We thought that members connected in any way with the industry- or with mining constituencies would discuss the dispute with knowledge and influence the leaders on either side. We were disappointed and for that reason were the more inclined to welcome at a time of deadlock the good offices - of the InduStrial Christian Fellowship, though it was very easy to regard them as rash intruders. The Prime Minister has over and over again, nowhere more completely or concisely than in his recent message to the-United: States Press, stated what he and Parliament have done and are ready to do and we agree with his allocations of functions.
There are more portents than this of the failure of 'democracy,. but even they do not destroy our obstinate faith. We see definite failures around us : in Italy, a dictator for all intents and purposes : in Greece, another dictator : in Russia, a bureaucratic oligarchy which has drowned liberty in blood in Spain, a military dictatorship to pull an embarrassed country together : in France we have seen the recklessness of a Parliament apparently incorrigible and the nation leaning towards a dictatorship though it has clothed its new Government in constitutional forms, only agreeing beforehand- not to vote against its emergency measures: But our answer to this portent is that we are different. We do not say better or worse, but different from the excitable- Latin races whose democracies are not a century old ; different from the half Oriental Slav ; , different from the Levantine people, who however glorious their tradition of descent from the finest theoretical democrats of civilization, the most practical of all exponents of democracy on the small scale of the City-State, yet have but lately emerged from tbP,blight of Turkish domination which has crushed their spirit for centuries. If it is said that democracy has failed in younger countries, the United States or our Dominions, we are not convinced. ' At worst we would only admit that it has not yet fully succeeded. .Amerieans have not yet thrown off all plutocratic taint in Govern- ment. With them and in the Dominions much harm is due to the evil tradition, equally rife in France, that the " best men " will not -play the " dirty game " of politics. If there is any truth in the tradition, are democratic principles more to blame than the ", best men " who complacently perpetuate the tradition without stirring themselves actively to confute it ?
Our fears for democracy in this Kingdom do .not lie there. Nor in another direction where some see cause for dread. Indeed their fears are only worth mention to brush them aside unless- we enjoy making our own flesh creep. During the last session some heads were wagging and tongues were muttering, " Russian gold.". Disorders in the House of Commons were said to be due to Moscovite instigation or " orders " . to bring Parliamentary democratic Government into disrepute. We need better. evidence before we pay attention to these tales.
Democracy here is safe while the House of Commons is true to itself. • There were times in the last session-when a supeifieial reader of the debates might- have thought that there were members who would make debate and. voting impossible through their interruptions, and so treat their elected Speaker as to undermine his self-confidence and the confidence that the House really has in him. (When we consider how generously the Speaker treats newcomers, we see bakirigratitudein such conduct.) We commented at the time as little as possible, for tempers were on edge, as might be expected after the general strike and other provocations. But now in the recess we hope that members will think over the scenes calmly and with regret. There was, we believe, merely the crude desire to Obstruct on the part of an uncomfortable minority over whoni their leader is unable to exercise. lue restraint. It all compared ill with the old Irish obstruc- tion which had experienced leading in front and a subtlety behind it. There was nothing subtle and nothing attractive in the occasional disorder of last session. Experience of the House will be the best teacher: of its traditions of its methods of government. The Mother of Parliaments can teach' hinv she became democratic and yet remains Grande Dame. The question which disturbs us is whether there has yet been time for the lessons to take effect on the present House.
Members will come back, we hope, refreshed and reinvigorated in the autumn With tempers much more equable than of late. But they will have More need than ever of self-discipline and of determination tO•throw their Wills and minds into the common stock of a bOdY represent- ing all kinds of thoUght and interests: • The Trade Union Act- Of 1906 is likely' to come rip' for 'ainendment and the legality 'of picketing- as now conduCted will be challenged. Lessons of the general alike-- call for legislation. The laiVlessness of breaking contracts must be made clear ; legal point's raised by Mr. Justice Astbury and -Sir_ John Simon during the general strike call for attention. The position of unions .of State employees may 'need definition' by statute'' Each and - all these matters will touch the Opposition to the quick. How will they be prepared to meet them ? :If they criticize and oppose reasonably they will- gain- fur more advantage than they will if. there is crude 'and senseless Obstruc- tion bursting out into these exhibitions of real or simulated rage: Let members consider at their leisure how to face the future. Then we shall have confidence that the democratic spirit will prevail.
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