Show representative Dern democracy inadequate to deal with worlds great problems by PROF HARRY ELMER DARNES BARNES smith college present political system of representative democracy tins has been T THE proved by science and history to bo be inadequate for tile tho solution of the economic social and political problems of the nation lve W must recognize a tho the inadequacy of representative government find and wo we cau cal remedy its defects by insisting upon special training for public service in in the legislative and executive branches of government much as in tho the present civil service wo must recognize a izo the validity of tile the class system of voting that is i proportional or weighted voting to insure domination of the intellectual persons the assumptions on which democracy was based were the relatively simple agricultural society of early america with correspondingly simple M mple political and social problems representative units of homogeneous nature without conflicting interests the idea that all men are equal ft it in capacity the belief in justice and validity of universal Buff suffrage rage the ron con diction that all people have an ardent interest in politics and that they study carefully candidates and their qualities before voting the idea that masses mames have a special capacity for sensing injustice and for leading cru cm for reform and the conception of isolation from international affairs one of these assumptions lias has been rendered invalid by the industrial du revolution and as a result tile tho idea of representative democracy has been so changed that it i is s now useless only 60 50 per cent of tile the peo pie now vote and these have to bo be dragged out by politicians with threats money favors prejudices geographical arguments conventions and social settings the arguments of the parties now do nothing but paralyze intelligent selection of candidates perhaps there will come a day 1000 years from now when we will look back upon this system of representative democracy as the modern chemist looks back upon alchemy |