THE WORDS, LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY which are sometimes summed up in the word “Liberalism” have a noble sound and appearance. Are they not above criticism? Yes, but only when each one is in its right place: Liberty where Liberty can be exercised with intelligence, Equality where Equality really exists, and so on. And yet, in the domain of politics these words are, as will be shown in the course of this Note, anathema to anyone acquainted with their origin and with the evil purpose to which they have been applied, and with the results of their use.
The main result of their use has been the splitting up of countries into warring political parties. These parties are known collectively as Democracy. When Democracy holds an election, it is supposed to produce—at least we flatter ourselves that it produces—a Parliament which represents the best interests of the State. But as the majority of members are forced by their political Association to put the interests of party before that of the State, Democracy fails at the very outset to achieve its main object. So it just carries on in a disjointed manner, in a state of political warfare with itself.