"Rule of Majority" Held Responsible for World Troubles in Local Lecture adio ttg, attack, on, Bemecratie leals of government as being Ponsible mainly for the acute s conditions now afflicting the world at large, together with a warning, that, if Gur present civilisation is to survive, revolutionary and subver~ ye. doctrines must be suppressed ruthlessly, was delivered in a, lee ture give' on Dee, 1 by Mr. A. Hughes, prominent Shanghai busi ness leader and member of the local Municipal Co: mneil, before the Quest 'Society' in the Foreign ¥.M.C.A, Using as the basis of his talk the contention that' progressive civilisation, or Social evolution, is, determined by fundamental principles of Universal application, and thatthe welfare. of hui willie. for-humanity, he charged, but, in fact, since the' Great War' has' retarded furiously the natural, orderly" processes of social evolution, As a diteer consequence of the! free play of democratic forces, with the elevation of the whine the uneducated "many, "incapable. 0 understanding the lessons of ex-the centuries, Se at he growth of selfish nater.
rampant Chauvinism, as well other elements responsible for this' condition of distress.
After quoting the opinions of ment Suthorities "which agreed this diagnosis, belief that at warded, or retarded, according tol Hee a'reel ina, the antiosial forces of political democrac the extent to wich they are Known been started was expressed by the adopted an the basis of social speaker. In support of this theo Policy and action, Mr. Hughes. did h ited to the recent Britis hesitate to bare the political ils he. characterised as fo which the present era has fallen rkable even deity in his belie history of British polities, Modern civilisation is x0 complex Even the masses could see where thatthe. welfare. of, humanity de the policy' of the Labour Govern: anas goverment by apeclalia nent, "the most incompetent govern Father. than ule according to. the "whims" of" enfranchised ment of modern times," was leading declared, such a8 ex-the nation and the wordy sad fonds hughes, and consequently played no little part in the reversal of opinion, "Unfortunately, the enfranchise-america, t00, hho continued, is. be: ment of, the masses, has. made ginning to realise the incapacity of Dossible for the inferior majority to emoeratie government and through-amore capable clement," Mr. Hughes Grer-ide the hater gaurated "and Jout the world a movement has been fontinaeg, Hand to give free play started to restore authority to its rightful hands, and effect to" unsound, prejudiced fud uneducated "opinion and. practical Idealism." present civilisation has-been built From the very earliest thes, our ductive effort must maximum of freedom compatible Oni created by men of superior inwith justice for all," the speaker falligence. who discovered and con "Those of superior. in-trolled the forees of nature, he eon. telligence, education, industry and fended, men who Droved t9 be Fea character' must be allowed to benefit ne lby the possession of such qualities, {he conditions of life for all class Tong: before labour. unions Hea of." Bemocraey ha contract nothing that could mot have be Sehieved otherwise to the benefit of which include the opportunity to rave and invest their savings for the benefit of themselves and their [dependents in securities of their own election and subject to their own
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.