Excerpt from The Atlantic Monthly, 1913, Vol. 111: A Magazine of Literature, Science, Art, and Politics In proportion as suffrage is extend ed, and the number of electors in creases, elective institutions have to modify their tactics, and necessarily end by favoring the greatest numbers. Allover Europe the upper classes have consented to the extension of the franchise, in the hope that, through their own preponderant influence, they may coerce the increased number of voters. But, sooner or later, their calculations have everywhere proved to be wrong. Under various names par ties are forming, or have already been formed, which, by stirring up the pas sions of the masses, or by rousing their greed, or by means of some promised advantage, have succeeded in sepa rating some portion of the artisan or laboring classes from the patronage of the wealthy. Thus by their own sheer strength of numbers, these parties have striven to acquire influence with the government. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This 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.