At all events this sort of democracy, which
is now a monarch, and no longer under the control of law, seeks to
exercise monarchical sway, and grows into a despot; the flatterer is
held in honor; this sort of democracy being relatively to other
democracies what tyranny is to other forms of monarchy. The spirit
of both is the same, and they alike exercise a despotic rule over
the better citizens. The decrees of the demos correspond to the edicts
of the tyrant; and the demagogue is to the one what the flatterer is
to the other. Both have great power; the flatterer with the tyrant,
the demagogue with democracies of the kind which we are describing.
The demagogues make the decrees of the people override the laws, by
referring all things to the popular assembly. And therefore they
grow great, because the people have an things in their hands, and they
hold in their hands the votes of the people, who are too ready to
listen to them. Further, those who have any complaint to bring against
the magistrates say, 'Let the people be judges'; the people are too
happy to accept the invitation; and so the authority of every office
is undermined. Such a democracy is fairly open to the objection that
it is not a constitution at all; for where the laws have no authority,
there is no constitution. The law ought to be supreme over all, and
the magistracies should judge of particulars, and only this should
be considered a constitution.
Pages:
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168