NOTES AND ABSTRACTS.
CONDUCTED BY J. D. FORREST AND PAUL MONROE.
Universal Organic Suffrage. Universal suffrage in principle and in its appli- cation to parliamentary government is an idea altogether modern and does not antedate the last century. It is true that the name is very ancient, but the republics of antiquity were, in reality, aristocracies. There are many critics of universal suffrage both as to its theory and its practice. These are based chiefly upon the following defects : univer- sal suffrage, as we now have it, is not at all universal ; it is not real, not conscious ; it ought to be free and secret ; it ought to be facilitated by being taken at the voter's residence ; the soldiers and marines should not be excluded ; universal suffrage is at present amorphous and inorganic. Electoral groupings should be (i) of opinions, (2) local, (3) professional : a fourth grouping, that of sex, might be useful. Universal suffrage is at present only the rule of numbers ; it should also be that of measures and of social values. Universal suffrage is not to be considered a privilege, nor even a right, so-called ; but a social force comparable to natural forces. It should be obligatory ; and the role of the legislator is simply to put all social forces into action. Raotd de la Grasserie, in the Revue Internationale de Sociologie, for April 1896.
Evolution of the Social Medium. The individual's consciousness of his social environment develops along with his consciousness of self. As this notion is developed he recognizes more clearly his dependence. Finally he perceives clearly that other men, that other living organisms, constitute for him an essential condition of existence. He has need of their cooperation, as they have need of his, in the amelioration of the common medium. They are under a common determination. The principal traits in the development of this common medium are : the amelioration of the material environ- ment ; the development and perfecting the means of communication in order to facil- itate their cooperation ; development of means of exchange, of credit and money ; development of the division of labor, which increases production ; development of commerce; strengthening of order, of coordination, of security in human relations; coordination of individual efforts by means of contracts ; constitution and coordina- tion of artificial social organism, of governmental organisms ; development of science ; education of the masses of individuals who compose the social medium in order to give them the means of cooperating effectively in the common work and of clarifying the notion of solidarity and community of aim ; finally, the development of morality, in respect to the common aim. This last is destined to be the great regulator of progress, in the common march towards the universal aim, towards unity. L. Btaurin-Gressier in the Revue Internationale de Sociologie for April 1896.
The Placing Out of Pauper Children. A bill now before Parliament pro- poses to transfer the whole care of pauper children to an educational department, which is to have power to contract the children out to other bodies who may or may not be suitable for so important a trust. The end in view is the great extension of the board- ing-out system ; truly a laudable object, but only if under proper conditions and safe- guards. Some of the oldest advocates and observers of the boarding-out system are deeply impressed with its special dangers of abuse, except when it is guarded by the most careful arrangements for supervision. There is a necessity for much more inspec- tion of their adopted homes than has existed hitherto. In fact, in some districts the inspection seems wholly absent and impossible to be instituted. It is unquestionably excellent to transfer the class of either pauper boy or " city Arab " to the conditions of
140
