Walter Bagehot: “Solid wealth tells where there is no artificial dignity given to petty public functions.”

They are solely concerned with his attractiveness as a candidate; they need not regard his efficiency as a ruler.

It is absurd to choose by contested party election an impartial chooser of Ministers.

The whole history of civilisation, is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards.

We have thus a whole group of ancient republics of non-Aryan race, and one which, being more ancient than the classical republics, could not have borrowed from or imitated them.