Tradition means giving a vote to most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about. All democrats object to men being disqualified by the accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by the accident of death. Democracy tells us not to neglect a good man’s opinion, even if he is our groom; tradition asks us not to neglect a good man’s opinion, even if he is our father.The Chevalier points out that this is not 'democracy' as it is generally understood today. On both topics, he says that Chesterton was basically supportive of the concepts, but unhappy with the 'crowned oligarchy' which Britain had become and remains.
The Chevalier also mentions a book by the Thinner Half of the ChesterBelloc, Chesterton's good friend and collaborator, Hilaire Belloc, The House of Commons and Monarchy, which discusses the same subjects.
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