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There was an incessant demand for parliamentary reform. Thatreform took the course of less power for the Chamber, more for theexecutive. It was not called "streamlining the government" becausethat word was not yet invented. Mussolini had to rule with a·Chambersplit many ways and with his enemies in the majority. He determinedto correct that condition at once. He did not cease in theprocess until he had made himself an unrestrained tyrant. Here iswhat he did.He used three devices: (i) the electoral law of 1923, (2) theuse of the military party, (3) the capture of all agencies of modernpropaganda.The electoral law was called a reform. Members of the Chamberwere elected by proportional representation under a reform forcedthrough by Premier Nitti. Socialists had rejoiced in this reform becauseit enabled them to get so large a vote in the Chamber. Butthis became the basis of Mussolini's electoral law and his electoralsystem. He adopted the proportional representation system with theprovision that would enable a party receiving a fourth of the votesto have two thirds of the seats in the Chamber. How did he succeedin doing this? It was passed by the same Chamber that had beenelected under the sponsorship of Giolitti in 1919. Villari says itpassed both houses by substantial majorities. On this he bases hisclaim that no objection can be made to its constitutionality. Havingdone this, Mussolini now held two thirds of the votes in the Chamber.Many, however, defended this law. The Italian Chamber was splitinto numerous parties—fractional parties. A stable government wasnext to impossible in this situation, and many felt that some changeshould be made by which the party with the most votes, even thoughit had a minority, should be able to carry on the government. ThusMussolini got plenty of highly respectable help along the first stepsto absolute rule. The balance of the support was obtained by intimidation.The other weapon of dictatorship was the party. The characteristicsof this party were that it was (a) limited in numbers and (b)subject to quasi-military discipline. There is nothing unique aboutthis. In this respect it followed the socialist model, which is in all6z