Egoism, Compassion, Democracy

Scholars have long puzzled over the relation between Smith's advocacy of Egoism, and passages like the following, from Theory of Moral Sentiments: "How soever selfish man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortunes of others, and render their happiness necessary to him", i. e. "compassion".  Now, even though his presentation of Capitalism does not explain the relation between the two apparent antitheses, a combination of Egoism and Compassion is a familiar feature of American politics--with the latter functioning to extend the wealth generated by the former, from its possessors, to those who have been either victimized or neglected by the processes of wealth-generation, e. g. via charity or re-distribution.  Still, even if Compassion is effective as an equalizer of Wealth, it leaves its beneficiaries as politically powerless as they are in its absence.  In other words, even if compossible, this combination of Egoism and Compassion that continues to inform American society is inadequate to the principles of Democracy.