Think about this: does the philosophy of the Elder Race seem to be the kind that would just come in and take control against the will of the populace? Or one that would force control from the ruling class?
hmm... but if they did not assume control, what do they do? beat down the priests and let the populace fend for itself? destroy itself? you know, it's the Elder Race's planet, and they want it back. so they assume control of it.
The Government is not a Hippy institution To govern is to take control, restrain, exercise political and sovereign authority. People need boundaries to flourish, the same as all forests have boundaries.
Living without binds, that sounds a lot like Dionysus in Cygnus X-II though
Okay, I see that we need to look more closely at the Elder race and what we can deduce of its philosophy.
I must agree that the elder race would not be socialistic. They also would not be the type to wrest control. They want to regain their land, but I do not see that they would do that by force. Why? Because they understand two things: First, that taking control by force would make them no better than the priests. Second, that if they took control by force, it would not do the populace any good. The changes must come from within.