THE FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNMENT 279 



what they say — and who can doubt their sincerity? — no more signifi- 

 cant utterance has been made on American soil since the declaration 

 of July 4, 1776. The final paragraph of the declaration reads: 



Believing in our hearts that the needs of the country and the fundamental 

 principles of our government set forth herein involve moral no less than 

 material issues, and agreeing that the time has come for us and the other 

 citizens we represent to exercise our constitutional powers by the means pro- 

 vided when the constitution of the United States was framed, we, the delegates 

 in this convention assembled, representing more than half the people and three 

 fourths the productive energy of the United States, do hereby deliberately and 

 firmly, and in the full realization of our duties and responsibilities, demand 

 and direct that a definite and vigorous policy of waterway improvement, 

 beginning with the Lakes-to-Gulf Deep Waterway, be adopted and put into 

 operation by the national government without delay. To the enforcement of 

 this demand we pledge our individual effort and our united support; and we 

 hereby publicly pledge our personal honor, each for himself and to each other, 

 to support no candidate for public office who will not unqualifiedly indorse and 

 maintain that policy. 



Academically, such an utterance is in so full accord with the con- 

 stitution and with the principles of popular government as to be com- 

 monplace; yet actually it is so far out of accord with current govern- 

 mental methods that the third of the representatives and senators in 

 attendance at the convention generally (except perhaps a dozen pro- 

 gressives) repudiated and condemned the utterance more or less openly 

 as " socialistic " or " anarchistic." Still the voice of the people has 

 echoed and reechoed; and at last it has reached print in a public 

 document. 



The spirit of the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep Waterway Association 

 expressed in their declaration has cropped out in various conventions 

 other than those noted in the senate report. During the past two years 

 the question has been growing more and more incisive, Is this nation 

 competent to protect the interests of its people ? The question has been 

 pressed in non-partisan assemblies held in every section, including 

 citizens of every state, and with constantly increasing directness and 

 pointedness ; and it is a sign of the times that it is put with a sense of 

 power and a realization of responsibility unprecedented in the century 

 and a quarter since Washington moved toward the constitution. Amer' 

 ica — the collective mass of ninety million souls — is a long-suffering if 

 not lethargic giant, slow to wrath and show of strength; yet as to its 

 power when aroused — who can doubt? Its full strength lies in the 

 spirit of the ninety millions; the force of a first effort lodges in some 

 eighteen million voters, a half temporarily tied by one special interest 

 or another — but nine millions are full freemen, and five millions more 

 are ready to follow their lead. Now that the giant is aroused, in con- 

 science no less than in sentiment, the demand of the people is attracting 

 attention. Already the waterway advocates can point to a partial re- 



