646 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



righted it will bring disaster. Indeed, I do*not recall a pessimist, 

 however dyspeptic, nor a doctrinaire, however visionary, that has 

 struck a more melancholy note than he. In all his reports much 

 will be foimd that indicates anything but a belief that a democ- 

 racy that plunders and enslaves a people is any better than any 

 other despotism guilty of the same offense, or that the practice 

 in the one case will be productive of greater prosperity and happi- 

 ness than in the other. 



It is, however, in the report for 1897 that Mr. Roberts gives 

 the fullest expression to his apprehensions. " This country," he 

 says in an elaborate argument for a graded inheritance tax, which 

 he believed would bring some relief to the poor and discontented, 

 " has just passed through the most threatening political campaign 

 in its history. The portents in 1896 were vastly more dangerous 

 than those of 1860, when peace and internecine war hung in the 

 balance. Issues were advanced last year, and vigorously supported 

 by a large element of the American electorate, which, if adopted, 

 would have undermined the very foundations of American institu- 

 tions. These issues were largely the outgrowth of discontent 

 among the people. The farmer, as a class, the work people, and 

 the small trade folk were in distress. . . . Hundreds of thousands 

 of industrious people were out of employment, the best efforts of 

 the farmer had been attended with poor results, and the small 

 tradesman and business man were worse off than if they had been 

 doing nothing." In the report for the following year he spoke 

 again of the " public discontent and dissatisfaction with existing 

 conditions in this State." Instead of joining the comfortable and 

 contented in a denunciation of them as a delusion, born of envy or 

 criminal instincts, he expressed the opinion that they had a very 

 substantial basis. " My four years of close official study of the 

 State finances," he says, " compels me to say there is serious ground 

 for complaint." After giving an impressive summary in another 

 place of the enormous increase of public expenditures within re- 

 cent years he is moved to ask, ""Whither are we drifting?" 



The answer commonly given to this question is one quite flat- 

 tering to American vanity. It is that we are drifting away from 

 " parochial " things and taking our proper place as a great " world 

 power." Having solved all the petty problems that have absorbed 

 our thoughts and energies for a hundred years, we have gone forth 

 to " take up the white man's burden," and to solve the greater prob- 

 lems that a discriminating Providence has so wisely confided to 

 our ability and philanthropy. At the same time we are going to 

 have our say as to how the affairs of the world outside of our 

 narrow and cramping borders shall be managed. Mr. Roberts, 



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