PERILS. — THE CITY. 191 



was a simple thing compared with the government of 

 50,000,000; and the government of 50,000,000 is a simple 

 thing compared with that of 500,000,000. There are 

 many men who can conduct a small business success- 

 fully, who are utterly incaj^able of managing large inter- 

 ests. In the latter there are multiplied relations whose 

 harmony must be preserved. A mistake is farther 

 reaching. It has, as it were, a longer leverage. This is 

 equally true of the business of government. The man 

 of only average ability and intelligence discharges 

 creditably the duties of maj^or in his little town ; but he 

 would fail utterly at the head of the state or the nation. 

 If the people are to govern, they must grow more intelli- 

 gent as the population and the complications of govern- 

 ment increase. And a higher morality is even more 

 essential. As civilization increases, as society becomes 

 more complex, as labor-saving machinery is multiplied 

 and the division of labor becomes more minute, the in- 

 dividual becomes more fractional and dependent. Every 

 savage possesses all the knowledge of his tribe. Throw 

 him upon his own resources, and he is self-sufficient. A 

 civilized man in like circumstances would perish. The 

 savage is independent. Civilize him, and he becomes 

 dependent; the more civilized, the more dependent. 

 And, as men become more dependent on each other, 

 they should be able to rely more implicitly on each other. 

 More complicated and multiplied relations require a 

 more delicate conscience and a stronger sense of justice. 

 And any failure in character or conduct under such 

 conditions is farther reaching and more disastrous in its 

 results. 



Is our progress in morals and intelligence at all com- 

 parable to the growth of population ? The nation's 

 illiteracy has not been discussed, because it is not one of 

 the perils which peculiarly threaten the West; but any 

 one who would calculate our political horoscope must 

 allow it great influence in connection with the baleful 

 stars which are in the ascendant. But the danger which 

 arises from the corruption of popular morals is much 



