THE CALL OF THE LAND 



or even follow vicious leaders, is no proof 

 that men themselves are bad. 



The point is not that sweeping criticism, 

 the impeachment of whole classes, is an 

 error of judgment. It is anarchic. It pulls 

 society and the state hopelessly apart and 

 tends to subvert the best work of past gen- 

 erations. You can co-operate with your 

 neighbor, however strongly you and he are 

 opposed in views, so long as you and he 

 trust one another's motives ; but let that con- 

 dition be wanting and you feel yourselves 

 foes, held asunder by indomitable repul- 

 sion. 



Anarchism hardly less vicious is charge- 

 able on those who regularly decry politics 

 and public men. That there are venal peo- 

 ple in political places is a sad fact, but we 

 too often denounce our public servants in 

 the mass for the faults of a very few. From 

 much observation we are satisfied that a 

 very large majority of the men in office in 

 our country mean well. Most who serve 

 us are faithful, patriotic, industrious citi- 

 zens, toiling according to their best light 



336 



