THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF PROGRESS 191 



Thus united, they made some headway against feu- 

 dalism, and they occasionally obtained charters which 

 placed their members upon a better footing in rela- 

 tion to the feudal lords. But simultaneously a still 

 more powerful influence tended toward centraliza- 

 tion. Royalty began to absorb more and more power 

 at the expense of the lords. But it is extremely 

 important to notice that royalty gained its power and 

 increased its authority by acting in the interests of 

 the people. In France it was the king who gave the 

 people safe roads for travel, by establishing a guard 

 which protected them from the ravages of the neigh- 

 boring barons. He espoused the cause of the cities 

 against the barons, thus again working for the inter- 

 ests of the common people. He instituted courts of 

 justice in which even the feudal lords were brought 

 to the bar and compelled to answer charges — a very 

 distinct gain for the people. By thus espousing the 

 cause of the individuals he obtained their allegiance, 

 and they gladly gave him the power which could come 

 from their support, enabling him thus to form, for 

 his use, that sword of kings, the standing army. 



Among the Western nations the right of the indi- 

 vidual man has been the rallying cry of advance, 

 while centralization has constantly represented stag- 

 nation. Freedom has been the battle cry of civiliza- 

 tion, and this demand for freedom has been keener 

 and louder as the centuries have passed. The United 

 States was founded upon the individual; its very 

 organization was based upon the statement that ' ' all 

 men were created free and equal," and through their 

 whole history the individual has been the ruler, in 

 name, at least. This same spirit underlies the feel- 

 ing of unrest seen in our advanced communities to- 



