THE EVOLUTION OF THE COMMON MAN. 145 



America ; the land of the common man, uncoddled 

 by luxury, uncrushed by oppression, untainted by 

 charity. Sons of "him that overcometh." 



" The wisest men to make the public laws." America 

 founded ; made free by educated men. Their distrust 

 of people, ignorant, uncouth, prejudiced ; no virtue in 

 multiplication of ignorance. Voice of people the voice 

 of God. Voice of irresponsible ignorance. Voice of 

 mob. Voice of mob that of demon. Mob conscious of 

 power, not of responsibility. Elderkin Waldo. 



Their distrust of aristocracy, immoral, inactive, 

 prejudiced. Decay of luxury and idleness. Brains 

 used and sifted. Red rags shaken. Samuel Adams. 



Representative government on trial. No divine 

 right in republicanism or in Americanism. Will fail 

 if it deserves failure. Will get nothing it does not de- 

 serve. Must fail if it fails to secure wisdom. The 

 wisest men do not make the public laws. Growth of 

 civilization growth of its parasites. " Heir to all the 

 ages I " ; so are the enemies of good government. 



Representative government ; choice of those that 

 think as I do. Those whose interests are mine ; those 

 attend to my interests. Representatives as attorneys. 



Great problems to solve. Can republic meet them ? 

 Is it fit only for corn and cotton prosperity ? Is our 

 backbone wilting ? Is the " Caucasian race played 

 out"? 



Weeping and wailing. Days of 1862. 



Why are " all the common men so grand, and all the 

 titled ones so mean " ? 



Moral questions. Heart of people beats responsive. 

 All questions at last moral ones. 



