THE FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNMENT 279 
what they say—and who can doubt their sincerity ?—no more signifi- 
eant utterance has been made on American soil since the declaration 
of July 4, 1776. The final paragraph of the declaration reads: 
Believing in our hearts that the needs of the country and the fundamental 
principles of our government set forth herein involve moral no less than 
material issues, and agreeing that the time has come for us and the other 
citizens we represent to exercise our constitutional powers by the means pro- 
vided when the constitution of the United States was framed, we, the delegates 
in this convention assembled, representing more than half the people and three 
fourths the productive energy of the United States, do hereby deliberately and 
firmly, and in the full realization of our duties and responsibilities, demand 
and direct that a definite and vigorous policy of waterway improvement, 
beginning with the Lakes-to-Gulf Deep Waterway, be adopted and put into 
operation by the national government without delay. To the enforcement of 
this demand we pledge our individual effort and our united support; and we 
hereby publicly pledge our personal honor, each for himself and to each other, 
to support no candidate for public office who will not unqualifiedly indorse and 
maintain that policy. 
Academically, such an utterance is in so full accord with the con- 
stitution and with the principles of popular government as to be com- 
monplace; yet actually it is so far out of accord with current govern- 
mental methods that the third of the representatives and senators in 
attendance at the convention generally (except perhaps a dozen pro- 
gressives) repudiated and condemned the utterance more or less openly 
as “socialistic” or “anarchistic.” Still the voice of the people has 
echoed and reechoed; and at last it has reached print in a public 
document. 
The spirit of the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep Waterway Association 
expressed in their declaration has cropped out in various conventions 
other than those noted in the senate report. During the past two years 
the question has been growing more and more incisive, Is this nation 
competent to protect the interests of its people? The question has been 
pressed in non-partisan assemblies held in every section, including 
citizens of every state, and with constantly increasing directness and 
pointedness ; and it is a sign of the times that it is put with a sense of 
power and a realization of responsibility unprecedented in the century 
and a quarter since Washington moved toward the constitution. Amer- 
ica—the collective mass of ninety million souls—is a long-suffering if 
not lethargic giant, slow to wrath and show of strength; yet as to its 
power when aroused—who can doubt? Its full strength lies in the 
spirit of the ninety millions; the force of a first effort lodges in some 
eighteen million voters, a half temporarily tied by one special interest 
or another—but nine millions are full freemen, and five millions more 
are ready to follow their lead. Now that the giant is aroused, in con- 
science no less than in sentiment, the demand of the people is attracting 
attention. Already the waterway advocates can point to a partial re- 
