Permanence of the American Democracy

Abstract

Causes of political decay-Imperial Roman System: representative despotism; concentration of offices, privileges classes driven into orgies of private luxury; conciliation of poor by free gifts of corn and public games; the worship of the emperors as divinities and sacred character of their images; destruction of liberty and of opportunities. Degradation of slavery: slaves replaced the home stock of the best men who went to the provinces as soldiers and to engage in trade; agriculture became extinct; the race of free presents became extinct; all liberty bartered for free corn; self-respect of the Roman citizen destroyed. Gladiatorial shows and dethronement of pity: brutal amusements; Roman populace and social elect amused by shows of gladiators, slaves, criminals, and wild beasts by the thousands fighting to the death; re-enthronement of pity by Christianity; the failure of the eighty-four years of good government of Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius, and Marcus to save the Empire. Conditions affecting social and moral conditions of society: improvements in the development of machinery and industrial processes; development of principles of justice due to changes taking place in the adjustment os social and political organizations to fit new conditions. Economic conditions controlled by sources of wealth: lands, timber, minerals, and water power; changes in economic and social relations due to applications of inventions and discoveries of science; rapid concentration of population in large industrial centers; 70 per cent of the population now industrialized; the rapid concentration of wealth into the control of the few and great increase in the population of eleemosynary institutions and of the vescious classes. How promote justice, liberty, and the efficiency and welfare of the citizens of the state?-The socialization of justice-works of Frederick Car von Saigny, Bernard Windschied, and Rudolph von Jhering; state eleemosynary institutions; state elementary public school systems; workmen's compensation acts providing compensation for injuries, sickness, old age, and out-of-work pensions, regulations of hours and conditions of employment of men, women, and children. The elimination of friction and economic waste arising between employees and employers in collective bargaining: creation of state and federal commissions to regulate state and interstate commerce and to protect the general public welfare. Economic considerations: the growth of population; sources of wealth; land deterioration; consumption of coal and iron. Means for preventing political decay: provisions of the Code Napoleon, preservation of liberty and opportunity to earn a living for every citizen; conservation of minerals, soil, and all of our national resources; and the provision of national schemes for encouraging universal thrift; industrial efficiency; the conservation of the family; the nationalization of a vocational educational system; the elimination of political waste; the promotion of justice; universal and compulsory military and naval service with adequate equipment.