Book Excerpt: re in America we are trying a new experiment; we haveadopted the principle of election, but we have supplemented it with theequally authoritative right of deposition. And it is interesting to seehow it has worked for a hundred years, for it is human nature to like tobe set up, but not to like to be set down. If in our elections we do notalways get the best--perhaps few elections ever did--we at least do notperpetuate forever in privilege our mistakes or our good hits.The celebration in New York, in 1889, of ...
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Book Excerpt: re in America we are trying a new experiment; we haveadopted the principle of election, but we have supplemented it with theequally authoritative right of deposition. And it is interesting to seehow it has worked for a hundred years, for it is human nature to like tobe set up, but not to like to be set down. If in our elections we do notalways get the best--perhaps few elections ever did--we at least do notperpetuate forever in privilege our mistakes or our good hits.The celebration in New York, in 1889, of the inauguration of Washingtonwas an instructive spectacle. How much of privilege had been gatheredand perpetuated in a century? Was it not an occasion that emphasized ourrepublican democracy? Two things were conspicuous. One was that we didnot honor a family, or a dynasty, or a title, but a character; and theother was that we did not exalt any living man, but simply the office ofPresident. It was a demonstration of the power of the people to createtheir own royalty, and then to putRead More
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