The American democracy, a text in government for use in high schools, academies and normal schools

Front matter

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Preface

This text is based on my Advanced Civics, but the changes that have been made are so many and so far-reaching that it has been thought best to give the new book a new name.

The essential principles of our government are presented first. The student begins by learning of big things, of democracy, representative government, the separation of powers, constitutions, the federal system, local self-government, civil liberty. These are the foundation stones of the Republic, and to present these great themes first is simply to lay the foundation aright.

In Part II is an account of the political superstructure, the governmental machine. Here the aim has been to give important subjects a broad and ample treatment, but there has been no effort to present a vast array of facts. You will not be able to carry young people very far along on the road to good citizenship by gorging their minds with facts about government. The way to improve citizenship is to establish in the mind correct political ideals and to reach the heart with the living truths of political morality.

Part III deals with the every day work of the government. The learner is brought face to face in a practical way with questions relating to international policies, national defense, taxation, currency, transportation, trusts, immigration, conservation, labor legislation, public utilities, the housing problem, rural betterment. These are subjects with which the voter must be conversant, and if they do not receive serious attention in the classroom our civics teaching wiU break down at a most important point : it will fail to prepare for intelligent voting.

We have in this country a precious heritage of liberty and vi PREFACE

democracy and it is the prayer of every good American that this heritage be preserved. It will not be preserved unless our youth are led to understand it and taught to love it. So, throughout the book, the underlying purpose has been to teach the true meaning of America, to impart the American spirit. ''The letter killeth but the spirit giveth life."

S. E, FORMAN.

Washington, D. C, 1920.

Part I The Essential Principles Of The American Government

THE SPIRIT

I

PAGE

Government 3

Types of Government 4

The United States a Democracy 4

Why Democracy is the Best Form of Government .... 5

Dangers of Popular Government 6

Democracy and the Individual 7

II The Masters Of Government

The Elective Franchise 10

Qualifications of a Voter 11

The Right of Suffrage Conferred by State Authority .... 12

Equal Suffrage 13

Duties of the American Voter 14

III IeIEPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

Pure and Representative Democracy 17

Growth of Representative Government . 18

The United States a Representative Democracy 18

Principles of Representation 19

Representation of the Minority 20

The People and their Representatives 21

vii viii CONTENTS

IV ''checks And Balances"

PAGE

How the Power of Government is Separated 24

Development of the Three-Department System 24

The Legislature 25

The Judiciary 27

The Executive 27

Independence of the Departments 28

V

Colonial Charters 31

Constitutions 31

How Constitutions Obtain Their Authority 33

Outline of a Typical Constitution . 33

Amendments and Revision of Constitutions ...... 34

Powers of the State 54

Conflict of Federal and State Authority 55

Interstate Relations • . 56

Preservation of the Federal System 59

CONTENTS ix

IX Page

Division of the Powers of the State 62

Three Grades of Government 63

How Local Governments Eeceive Their Powers 64

Municipal Home Rule 66

What Political Parties Are For .......... 69

Origin of Political Parties in the United States 70

Political Parties of To-day 71

Political Parties and the Individual 73

XI Civil Liberty Defined 76

Growth of American Civil Liberty , . 76

Constitutional Liberty and Its Preservation 82

XII Civil Rights And Duties

Civil Rights and Political Rights 85

Who are Citizens? 85

Civil Rights of State Citizenship 86

Civil Rights of Federal Citizenship 88

Duties of Citizenship 89

XIII A Review

The Characteristic Features of American Government ... 91 The American Spirit 92

X CONTENTS

PAET II

OEGANIZATION OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

THE FORM

XIV THE ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS

PAGE

Introductory 97

Representation in Congress 98

Apportionment of Representatives 101

Election of Representatives 102

Election of Senators 102

Powers of Congress 103

Congress the Hope of the Nation 104

XV Assembling of Congress and Its Adjournment 108

How Congresses are Numbered; Sessions of Congress . . . 108

The House at Work 110

The Senate at Work 115

XVI The Presidency

Election of the President 118

Powers and Duties of the President 120

The President's Share in Law-Making . . . . . . . . 120

Succession to the Presidency 122

The President as a Political Personality 123

XVII The Federal Executive Departments

The Executive Civil Service 125

The Cabinet 126

Organization of the Departments 128

XVIII The Federal Judiciary

Explanation of Terms 133

Independence of the Federal Judiciary 133

CONTENTS xi

PAGE

Organization of the Federal Courts 134

The Supreme Court and the Constitution 136

The Supreme Court and the People 139

Federal Courts Outside the Federal System 140

Oificers of the Federal Courts 140

XIX How Territories and Dependencies are Governed ..... 143

Territories and Dependencies on the American Continent . . 144

Insular Territories and Dependencies 148

Attitude of the United States Toward Its Dependencies . . . 151

XX General Features of State Legislatures 153

Passage of Bills 153

Importance of State Legislation 155

The State Legislature and the State Constitution .... 156

Direct Legislation; Initiative and Referendum 157

XXI Decentralization of Executive Power in the State .... . 162

Chief State Executive Officers 163

Other Executive and Administrative Officers 166

Consolidation of State Administrative Offices 168

Removal of State Officers 168

XXII THE STATE JUDICIARY

Selection of the State Judiciary ., . I73

The Several Grades of State Courts '. ! ! 173

Probate, County, and Chancery Courts ! . ! 177

Relation of the State Judiciary to the Federal Judiciary . . 177

Powers of the State Judiciary 178

XXIII The County

Importance of County Government 181

The Three Types of County Government 181

:gii CONTENTS

PAGE

The Governing Body of the County Court Officials of a County .

Other County Officials ....

County Home Rule

The Citizen and His County .

183 184 185 186 186

XXIV The Township

The Two Types of the County-Township System 189

Powers of the Township 192

Organization of the Township 193

The Township a School for Good Citizenship ...... 193

XXV The Towt^

Origin and Character of the Early New England Town . . . 196

The Town-Meeting 198

Town Officers 199

The Town as a Factor in the Civic Life of New England . . 200

Town Government Outside of New England 201

XXIX Laws

What a Law Is; Different Kinds of Law 233

Some of the Characteristic Features of Law 234

Law-Making and Public Opinion ,. . . 235

Obedience to Law 237

XXX ildministration of Justice the Highest Function of Government 240

Fimdamentals of American Justice 240

A Needed Reform in the Administration of Justice .... 244 "Fiat Justitia" , .246

XXXI Defense

Defense an Indispensable Fmiction of Government . . . . 248

National Defense 248

State Defense ■ .252

Local Defense 252

Civil Government and Martial Law 253

XXXIi INTERNATIONAL RELATIONE

International Affairs Regulated by the Federal Government . 265

International Law 255

Ambassadors and Ministers 257 xiv CONTENTS

PAGE

Consuls 258

The President the Head of Foreign Affairs 259

Treaties 259

Arbitration 261

The Peace Treaties* 262

The League of Nations 262

Taxing Power of the State 282

Authority for State and Local Expenditures 282

Taxation in the State 284

State and City Budgets 288

XXXVI Public Debt a Necessity 291

How a Government Borrows Money 291

National Debt 292

State Debt 293

Debts of Local Governments 294

How Public Debts are Paid 296

CONTENTS XV

XXXVII MONEY

PAGE

Money as a Commodity 299

The Precious Metals 300

Coinage of Money 301

Paper Money 301

Representative Money * 303

Rivalry of Gold and Silver; Gresham's Law 303

XXXVIII Different Kinds of Currency 307

Gold Coin and Gold Certificates; Silver Dollars and Silver Certificates 307

Subsidiary Coinage 308

United States Notes (Greenbacks) 308

National Bank Notes 310

Federal Reserve Notes. Federal Reserve Bank Notes . . .311

Essential Facts of Our Monetary System 313

TRANSPORTATION

PAGE

Interstate and Intrastate Commerce 329

Highways . 330

Railroads 333

The Interstate Commerce Commission 334

Transportation Act of 1920 . • .335

XLII The Corporation in Modern Life • . . . 339

How Corporations are Created and Controlled 339

Growth of the Trusts 340

Advantages and Disadvantages of Trusts 342

The Federal Government and the Trusts 343

State Governments and the Trusts 345

The Trust Problem 346

XLIII Meaning of Conservation 348

Scope of Conservation 348

Conservation of the Soil 349

Conservation Through Reclamation 350

Forest Conservation 352

Conservation of \A'ater Power 353

Some of the Practical Benefits of Conservation 355

XLIV Elections

Usefulness of Frequent Elections 358

Elections Conducted by State Authority 359

Registration 359

The Casting and Counting of the Ballots 359

Protecting the Ballot-Box from Corrupt Practices .... 360

Bribery 362

CONTENTS xvii

XLV EDUCATION

PAGE

Democracy and the Public School System 365

Public Education Controlled by the State 365

Education a Local Affair 366

The School District 367

School Supervision 367

Common Schools, High Schools, Universities, and Normal

Schools . 368

Educational Activities of the Federal Government .... 368

Educational Reform 370

XLVI

Growth of Labor Organizations . . . . . . . . . . 373

Aims of Labor Organizations 375

The State and the Workingman 375

Collective Bargaining 376

Settlement of Labor Disputes 377

A Difficult Labor Problem . . . 378

The Federal Government and the Workingman 380

XLVII The Police Power 383

The Laborer is Worthy of his Hire 384

"Eight Hours for Work; Eight Hours for Rest; Eight Hours

for What You Will" 385

Unemployment 386

Insurance Against Accidents 387

Child-Labor Laws 389

XLVIII Health, Safety, And Morality

A Word More About the Police Power 392

Public Health 393

The Federal Government and the Public Health 393

Public Safety 394

Public Morality 395

Prohibition 395 xviii CONTENTS

XLIX HELPING THE POOR

PAGE

The Poor We Have Always Witli Us 398

Care of the Poor a Function of Local Government .... 398

Outdoor and Indoor Relief 399

The Defective Classes 400

State Boards of Charities 400

Mothers' Pensions; Old Age Pensions 401

Organized Charity 402

L CRIME

Definition of Crime ' . . 405

Punishment of Crime 406

Crime and the State Government 406

Crime and the Fedei-al Government 408

Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Criminals 409

LI

Growth of Cities and Extension of Municipal Functions . . . 413

The Problem of Public Utilities 414

The Housing Problem 417

City Planning 419

Municipal Recreation 420

Community or Civic Center . . . . . 421

LII

Decline of the Rural Population 424

Conditions of Rural Life 425

The Federal Government and the Farmer 420

The State Government and the Farmer 429

The Local Government and the Farmer 430

Farmers' Associations 432

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The power of government Frontispiece

PA&B

The growth of democracy in America 11

America's greatest representative body 20

The growth of the Constitution 43

The distribution of powers .49

The act which admitted the first new state 57

T'ac-simile of part of the Declaration of Independence . . .81

Map of Pennsylvania showing Congressional Districts .... 99

A chart showing at a glance the relative strength of each state

in the national House of Representatives Ill

Organization of state administration 169

Map of a county, showing townships and villages 191

Council plan of Chicago 205

Commission plan of Des Moines 209

City manager plan of Dayton 213

A sample ballot for direct nomination of officers 219

Portion of a treaty between France and United States showing

seals and signatures 260

The Committee on Ways and Means . 274

Chart showing division of currency 309

Where the foreigners come from . 323

Map showing the state highway system of California .... 332

Principal irrigation projects in the Western United States . . 351

A sample ballot for a general election 360

In the ]\IcKinley Manual Training School, Washington, D. C. . 390

The New York Public Library . -415

Trade communities 432