Actual government of New York...

Book i °> ■ 'I _ CopyrightW._J3d

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT

ACTUAL GOVERNMENT

OF NEW YORI v

A MANUAL OF THE LOCAL, MUNICIPAL, STATE

AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR USE IN

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS

OF NEW YORK STATE

BY

FRANK DAVID BOYNTON l(

RINTENDEN1 Ol 51 HOOLS, ITHACA, NEW YORK, Al'THOR OF M S H : -. "MANUAL OF CIVICS," '-SYLLABUS

I ; -." ' PLANE GEOMETRY/' ETC.

"What we seek is the reign of law, based upon the consent of the governed and sustained by the organized opinion of mankind" Woodrow Wilson, July 4, 1918

REVISED EDITIO V

GINN AND COMPANY

• CHICAGO • LONDON ATLANTA • DALLA SAN 1 x~/n

^7

COPYRIGHT, 1904, 1911, 1916. L918, BY FRANK DAVID BOYNTON

ALL KK.II is RBSBRVBD 5l8, 10

NOV 19 laid

TEfte j3tftengum 3&rt&*

GINN AND COMPANY • PRO- PRIETORS • BOSTON • U.S.A.

Preface

In the preparation of this edition of "Actual Government

of New York" the author has associated with him three teachers of civics in as many cities of the state, and has made use of the suggestions received from teachers who used the first edition. In this way the present book has been worked out. Both subject matter and arrangement have been subjected to the study and criticism of classroom teachers. Teachers who used the first edition have helped in no :1 degree to produce the present book. Many of them will find that their suggestions have been incorporated as made, while others will find theirs somewhat modified. Extremes, or "fads," in government have been ignored, but the substantial and healthy development of democratic representative government has been definitely pointed out in both the text and the illustrations.

A textbook in civics treats of a large body of facts which change or which may change with every session of the legislature and of Congress. This edition brings the statement of fact up to date and adds valuable new material and illustrations. Some of the more important new topics discussed may be mentioned: the amendments to the state and United States

.stitutions; city manager; compulsory physical and military training; the initiative, referendum, and recall; commission government; the primary-rejection law; the importance of the county as a unit of local government; mothers' pensions; - compensation ; new methods of choosing candidates; the state pay roll; popular election of United States vi ACTUAL GOVERNMENT OF NEW YORK

senators ; federal reserve banks ; reorganization of the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Labor ; presidential primaries ; federal trade commission ; the Judiciary Act of 191 1 and the federal courts; the federal income tax; reorganization of the army ; etc.

The book begins with the school district — the child's first contact with organized government as he leaves the home. The development follows that of the child, in his experience and through his reading, from school district to town, village, city, county, state, nation, and to international relations, showing at each step the necessity for government for the highest good of the individual in society, and how each successive form has the individual as the center and bears directly upon him.

The text is a complete book in itself, and the same is true of the library references which follow each chapter, and again of the questions on the text. By a careful study of any one of these three divisions a pupil may be prepared for any examination which he is likely to meet. The full text of the state and United States constitutions is given, and a bibliography of library books is suggested. This edition will be found to serve as a complete text, a reference book, and a source book.

THE AUTHOR

Part I. Government Of The Local Units Page

Bibliography xix

CHAPTER

I. Introduction i

Lest wo Forget. Government and Business. Federal Government and the Individual. Preliminary Steps. Preliminary Steps Classified. Why we have Government.

II. The School District 7

General Statement. Officers of the District. Duties of Trustees. Duties of Other Officers. Annual School Meeting. Business of School Meeting. Who may vote at a School Meeting. Political Independence of a School District. Union Free School District. School Neighborhood. Removals and Filling of Vacancies.

III. The Town 14

The Town: its History. Town Government. The Town Meeting. Time of holding Town Meetings. Powers of the Town Meeting. The Supervisor. The Town Clerk. Assessors. The Collector. Constables. Town Superintendent of Roads and Bridges. Overseers of the Poor. Justices of the Peace. The Town Board. Town Auditor-. Fence Viewers. School Directors. Inspector.- of Election. Vacant i

IV. The Village 27

Why we have Villages. Relation of Village to Town. Why a Separate Village Government is Needed. Formation of Villages. Villages Classified. Village Officers and viii ACTUAL GOVERNMENT OF NEW YORK

CHAPTER PAGE

their Election. The Legislative Branch. The Village Meeting. The Board of Trustees. The Executive Branch. The Village President. Other Executive Officers. The Judicial Branch. Board of Education. Public Utilities. Fire Protection. The Board of Health.

V. The City 41

General Statement. The Street. How Streets are laid out : New Problems. Use of the Streets. How Permission to use the Streets is Gained. A City's Business. The City Charter. Cities Classified. Choosing of City Officials. Legislative Department. Executive Department. Other Executive Officers. Judicial Department. Term of City Officers. Board of Education. Public Utilities. Street-Cleaning. Building Laws i:iv\ Permits: New Problems. Police and Fire Protection. City Institutions. City Finances. Commission Government.

VI. Greater New York 62

General Statement. New York Legislative Department: its Board of Aldermen. New York's Executive. Executive Departments. County Government within the City. New York's Judicial System.

VII. The County 75

General Statement. City Counties. County Government. County Legislature. Board of Supervisors : its Duties. County Executive: Removals. SherilT. County Clerk. County Treasurer. District Attorney. Superintendent of the Poor. Superintendent of Highways. District Superintendent of Schools. Judicial Branch. Coroners. County Government in Action. The County : its Importance.

PART II. GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE VIII. The Constitution in Development . . 86

Our Birthright. Before the White Man Came. New York a Dutch Colony. Dutch West India Company.

CONTENTS ix

CHAPTER PAGE

New York an English Colony. The Charter of Liberties. Our Four Constitutions. Fundamental Law. Amendment and Revision.

IX. Powers and Limitations of the State . . 95

te Activities. Federal and State Bills of Rights Compared. Personal Liberty. Personal Security. Private Property. State Debts. State Credit. Forests and Canals. State Protection. Corporations, Banks, etc.

X. Legislative Department 104

-anization. The Assembly. The Speaker: his Election. The Speaker: his Powers. Majority and Minority Leaders. Assembly Officers. The Senate. of the Senate. Members : Qualifications, Term, etc. Sessions. Procedure. How a Bill becomes a Law. Public-Welfare Laws. Powers of the Legislature.

XL The Governor and Other Executives . .114

General Provisions. The Governor. Powers of the Governor. The Lieutenant Governor. Other Administrative Officers. Secretary of State. Comptroller. Treasurer. Attorney-General. State Engineer and Surveyor. Other Elective Officers. Appointed by the Governor. Summary.

XII. Judicial Department 128

Courts and Judges. Justice Courts. County Courts. The Supreme Court. Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Court of Appeals. Special Courts. The Duty of the Courts. Civil Procedure. Criminal edure : the Arrest Criminal Procedure: the Indictment. Criminal Procedure : the Trial. United ( 'ourts : Perjury.

XIII. State Education Department . . .141

Historical Sketch. Hoard of Regents. State Commissioner of Education. Supervisory District. I

trict Superintendent. Compulsory Attendance.

Compulsory Physical Training. Compulsory Military Training. Qualification and Training of Teachers. State Aid to Schools. State Scholarships. Distribution of State Aid. School Trust Funds. The School District.

XIV. State Institutions 151

State Agricultural Schools. State College of Agriculture. State Veterinary College. Normal Schools. Schools for the Blind, Deaf, and Dumb. Hospitals for the Insane. State Charities. State Reformatories. State Prisons. Other State Activities.

XV. Suffrage: How and When Exercised . -159 Citizenship. Suffrage a Privilege. Who may Vote. Party Government Recognised. Elective Offio and Election Districts. Time of Elections. Election

Expenses. The Convention Plan of Choosing Candidates. The Primary Plan of Choosing Candidates.

Importance of the Primary. Supervision of Elections. How to Register. Voting by Ballot. Voting by the Machine. The Counting.

XVI. State Finances 171

State Budget. Sources of Revenue. Apportionment of Taxes. Tax Districts. Tax Denned.

Part III. The Federal Government

XVII. The Constitution: its Formation and

Adoption 176

Condition of Affairs under the Articles of Confederation. Attitude of the States. The Feeling between the States. The General Government Helpless. Suggestions for Amendment. Origin of the Constitutional Convention. The Annapolis Convention. The Constitutional Convention. Influence of Washington. Hamilton and Madison. Franklin. Other Prominent Delegates. Work of the Convention. Difficulty of the Task. Plans Submitted. The First

CONTEXTS xi

CHAPTER PACE

Great Compromise. The Second Great Compromise. The Third Great Compromise. Ratification, Struggle over Ratification. Establishment of the New Government.

XVIII. The Constitution: its Origin and Nature 193

Its Origin. Origin of Special Provisions. Suggestions from the States. Its Nature Different from the British Constitution. Different from the Confederation. Growth of Nationality. Relation between the States and the Union. Departments of Government. Stability of the Constitution.

XIX. Legislative Department: its Organization 203

The Two Houses. N umber of Members. The Suffrage. Qualifications of Representatives. Exclusion of Members-Elect. Length of Term. Elections. Gerrymandering. Representatives at Large. Vacancies. Election Expenses. The House : Officers. Method of Choice. The Senate : its Origin and Character. The Senate : Constitutional Provisions. The Senate : Objects Aimed At. Election of Senators. Movement toward Direct Election by the People. The Seventeenth Amendment and Direct Election. The Senate : its Officers. Privileges of Members of Congress. Disabilities. Sessions of Congress. Quorum. Procedure. Adjournment. Comparison with Congress of the Confederation.

XX. Legislative Department : its Powers and

. Limitations 226

The Taxing Power. Taxes: Classification. Indirect The Tariff. Excises. Collection of The Power to Borrow. Money: its History. Power of Coinage. United States Money. Counterfeiting. Power to Regulate Commerce. Foreign Commerce. Interstate Commerce. Antitrust Law. Bankruptcy Laws. Piracy. Weights and Measures. War Powers. Declaration of War. Armies. The Regular Army. The Militia. The \avy. Military xii ACTUAL GOVERNMENT OF NEW YORK

CHAPTER PAGE

Law and Courts. Letters of Marque and Reprisal; Captures. Military Property. Miscellaneous Powers : Naturalization. Naturalization Laws. Postal Service. Copyrights and Patents. The National Capital. The Government of the District. The Government oi Territories. Organized and Unorganized Territories. Territories : a New Classification. Power to Establish Courts. The Elastic Clause. Special Powers of Each House. The House : Revenue Bills. The House : Impeachment. The House: Presidential Election. The Senate : Executive Powers. The Senate: Working of these Powers. The Senate : Judicial Function. Limitations upon Congress: Taxation. Commit Appropriations. Other Restrictions : Habeas Corpus. Bills of Attainder: Ex Post Facto Laws. Titles of Nobility.

XXL Legislative Department: its Working . 266

The Senate Chamber. Chamber of the House. Character of Members. Methods of Legislation. Stages of a House Bill. The Committee System. The Committees. Power of the Committee. Reporting Bills. Logrolling. Filibustering. Methods of Voting. Restraint of Filibustering. Closure of Debate. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Committee System. The Speaker. The Speaker : Sources of his Power. Recognition. Committee on Rules. The Party Caucus. The Necessity for Expediting Business. Contrast between the Houses. Desirability of a Career in Congress.

XXII. Executive Department : President and Vice

President 286

Executive Department. The Convention and the Presidency. A Difficult Question. Plan Adopted. Qualifications for the Presidency. Term and Reeligibility. Salary. Election : Methods Proposed in the Convention. Method Chosen. A Defect Discovered. The Twelfth Amendment. Another

CONTENTS xin

CHAPTER PAGE

Defect. Time and Method of Choosing Electors. Failure of the Electoral College. A More Serious Defect. Presidential Primaries. Presidential Succession. The President's Powers. Classification not Absolute. His Legislative Powers. The Veto. Restrictions on the Veto. Working of the Veto. Calling Extra Sessions. Treaty-Making Power. The Appointing Power. The Life of the President. Great Statesmen and the Presidency. Executive Power not Perfect. The Vice President.

XXIII. Executive Department: President's Assistants 311

The Cabinet. Relations of Cabinet Officers to President. Executive Departments : Organization. Executive Departments: History. State Department. Treasury Department. War Department. Department of Justice. Post-Office Department. Navy Department. Department of the Interior. Department of Agriculture. Department of Commerce. Department of Labor. Federal Trade Commission. Independent Boards and Commissions.

XXIV. Judicial Department: Federal Courts . 328

Necessity of Federal Judiciary. The Federal Courts. The Judges. Jurisdiction : One Class of Cases. Another Class of Cases. Eleventh Amendment. Transfer of Cases. Treason. The Supreme Court. The Supreme Court : its Jurisdiction. The Supreme Court: its Sessions. Circuit Court of Appeals. District Courts. The Court of Claims. Customs Appeals. Marshals and District Attorneys. The Procedure of the Federal Courts. Defects of the Judicial System. ellences.

XXV. The Siati s in Their Relations to the CON- STITUTION 341

Admission of New State-. Methods of Admission.

(iuaranties to the State- : Republican Government.

xiv ACTUAL GOVERNMENT OF NEW YORK

XXVI.

Protection against Invasion. Against Domestic Violence. Obligations upon the States : Public Records. Privileges of Citizens. Fugitive Criminals. Limitations of State Power. Absolute Limitations: Foreign Affairs. In the Matter of Money. Personal Liberty. Provisional Limitations. Doctrine of National Sovereignty. Division of Powers : Reserved Powers. Concurrent Powers. Classes of Powers. Conflicts of Authority.

The Bill of Rights : the Individual en his Relation to the Constitution

The Bill of Rights. Restriction only upon the Federal Government. Classes of Guaranties.

The Right of Personal Liberty. The Right of Personal Security. The Right of Private Property. General Guaranties.

XXVII. Miscellaneous Provisions ....

The Public Debt. Ratification. Amendment. Possible Methods. Method Used. Existing Amendments. The Thirteenth Amendment. The

Fourteenth Amendment. The Fifteenth Amendment.

3 61

XXVIII. The Unwritten Constitution

Development of the Unwritten Constitution. Original and Inherent Powers. Presidential Electors only Party Agents. Ineligibility of the President. Custom and the President's Power of Removal. The Senate and the President's Nominations. The Cabinet and the Unwritten Constitution. The Committee System. Our Whole System of Party Government.

3^7

XXIX. State Governments

National Expansion since 1789. Diversities and Uniformities among the States. Origin of State

37 6

CONTENTS xv

PAGE

Constitutions. Methods of Constitution-Making. The Present Process. Constitutional Amendment-. Contents oi State Constitutions : Historical Changes. Existing State Constitutions. The State Governments. Suffrage and Elections. Method of Choosing Candidates. Voting. Election. The Legislature: Organization. The Lower Houses. Sessions. Procedure. Restrictions on Powers of Legislatures. ial Powers of the Houses. The Executive: its Character. The Governor. The Governor's Colleagues. Election, Terms, and Qualifications of Executive Officers. The Judiciary. The System - i ial Courts. Judges. The Term of I State Finances. Taxes. Exemptions.

Assessment. Apportionment and Collection. Restrictions upon Taxing Power. Education. The School System. Various Grades of Schools. State Administration of Schools. Local Administration of Schools. Compulsory Education. Importance of State Government. Initiative and Referendum.

XXX. Comparison of National Governments . 402

Other Governments : their Relation. England's Conition. England's Legislature. England's Executive. English Cabinet. England's Judicial System. Germany. German}'- Executive. Germany's Judicial System. French Government. Tin- French gislature. The French Executive. The nch Judicial System. Canada's Constitution.

Canada- Ex© llth e. Canada's Judicial System. Switzerland: its Legislature, itzerland : serland : it- Judi-

artment. The Unitary State. TheConfeder- . Further Classifications.

Absolute Monarchy. Eimitcd Monarchy. Pure I N • I tenia ra< y. What i^

the ! a of Government?

xvi ACTUAL GOVERNMENT OF NEW YORK

Appendix

PAGE

The Constitution of the State of New York

Constitution of the United States .... lii |

INDEX . . .

lxxv

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Front spiece

Charity

'5

CS

• 43

■ 63

■ 63

The Capitol at Washington

The City Hall. Pes Moines

The New York City Public Library

The "Bread Line" at Midnight receiving

A Policeman making the Streets Safe

The Work oi the Fire Department .

ning the Stn ...

Medical Inspection A Pure-Milk Depot Maps oi New York State, showing the Fifty-one State Senatorial

Districts and the Number of Assemblymen to which Each

County is entitled

Maps of Xew York State, showing the Forty-three Congressional

I districts and the Nine Judicial Districts

The S Chamber and the Assembly Chamber in the State

.pitol at Albany ........

"k State Education Building, Albany .

A Public & hool Sam: lian Ballot used in Xew York Slate, November

*4

Independence Hall. Philadelphia

Tin- Panama Canal

rnment Meat Inspection .... < lhamber ....

The Chamber of the House of Representatives The Arrowrock Dam. Boise, Idaho ..... 1 the Great Government Irrigating Canals

$7

■77 xviii ACTUAL GOVERNMENT OF NEW YORK

PAGE

President Wilson reading his Message to Congress assembled in

the Hall of Representatives 287

Territorial Growth of the United States (colored map) . .310

The Supreme Court Chamber 329

The White House . . . . . . . 329

The State Capitol at Albany, N.Y. 343

The State Capitol at Frankfort, Ky. 343

"The Right of the People Peaceably to Assemble" -355 Soldiers in Camp, receiving Instruction in the Use of the Rifle 403 The Battleship Pennsylvania 403

BIBLIOGRAPHY

MS, II. C. The Science of Finance. \. EDMUND. Among the Law-Makers.

I. X. Municipal Engineering and Sanitation. BALDWIN, S. E. Modern Political Institutions. The American Judiciary.

Charles A. American Government and Politics. New and

edition. . T. I >. School Civics.

5. American Commonwealth. 2 v. \. HAMPTON L. History of Supreme Court.

KJ iv-. A. R. City Government in the United States. LEY, T. M. Constitutional Limitations.

DALLINGER, F. W. Nomination for Elective Office. \. I). B. Government of Municipalities. ition Department. Consolidated School Law. FAIRLIE, J. A. Municipal Administration.

FlSKE, JOHN. American Political Ideas viewed from the Standpoint of Universal History: also Dutch and Quaker Colonies in America. . M. P. The Speaker. v. I\*i. Municipal Problems,

. I w John), Madison (J ym s), and oth< stitutional papers. Edited by E. II. Scott. . Ai tual I Government A. k. I -

K. The I '. \V. The Trust Problem.

Johi History of American P I edition

xi\ xx ACTUAL GOVERNMENT OF NEW YORK

Madison, James. Journal of the Federal Convention. Edited bv E. H. Scott.

Merriam, C. E. Primary Elections.

Oberholtzer, E. P. The Referendum in America: also Official Congressional Directory for the Use of the United Status Cong]

Remsen, Daniel S. Primary Elections.

Roberts, E. H. The Planting and Growth of the Empire State; also New York in the Revolution.

Robinson, W. C. Elementary Law.

Roosevelt, Theodore. American Ideals and Other I xnal

and Political.

Secretary of State. Legislative Manual. Tin- New Y<>rk Red Book. Election Laws i : \ a York. Revised Statutes of New- York.

Stanwood, Edward. History of tin- Presidency.

State Librarian. New York at Gettysburg.

Stimson, F. J. Labor in its Relation to Law.

Taussig, F. AY. Tariff History in the United States.

White, H. Money and Banking.

Wilcox, Delos F. The Study of the City Government

Wilson, Woodrow. Congressional Government; also The State.

Wright, Carroll D. Industrial Evolution of the United Stat

Zueblin, Charles. Ameriean Municipal Progress; also various national, state, county, and municipal reports.

Government of the State of New York — Organization and Function. Prepared for the Constitutional Convention, \i)\;.

Government of the City of New York — Organization and Function. Prepared for the Constitutional Convention, 191 5.

TO MY STUDENT FRIENDS

Human need is the origin of all just government among men. Whether we are considering the home (our first con- I with organized government) or the school (our second perience with formal control), or whether we are thinking in terms of the larger units of government, — the village, the city, the t<nvn, the county, the state, the nation, or the relations existing between nations, — the fact remains that all just laws, ordinances, regulations, or treaties are but the ul expression of some human need.

Human need led the first settler, around the site of whose cabin has grown your beautiful city, to strew with boughs the pathway from his to his neighbor's hut, so that the inmates of the one might pass dry-shod to the home of the i . Thus it was human need which led to the construc- 1 of this primitive sidewalk in the M forest primeval," and it is human need which causes us to make sidewalks, lay out in 1 highways, build bridges, establish health, fire,

and police departments, and to maintain schools, churches, playgrounds, parks, banks, stores, factories, railroads, tele- . postal systems, an army and navy, legislate js, mayors, governors, and presidents; and id many more we voluntarily tax ourselves in Mother, since all are maintained out of the inal income of the home for your need and mine. I this field of the Study of human need as dealt with in • eminent of your village, city, town, county, state, and nation, and in our relations with other nations, you are xxii ACTUAL GOVERNMENT OF NEW YORK

invited. The conditions which are rapidly developing in these various units of government call for grave consideration on the part of those who think straight on these questions. I can only wish you the joy that has been mine as I have written these lines to my young fellow countrymen. Upon your shoulders rests the future of American institutions. He who uses public office for private advantage is an undesirable citizen, and he who plots against the industries or government of his country is a traitor. The issues are great and demand clear thinking and far seeing, but there need be no fear as to how these issues are to be met and solved for mankind by the boys and girls of the American public school, the nation's bulwark and strong tower of defense, so splendidly garrisoned.

THE AUTHOR

ACTUAL GOVERNMENT OF

NEW YORK

Introduction

Lest we Forget. The constitution of the United States, 11 and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United State-, shall be the supreme law of the laud; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding. The senators and representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all md judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several - shall be bound by oath or affirma-

tion to support " the constitution of the United States (see Appendix, p. liii). Thus the framers of the federal eminent made it clear that the government which they wen- organizing first in point of authority. New

States are admitted to the Union by act of Congress upon specific terms detailed in the enabling act, which terms, in case of violation by state authorities, would be enforced by the federal courts (see Chapter XXV, p. 341).

Government and Business. In order that sewers, streets, public buildings, fire and police departments, etc. may be had and maintained, large sums of money are needed. Municipal government, that is, the government of a village or city, is, in many particulars, much like a department store, with its several departments of health, public safety, education, justice, etc., in which we are all stockholders and partners. It is to our interest to see to it that the fire department is well equipped, that its administration is efficient, that the water pressure LS adequate, in order that our property may be protected from destruction by fire. This interest is on the same level as our interest in seeing that the grocer uses a pair of scales which will give us what we pay for. In no sense, however, can this bush; instinct be construed into meaning allegiance or Love of country. We move from one village or city to another or from one locality to another in the same or different states with great frequency. Our relatives live in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and in other states under substantially the same conditions as we live. Leaving one's locality or state is entirely different from leaving one's country. However great our love for our state or locality, it is not so great as that for our country. It is this love of country which makes all state and local government secure and worth wdiile, which leads men to forsake home, business, all personal interests, and offer themselves for their country's good. It was this love of country which defended the pass at Thermopylae, which led to " the charge of the light brigade," and which left five thousand sons of New York dead on the field at Gettysburg. No true American will slander the memory

INTRODUCTION 3

of those whose unselfish acts and deaths have made government in the smallest unit possible by intimating that it is ssentially a business proposition." In the truest sense there is nothing yellow or jingoish in the sentiment which we sum up in the word " patriotism," the true foundation and motive power of all popular government.

Federal Government and the Individual. It is sometime- stated that the federal government is so removed m the individual in his daily round of duties that it is less important than the smaller units of state, count}', and local government Such statements are misleading. Through tariff laws the federal government may and has phi upon practically every article of food and

clothing and -belter, thus daily reaching the most obscure individual in the remotest cottage; it may and has placed a tax upon bank checks, express receipts, telegrams, and the like; it may and has entered any home in any state rcefully taken the father, son, brother, or husband and put him up as a target to stop the bullets of the country'- enemies; it may and has sent troops into a state to ei ral laws ; it may and has passed laws which

haw opened or closed down industries. It controls the postal system, the foundation of all business; it may declare any street, road, railroad, trolley, or steamship line power over interstate commerce gives it practical control over our great railways and water routes, some of which it own-. 1 and the present tendency is to < r. It coin- our money and establishes our weights and measures, thus entering into the most minute detail- of our daily business transaction-.

N ' ; the above power- may be exercised by state,

•»im;i rail: mship line from \Y\v York to this railroad county, or local government. While writing this paragraph, a uniformed officer of the federal government visited my home ; he comes daily. There are over thirty of these officials permanently located upon federal property in my city. My state never sends an officer to my home and owns no property in my city. In the study of these lesser " business units " we should not forget the far-reaching and fundamental powers of the federal government, lest we lend our study to a further development of a kind of bucket-shop statesmanship which looks after the district or the ward before it does after the country or the state.

Preliminary Steps. If we were to make a list of the services performed for us by government, we should naturally select those nearest to us, forgetting, perhaps, that the successful performance of these services depends upon the strong central authority represented by federal and state governments. Such a list would probably include our schools and teachers, libraries, roads, bridges, water supply, sewers, firemen, public parks, hospitals, records of our houses and lands, courts for the punishment of law breakers and for the settlement of disputes, insurance compani banks, post office, money, weights and measures, servi of the army, navy, regulation of railroads and steamship companies doing business between the states, and many of the larger matters which, because of their size, do not come directly into our immediate experience, especially when all goes well.

Preliminary Steps Classified. If we arrange these services according to the government which immediately performs them, we shall find that the first three are performed by the officers of the school district, who are responsible directly to state officials for the faithful performance of their duties ; the next seven, by town, village, or city

INTRODUCTION 5

governments, whose officers are in many instances responsible to state officials; the next two would be performed by the county, although the town, village, and city have courts oi their own ; the next two would be under state control, except in the case of national banks; the last seven, including the management of national banks, by the federal government alone. Thus it will be seen that government i> a series of circles ever widening as we go to the next form, with the individual standing at the center; yet all laws are made by the people directly or by their chosen representatives and for their (our) benefit.

Why we have Government. One reason why we have

eminent is that it is to our advantage; probably this

he chief reason. For example, we wish to send a letter to a friend in another state. We write our letter in the quiet of our home, protected by the local government

wn, village, or city. When our letter is completed we seal it in a paper envelope, put a stamp upon it, and place it on our front porch. Government, the mailman, comes along, understands what is wanted, takes the mesuards it in passage, and delivers it to the friend in another state all for two cents. We could not have done it so cheaply or so well; hence government. But What would have been the result if we had forgottrn to perform our part toward the government and

; not placed a -tamp on the letter ? Thus we see that duty toward government in return for the help

whi i Eiders. Or supposing our home were in flames;

might and probably would try to put them out ourselves,

but the firemen would come, attach the tire hose to the

hydrant, and quickly extinguish the blaze, saving our home

and the home- that SO thickly >urround ours; so we find it

Eld better to have firemen trained to do our work.

while we are attending to other duties. Thus we might figure out that many of the things which all people have done and want done can be done better and cheaper by those hired and trained to do them. Then, too, there are some things which it would be very hard for the individual to do alone and some which he could not do. Therefore we have courts and policemen to further protect our property and our lives. For all of this protection it is the duty of the good citizen to pay and to pay liberally, since many of the services required of firemen and policemen are dangerous, frequently resulting in the death of the officer while guarding our lives or property.