and intrigues of the hitherto omnipotent machine. Mr. Roosevelt is sufficiently formidable, though standing alone. It is quite possible that the "bosses may bow to his ascendency, and equally so that they may be crushed in the conflict if they decide not to have the President at any price. But it is significant when a great state like Pennsylvania has already begun to match the intrigues of the log-rollers and wire-pullers, and although threatened by some of the bosses, pledges its thirty-two votes in the electoral college to Mr. Roosevelt. As the republican vote in his own State, New York, is almost certainly his, should his party not lose its majority in these two great States before 1904, this means sixty-eight votes to begin with. It is in vain that the desperate politicians by profession, backed by the big Trusts, form the project of running Mr. Hanna for the presidency. The defection of this wing of the party only increases the widespread popularity of the President, although their power is shown in their defeating their attempts to establish reciprocity with Cuba, and other national measures in which they are seen simply battling for their own pecuniary interests. About the middle of October, 1901, a little incident occurred in Washington at the Presidential Palace, which for a time threatened to undo, so great was the significance attached thereto by a portion of the American people, much of the unity which had been wrought north and south. On the spur of the moment, the President invited Mr. Booker Washington, a late afternoon caller, to remain for dinner. Mr. Washington is a scholar, an able administrator, and of courteous manners. But he P is a negro: and instantly a great cry went up. The South had been outraged. Up to this episode, President Roosevelt had the warm, sympathetic approval and support of the Southern people, and the Southern senators and representatives. He had made it known that Democrats would be selected for Federal offices when the other party could not furnish good material, and had actually just appointed exGovernor Jones as the Federal District Judge in Alabama. It is impossible to believe he will not regain this political approval; but the Southern people, as I have already shown, are intensely prejudiced, and comradeship for the negro is in their eyes a heinous crime. But the incident shows the courage of the man, as hardly anything else has done. As to the personal influence which he exercises on society and in the White House, it is sufficiently indicated by the fact that, differing from most of the previous Presidents, he is a gentleman by birth and breeding, an Anglican in religion, a sportsman, and allied to a lady who is a social leader. It has often been remarked that the early careers of the Presidents have not qualified them to lead the world of fashion, and this remark extends to their wives, with the single exception of Mrs. Cleveland, who was both a beautiful woman and a charming hostess. Mrs. Roosevelt is equally charming, and in her æsthetic tastes and lofty ideals is well fitted to influence any society. There can be, I think, little doubt of the tenure by His Excellency of the Imperial office for a second, and even, if the Americans be wise, of a third term. is little danger to be apprehended from one-man power There in modern civilized communities, and when the one man is Theodore Roosevelt, the Americans should give him a free hand, in office, for as long as he cares to sustain its cares. For "as the nation develops, and the people increase their qualifications for self-government, it will be seen that they will lay hold of the presidency as the only organ sufficient for the exercise of their sovereignty." 1 Ford, H. J., "Rise and Growth of American Politics." CHAPTER XVI EDUCATION AND SCIENCE AMERICA has as yet no national system of education. The educational advantages provided vary a good deal in different States-for each State provides and supervises its own system in entire independence. Yet, underlying all difference of method, there is an essential unity of aim, which is "to make democratic education universally accessible, and by means of it to lift up the whole population to a higher plane of intelligence, conduct, and happiness." As Dr. Eliot, President of Harvard University, points out, "Democratic education is a very new thing in the world, and its attainable objects are not yet fully perceived. Only a generation ago in some of our Southern States it was a crime to teach a member of the laborious class to read." From the elementary school to the university education in the States is to a large extent gratuitous. This is due in a great measure to the sums and land revenues set apart by the several States and to other legislative provision, and next to the enormous contributions made to higher education by opulent citizens of the republic. Mr. Cobden noticed the liberality of American citizens in promoting education. Since his time private munificence in this cause has exceeded anything hitherto known.1 1 Yet, in spite of all this liberality, many of the men foremost in the business world of America have expressed the view that a university education rather unfits men to succeed in business. Mr. Carnegie is quoted as saying "The almost total absence of the graduate from high positions. in the business world seems to justify the conclusion that college education, as it exists, is fatal to success in that domain. The 1 Subjoined is a list of the reported benefactions made in the last eleven Here are some of the institutions to which special benefactions have been made: Drexel Institute, by A. J. Drexel ... Chicago University, by J. D. Rockefeller (from 1889 to 1900) Chicago University, by Miss Emmons Blaine : 200,000 Dartmouth College, by Edward Tuck 80,000 Leland Stanford University, by Mrs. Leland Stanford 2,200,000 Washington University, St. Louis, by Samuel Cupples and Robert |