measure of the amenities of life. The question that does rise is, How
high will the aspirations of society mount?

In order to determine this, an administration is requisite that shall
embrace all the fields of social activity. Our municipalities constitute
an effective basis thereto: if they are too large to allow a ready
supervision, they can be divided into wards. As in primitive society,
all members of the community who are of age participate in the
elections, _without distinction of sex_, and have a voice in the choice
of the persons who are to be entrusted with the administration. At the
head of all the local administrations stands the central
administration--as will be noted, not a Government, with power to rule,
but an executive college of administrative functions. Whether the
central administration shall be chosen directly by popular vote or
appointed by the local administration is immaterial. These questions
will not then have the importance they have to-day: the question is then
no longer one of filling posts that bestow special honor, or that vest
the incumbent with greater power and influence, or that yield larger
incomes: it is then a question of filling positions of trust, for which
the fittest, whether male or female, are taken; and these may be
recalled or re-elected as circumstances may demand, or the electors may
deem preferable. All posts are for given terms. The incumbents are,
accordingly, clothed with no special "official qualities"; the feature
of continuity of office is absent, likewise a hierarchical order of
promotion. Hence it is also immaterial to us whether there shall be
middle stages, say provincial administrations, between the central and
the local administrations. If they are deemed necessary, they are set
up; if they are not deemed necessary, they are left alone. All such
matters are decided by actual exigencies, as ascertained in practice. If
the progress of society has rendered any old organization superfluous,
it is abolished without further ado and dispute, there being no longer
any personal interest in conflict; and new ones are similarly
established. Obviously, _such an administration, resting upon the
broadest democratic foundation, differs radically from what we have
to-day_. What a battle of newspapers, what a war of tongues in our
parliaments, what mountains of public documents in our bureaus, if but a
trivial change is made in the administration or the Government!

The prin