omething to look up to." But this state of mind, which
needs no comment, is comparatively rare, and represents an extreme. We
are not lacking, however, in the type of conservative who, innocent of a
knowledge of psychology, insists that "human nature cannot be changed,"
and that the "survival of the fittest" is the law of life, yet these
would deny Darwin if he were a contemporary. They reject the idea that
society can be organized by intelligence, and war ended by eliminating
its causes from the social order. On the contrary they cling to the
orthodox contention that war is a necessary and salutary thing, and
proclaim that the American fibre was growing weak and flabby from luxury
and peace, curiously ignoring the fact that their own economic class,
the small percentage of our population owning sixty per cent. of the
wealth of the country, and which therefore should be most debilitated by
luxury, was most eager for war, and since war has been declared has most
amply proved its courage and fighting quality. This, however, and other
evidences of the patriotic sacrifices of those of our countrymen who
possess wealth, prove that they are still Americans, and encourages the
hope and belief that as Americans they ultimately will do their share
toward a democratic solution of the problem of society. Many of them are
capable of vision, and are beginning to see the light today.

In America we succeeded in eliminating hereditary power, in obtaining a
large measure of political liberty, only to see the rise of an economic
power, and the consequent loss of economic liberty. The industrial
development of the United States was of course a necessary and desirable
thing, but the economic doctrine which formed the basis of American
institutions proved to be unsuited to industrialism, and introduced
unforeseen evils that were a serious menace to the Republic. An
individualistic economic philosophy worked admirably while there was
ample land for the pioneer, equality of opportunity to satisfy the
individual initiative of the enterprising. But what is known as
industrialism brought in its train fear and favour, privilege and
poverty, slums, disease, and municipal vice, fostered a too rapid
immigration, established in America a tenant system alien to our
traditions. The conditions which existed before the advent of
industrialism are admirably pictured, for instance, in the autobiography
of Mr. Charles Francis Adams, when he describes his na