ur people are stable, patriotic, and law-abiding. 5
No political party can long pursue advantage
at the expense of public honor, or by rude and indecent
methods, without protest and fatal disaffection in its own
body. The peaceful agencies of commerce are more fully
revealing the necessary unity of all our communities, and 10
the increasing intercourse of our people is promoting mutual
respect. We shall find unalloyed pleasure in the revelation
which our census will make of the swift development of the
great resources of some of the states. Each state will
bring its generous contributions to the great aggregate of 15
the nation's increase. And when the harvests from the
fields, the cattle from the hills, and the ores from the earth,
shall have been weighed, counted, and valued, we will turn
from all to crown with the highest honor the state that has
most promoted education, virtue, justice, and patriotism 20
among its people.

1. When was Benjamin Harrison President? What did
he know about the party defeats he mentions? Was he
ever a defeated candidate?

2. What are the leading political parties of our
country at present? Are they essential to our form
of government? Support your answer by reasons.

3. Explain what Harrison meant by: "A party success
. . . achieved by unfair methods"; "the arbitrament
of the ballot"; "justice and mercy shall hold the
reins of power"; the last sentence.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

BY KATHARINE LEE BATES

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! 5
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress 10
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control, 15
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!