that the government of
the Republic should have got so far out of the hands of the people;
should have been captured by interests which are special and not
general. In the train of this capture follow the troops of scandals,
wrongs, indecencies, with which our politics swarm.

There are cities in America of whose government we are ashamed. There
are cities everywhere, in every part of the land, in which we feel
that, not the interests of the public, but the interests of special
privileges of selfish men, are served; where contracts take precedence
over public interest. Not only in big cities is this the case. Have you
not noticed the growth of socialistic sentiment in the smaller towns?
Not many months ago I stopped at a little town in Nebraska while my
train lingered, and I met on the platform, a very engaging young
fellow, dressed in overalls, who introduced himself to me as the mayor
of the town, and added that he was a Socialist. I said, "What does that
mean? Does that mean that this town is socialistic?" "No, sir," he
said; "I have not deceived myself; the vote by which I was elected was
about 20 per cent. socialistic and 80 per cent, protest." It was
protest against the treachery to the people and those who led both the
other parties of that town.

All over the Union people are coming to feel that they have no control
over the course of affairs. I live in one of the greatest States in the
Union, which was at one time in slavery. Until two years ago we had
witnessed with increasing concern the growth in New Jersey of a spirit
of almost cynical despair. Men said, "We vote; we are offered the
platform we want; we elect the men who stand on that platform, and we
get absolutely nothing." So they began to ask, "What is the use of
voting? We know that the machines of both parties are subsidized by the
same persons, and therefore it is useless to turn in either direction."

It is not confined to some of the State governments and those of some
of the towns and cities. We know that something intervenes between the
people of the United States and the control of their own affairs at
Washington. It is not the people who have been ruling there of late.

Why are we in the presence, why are we at the threshold, of a
revolution? Because we are profoundly disturbed by the influences which
we see reigning in the determination of our public life and our public
policy. There was a time when America was blithe with self-confidence.