To show that government is a necessity to man, let us imagine a company of several hundred men, women, and children, who have left their former home on account of the tyranny of the government.  So harshly have they been treated, that they have ascribed all their misery to the thing called government, and they resolve that they will have none in their new home.  They discover an island in the ocean, which seems never to have been occupied, and which appears “a goodly land.”  Here they resolve to settle.

They help each other in building the houses; each takes from the forest the wood that he needs for fuel; they graze the cattle in a common meadow; they till a common field and all share in the harvest.  For a time all goes well.  But mutterings begin to be heard.  It is found that some are unwilling to do their share of the work.  It becomes manifest to the thoughtful that community of property must be given up and private ownership be introduced, or else that the common work must be regulated.  In the latter case, government is established by the very act of regulation; they are establishing justice.  If they resolve to adopt private ownership, industry will diversify, they will begin to spread out over the island, and public improvements will be needed, such as those specified above.  The conflict of interests will soon necessitate tribunals for the settlement of disputes.  And thus government would, in either case, inevitably be established.  A visit from savages inhabiting another island would show the utility of the organization for common defense.

Thus government seems a necessary consequence of man’s nature.

In this country we have the general government and state governments, the latter acting chiefly through local organizations.  For obvious reasons, the common defense is vested in the general government.  For reasons that will appear, most of the work of public improvement and establishing justice is entrusted to the state and local governments.

These we shall now proceed to study, beginning at home.

QUERIES.—­Would government be necessary if man were morally perfect?  Why is this organization of society called government?

PART I.

GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE STATE.

CHAPTER I.

THE TOWN:  WHY AND HOW ORGANIZED; OFFICERS; TOWN BUSINESS.

Necessity.—­Now instead of a company going to an island to found new homes, let us think of immigrants to a new part of a state.

Like the people on the island, they will need roads, bridges, and schools; and they will desire to preserve the local peace.  Hence they, too, will need to organize as a political body.

Size.—­Since these people are going to meet at stated periods to agree upon the amounts to be put into public improvements and to select officers to carry out their wishes, the territory covered by the organization should not be very large.  It should be of such a size that every one entitled to do so can reach the place of meeting, take part in the work thereof, and return home the same day, even if he has no team.