“You evidently believe,” said Watts, “in the saying, ’Everybody knows more than anybody?’”

Peter had forgotten all about his company in his interest over—­over the franchise.  So he started slightly at this question, and looked up from—­from his subject.

“Yes,” said Le Grand.  “We’ve been listening and longing to ask questions.  When we see such a fit of loquacity, we want to seize the opportunity.”

“No,” said Leonore, “I haven’t finished.  Tell me.  Can’t you make the men do what you want, so as to have them choose only the best men?”

“If I had the actual power I would not,” said Peter.

“Why?”

“Because I would not dare to become responsible for so much, and because a government of the ‘best’ men is not an American government.”

“Why not?”

“That is the aristocratic idea.  That the better element, so called, shall compel the masses to be good, whether they wish it or no.  Just as one makes a child behave without regard to its own desires.  With grown men, such a system only results in widening the distance between the classes and masses, making the latter more dependent and unthinking.  Whereas, if we make every man vote he must think a little for himself, because different people advise him contrarily, and thus we bring him nearer to the more educated.  He even educates himself by his own mistakes; for every bad man elected, and every bad law passed, make him suffer the results, and he can only blame himself.  Of course we don’t get as good a government or laws, but then we have other offsetting advantages.”

“What are those?”

“We get men and laws which are the wish of the majority.  Such are almost self-supporting and self-administering.  It is not a mere combination of words, printing-ink, and white paper which makes a law.  It is the popular sentiment back of it which enforces it, and unless a law is the wish of a majority of the people who are to be governed by it, it is either a dead letter, or must be enforced by elaborate police systems, supported oftentimes with great armies.  Even then it does not succeed, if the people choose to resist.  Look at the attempt to govern Ireland by force, in the face of popular sentiment.  Then, too, we get a stability almost unknown in governments which do not conform to the people.  This country has altered its system of government less than any other great country in the last hundred years.  And there is less socialistic legislation and propaganda here than anywhere else.  That is, less discontent.”

“But, Peter, if the American people are as sensible as you think, how do you account for the kind of men who exercise control?” said Le Grand.

“By better men not trying.”

“But we have reform movements all the time, led by good men.  Why aren’t these men elected?”