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CIVICS 
 
 FOR 
 
 Young Americans 
 
 OR 
 
 FIRST LESSONS IN GOVERNMENT. 
 
 REVISED AND ENLARGED. WITH AN APPENDIX CONTAINING EX- 
 
 PLANATIONS OF STATE. COUNTY, TOWN AND 
 
 CITY GOVERNMENT. 
 
 BY 
 
 WM. M. GIFFIN, A.M., Pd.D. 
 
 AND 
 
 HARRIS G. PRO VINES, Ph.B, 
 
 Fourth Edition, Revised. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 PARKER P. SIMMONS, 
 
 SUCCESSOR TO 
 
 A. LOVELL & CO. 
 
5K 
 
 Copyright, 1888, 1892, BT 
 WM. M. GIFFIN. 
 
 Copyright, 1904, by 
 VM. M. GIFFIN AND HARRIS G. PROVINES. 
 
 
to 
 
 his nephews lana nieces tnroug:nout the Unianb 
 this little book is respectfully 
 
 f3E0iCATE0 
 
 2703S2 
 
PEEFACE. 
 
 In preparing this book the author has had primarily 
 before him the fact that just such a book was wanted 
 to throw light upon a common subject not generally or 
 sufficiently treated in school courses of instruction. Be- 
 sides, there has been a paramount desire to present the 
 subject in a form so simple and entertaining that the 
 young reader may readily understand, and through this 
 understanding, be led to further thought. A basis of 
 interesting knowledge being established, further thought 
 cannot fail to inculcate a love of our co^mtry and its laws. 
 
 The subject of Civil Government involves much that 
 requires for its comprehension mature and extended 
 thought. In view of this fact the author has kept in 
 mind the capabilities of young intellects, and has endeav- 
 ored to treat that subject so simply, in both the choice 
 ,*f words and the arrangement of thought, as to insure its 
 easy comprehension by the youngest reader. Neverthe- 
 less, it is hoped that it will prove interesting to older 
 thinkers who may find time to read it. 
 
'i^.''-; o., " *■ X J . ,.-; :- ; ^ , - preface. 
 
 As an especial feature of this little book, the need 
 )f government and law is made apparent in a narra- 
 tive that is calculated to arrest attention and provoke 
 thought. Following this tale suggesting the need of gov- 
 ernment, the simple forms naturally arising in the framing 
 of laws are presented and developed in a manner which 
 will appeal naturally to a young reader's reason. 
 
 While no exhaustive or detailed explanation of for- 
 eign governments has been given, comparative condi- 
 tions have been stated and suggestive differences have 
 been noted, and the reasons for certain laws have been 
 told in a manner intended to show a relation between 
 cause and effect. 
 
 In the subsequent chapters, the Constitution of the 
 United States has been presented with sufficient explana- 
 tion, it is thought, to make the various clauses significant 
 in meaning to the reader. 
 
 In the Appendix will be found explanations of State, 
 County, City, Town and Township governments. Also, 
 chapters containing suggestive review questions, among 
 which are many facts not found in the text. 
 
 W. M. G. 
 
CON 
 
 NTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGB 
 
 I. A Story 9 
 
 II The Stoky Continued 1-i 
 
 III. Some Facts from History 18 
 
 IV. The Kinds of Government 22 
 
 V. The Articles of Confederation 29 
 
 YI. The Constitution 33 
 
 VII. The House of Representatives 36 
 
 VIII. The Senate 43 
 
 IX. What Congress pias Power to do 63 
 
 X. What Congress and the State cannot do 69 
 
 XI. The Executive Department 75 
 
 XII. The Judicial Department 91 
 
 XIII. Miscellaneous Provisions 97 
 
 XIV. The Amendments 104 
 
 XV. Political Parties • United States Capitals 112 
 
 XVI. Conclusion *. 118 
 
 XVII. Introduction to Appendix ,122 
 
 XVIII. Subdivisions .124 
 
 XIX. County 125 
 
 XX. Townships 127 
 
 XXI. Townships, Continued 131 
 
 XXI I . Township and County 133 
 
 XXIII. Towns and Cities 135 
 
 XXIV. State Government 136 
 
 XXV. County Officers 144 
 
 XXVI. Officers of the Township 147 
 
 XXVII. Officers of Town and City 149 
 
 XXVIII. Conclusion 153 
 
" One half of the dme which is now almost wholly wasted in dis- 
 trict schools, on English grammar attempted at too early an age, 
 would be sufficient to teach our children to love the Eepublic and 
 to become its loyal and life-long supporters." — James A. Garfield. 
 
CIVICS FOE YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 >>»?< 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A STORY. 
 
 We once read a story of a young man by the name of 
 Philip Brusque. It was written by Peter Parley. We 
 wish that every one of our young American friends could 
 read the story for himself. In this chapter we shall give 
 a brief outline of a part of it, which will be the next 
 best thing to the story itself. 
 
 Young Brusque was a Frenchman, who lived in France 
 about the year 1789, or at the time of the French Revolu- 
 tion. ■ If our young friends desire to have a very good 
 idea of this Revolution, they should read the "Tale of 
 Two Cities " by Charles Dickens. 
 
 At the time of the Revolution, France was a monarchy. 
 Those of our readers who have studied geography will 
 understand what kind of a government this is. 
 
 In 1789 the common people of France determined to 
 overthrow the government. Thousands of persons were 
 
jg-^o\...' .*.- fciVlCS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 executed by them. One of the most active of the people 
 was young Brusque, who, with many others, thought that 
 if the government could only be overthrown, he would be 
 very happy. He thought that then he could do as he liked, 
 without being restrained by any law, except the moral 
 sense of man. He thought that laws were unfair, and 
 that no man should be subject to them. -In fact, Philip 
 took such an active part that he soon found it unsafe for 
 him to stay in Paris, and hence, with many others, he set 
 sail for a foreign land. But alas ! when but a few days 
 out, a great storm arose and all on board were drowned, 
 save Philip, who was washed ashore on a lone island, and 
 what seemed to please him most of all was, that the 
 island was without a single human inhabitant except 
 himself. 
 
 Peter Parley says, that when Philip found himself 
 alone on the island, he was delighted, and exclaimed: 
 " Now I shall be happy. Here I can enjoy perfect lib- 
 erty. Here is no prison»like the Bastile ; here is no king 
 to make slaves of his fellow-men ; here is no Robes- 
 pierre to plot the murder of his fellow-citizens. Lib- 
 erty, how have I worshipped thee! and here on this 
 lone island I have found thee. Here I can labor or rest, 
 eat or drink, wake or sleep, as I please. Here is no one 
 to control my actions or my thoughts. In my native 
 country all the land belongs to a few persons ; but here I 
 can take as much land as I please. I can freely pick the 
 
A STORY. 11 
 
 fruit from the trees, according to my choice or my wants 
 How different is my situation from what it was in France ! 
 There, everything belongs to somebody, and I was re- 
 strained from taking anything, unless I paid for it. Here, 
 all is free, all is mine. Here, I can enjoy perfect liberty. 
 In France, I was under the check and control of a thou- 
 sand laws ; here, there is no law but my own will. Here, 
 I haye indeed found perfect freedom." 
 
 Philip, you see, was quite happy. Thus he continued f oi 
 about a year, when he began to feel very lonely. How he 
 longed to see a human being once more ! Each day found 
 him on the top of a high hill looking wishfully out at sea 
 for a sail. " One day while he was thus watching," says 
 Peter Parley, " he began to talk as follows : ^ Liberty is, 
 indeed, a dear and beautiful thing ; but still I want some- 
 thing beside liberty. I want to hear a human voice. 1 
 want to look into a human face. I want some one to 
 speak to. I feel as if my very heart would wither for the 
 want of a friend. I feel a thirst within, and I have no 
 means of satisfying it. I feel within a voice speaking, 
 and there is no answer. This beautiful island is becoming 
 a desert to me, without even an echo. dear France ! 
 dear, dear home ! How gladly would I give up this 
 hollow and useless liberty for the pleasure of friendship 
 and society ! I would be willing to be restrained by the 
 thousand meshes of the law, if I might once more enjoy 
 the pleasure of living in the midst of my fellow-men.' " 
 
12 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 Ah, my young friends, what a change had come ovei 
 Philip in one short year ! Short to us, but alas! how long, 
 how very long, it had been to him. One day, on going to 
 the top of the hill, Philip thought he saw something mov- 
 ing. It was about a mile from where he was standing, 
 and looking sharply, he found that it was a human being. 
 0, how his heart jumped for joy ! He set off like a wild 
 deer toward the stranger. When near enough, he saw it 
 was a man. He ran right up to him with open arms. 
 The man's name was Jacques Piquet. He was a fisherman 
 from Mauritius. He had been out fishing, and the wind 
 had blown him so far out to sea, that he could not get 
 back to land. When he was about to give up all hopes, 
 his small boat was dashed to pieces, and Jacques, being a 
 good swimmer, saved his life by swimming to the island, 
 which happened to be the one on which Philip was living. 
 How happy Philip was ! He put his arms around the 
 fisherman and kissed him again and again. He took the 
 stranger and led him to his cave. Next he gathered some 
 fresh pineapples and other fruit, and when he saw the 
 fisherman eating them he clapped his hands in joy. 
 Philip also ran to get Jacques some fresh water to drink. 
 This was all very strange for Philip to do, as he was a 
 proud fellow, and had he been compelled to serve the 
 fisherman he would have hated and resisted the work^ 
 but because he was doing it of his own free will and 
 accord he found pleasure in it. Philip continued to wait 
 
A STORY. 13 
 
 on the fisherman for some little time. At last, however, 
 there came a new order of things, and the fisherman began 
 to order Philip to do this and that for him. This made 
 Brusque very angry, and he told the fisherman he might 
 wait on himself. 
 
 This, in turn, made Jacques angry, and soon from words 
 they came to blows. Brusque, being the stronger of the 
 two, dealt Jacques a blow on the head which felled him to 
 the ground, where he lay without motion, seeming actu- 
 ally to be dead. 
 
CHAPTER n. 
 
 THE STORY CONTINUED. 
 
 No sooner did Philip see the condition of the fisherman, 
 than he thought to himself : " What a strange creature I 
 am ! A few weeks since I was mad with joy at the arri- 
 val of this man ; soon he became the tyrant of my life. I 
 then wished him dead. I forgot that he had rights as 
 well as myself. In taking his life I did a great wrong to 
 justice, to liberty, and to myself." 
 
 While Brusque was thinking these thoughts, the fisher- 
 man moved and showed signs of returning life. Philip 
 was again full of joy, and, fetching some water, sprinkled 
 it over the man's face. He soon recovered, and Philip 
 led him to the cave, where, lying down, he went to 
 sleep. Again Philip fell to thinking. 
 
 "Jacques is alive again, and I am relieved of a load. 
 When I was alone I was perfectly free, but I soon found 
 that freedom without society was a sad condition of 
 things. I therefore yearned for society, and I had it. 
 But it soon became a torment to me. What, then, is the 
 difficulty ? I believe it is the want of some rules, by 
 which we may regulate our conduct. Though there are 
 
THE STORY CONTINUED. 15 
 
 but two of US, still we find it necessary to enter into a 
 compact. We must form a government ; we must submit 
 to laws, rules, and regulations. We must each submit to 
 the abridgment of some portion of our liberty — some po^ 
 tion of our privileges — in order to secure the rest." 
 
 Philip now returned to t>e cave, where he found the 
 fisherman much better. Philip spoke to him of the neces- 
 sity of laying down certain rule^^, by which the essential 
 rights of each should be preserved c'.nd a state of harmony 
 insured. To this Janques agreed, a\id the following code 
 of laws being drawn up by Philip, they were passed unan- 
 imously : — 
 
 " Be it ordained by Philip Brusque, late of France, and 
 Jacques Piquet, of Mauritius, to insure harmony, establish 
 justice, and promote the good of all parties : — 
 
 " 1. This island shall be called Fredonia. 
 
 " 2. Liberty being a great good in iiriclf , and the right 
 of every human being, it shall only be abridged so far as 
 the good of society may require. But as all laws restrain 
 liberty, we, the people of Fredonia, submit to the follow- 
 ing:— 
 
 " 3. The cave, called the Castaway's Home, lately 
 occupied by Philip Brusque, shall be alternately occupied 
 for a day and night by said Philip Brusque and Jacques 
 Piquet, tlie former beginning this day, and the latter 
 taking it the next day, and so forth. 
 
16 CIVICS FO^ YOUN^G AMERICANS. 
 
 ^^ 4. Each person shall have a right to build himself 
 a house, and sliall have exclusive possession of the same. 
 
 "5. If two persons wish the same fruit at the same 
 tinie, they shall draw lots for the first choice, it they can- 
 not agree otherwise as to the division. 
 
 ^^6. If any di:fference arises between the two parties, 
 Philip Brusque and Jacques Piquet, they shall decide such 
 questions by lot. 
 
 "7. This code of laws shall be changed, or modified, 
 or added to, only by the consent of the parties, Philip 
 Brusque and Jacques Piquet. 
 
 "All which is done this 27th day of June, a.d. 18 — ." 
 
 This was neatly cut with a penknife on a board which 
 had come ashore from the wreck of Philip's vessel, and it 
 became the statute law of the island of Fredonia. 
 
 From this story of Philip w^ learn that absolute liberty 
 cannot be enjoyed except by an individual in solitude, 
 where he has no intercourse with his fellow-men. From 
 it we also learn that even supposing there are but two 
 persons living together, some rules, or laws, by which 
 they may regulate their conduct, become necessary. 
 The truth is, my young friends, people cannot live 
 together in society without government. As shown to us 
 in this story by Peter Parley, even two persons on an 
 island find that, to prevent quarrelling, they must define 
 their mutual rights and privileges ; or, in short, they must 
 
 I 
 
THE STORY CONTINUED. 17 
 
 enact laios. and, as a matter of course, these laws are 
 restraints upon natural or absolute liberty. 
 
 Tims it is that we are to-day living in a country gov- 
 erned by laws. And the best of all is, that our laws, like 
 those of Philip and the fisherman, are our own ; that is, 
 they are made by us, and the purpose of this little book 
 is to show you why in this respect, our country is one of 
 the grandest, if not the very best, in the world. 
 
 Many years ago our forefathers lived in a country very 
 much like the one from which Philip came. It differed 
 in some things. We shall have more to say of this, how- 
 ever, in another chapter. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 SOME FACTS FROM HISTORY. 
 
 You have read the history of our country from its dis- 
 covery by Columbus to the present time. Is it not sur- 
 prising how much the lives of our forefathers resembled 
 that of Philip Brusque ? They lived in England, under 
 rulers who were haughty and arbitrary men, just as 
 Philip had in France. 
 
 They also, like Philip, longed for liberty and a better 
 home; though, unlike Philip, they were true to their 
 "country, and instead of trying to overthrow the govern- 
 ment, they simply asked to be allowed to go from it and 
 live by themselves. This they did, and, as you know, 
 they came to the New World. How they suffered ! • 
 
 You remember the Starving Time in Virginia, the In- 
 dian War, and Bacon's Rebellion. You remember King 
 Philip's War in Massachusetts, and Clayborn's Rebellion 
 in Maryland. 
 
 You remember the Pequod War in Connecticut, the 
 trouble with the Spaniards in Georgia, and the wars of 
 King William, Queen Anne, and King George ; and finally, 
 the greatest of them all, the French and Indian War. 
 
SOME FACTS FROM HISTORY. 19 
 
 When the French and Indian War began, none were as 
 ready to help the English king as those who were living 
 in the New World, many of whom had left England be- 
 cause they had been so badly treated there. All through 
 the nine long years of the war they fought bravely and 
 well. At the close of the war, although " England reaped 
 all the glory, and the colonies had borne the brunt of the 
 conflict, none were more ready and willing than they to 
 help pay the debts which the war had contracted." 
 
 How were the colonies repaid for all this loyalty? 
 You remember that before the French and Indian War 
 some of the colonies had been assailed in their personal 
 liberty and political rights. Dishonest governors had 
 been sent over here by the king and had plundered them, 
 while tyrannical governors had, time after time, grossly 
 abused and oppressed them. 
 
 All this might have been forgotten after the French 
 and Indian War, had it not been for the money-loving 
 king, who acted as if the colonies existed only for the pur- 
 pose of helping him and the people in England to make 
 money. When, however, the king saw how nicely the 
 colonies were prospering, he, instead of giving them a 
 helping hand, did everything he could to injure them. 
 
 You remember the Navigation Act, the Acts of 
 Trade, the Restricting Laws, the Writs of Assistance, 
 the Stamp Act, the Mutiny Act, the Boston Massacre, and 
 
20 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 the Tax on Tea. These alone were enough to make tho 
 colonies feel anything but friendly toward England. 
 
 But King George III. was guilty of many more un- 
 just acts. For example, he would not allow a man to 
 cut down a tree on his own land without first asking 
 permission. He would appoint a man a judge, and then, 
 if he did not decide all cases in favor of the king, the 
 king would not pay him his salary. He appointed a 
 multitude of officers who were not at all necessary, and 
 then obliged the colonies to pay them large salaries. He 
 kept a large number of soldiers here in times of peace 
 when there was no good reason for it. The soldiers had 
 to be paid by the colonies. These soldiers oftentimes 
 were guilty of murders for which they went unpunished. 
 Innocent men were arrested for pretended offences, be- 
 cause they stood in the king's way, and he wanted to 
 take them to England to be tried for the alleged ofences. 
 The king, in fact, " plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, 
 burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our peo- 
 ple." 
 
 This was a very bad return for what the colonies had 
 done for him. And, notwithstanding it all, the colonies 
 were still loyal to him. They in fact, petitioned for re- 
 dress in the most humble terms. The petitions were 
 answered only by repeated injury. 
 
 There was only one thing left to do, which was to 
 
SOME FACTS FROM HISTORY. 21 
 
 declare themselves free and independent of England and 
 her king, and this was done on the fourth day of July, 
 one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six ; but not till 
 seven years after this did England acknowledge the inde- 
 pendence of the colouiea 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE KINDS OF GOVERNMENT. * 
 
 As soon as our forefathers had declared themselves 
 independent of Great Britain, they knew they must form 
 a government ; for, being wise men, they knew they could 
 not long exist without a government of some kind. At 
 that time, as well as at the present, there were three 
 distinct kinds of government. These were monarchies, 
 aristocracies, and republics. 
 
 Let us now learn something of these different kinds 
 of governments, that we may have a better idea of them. 
 We are sure all of our readers will be glad they live in 
 the United States when they know more of its govern- 
 ment and the governments of some other countries of 
 which we shall learn. 
 
 A Monarchy is a government by a single person. 
 This person has different titles in different countries. If 
 the country is an empire, the ruler is called an Emperor, 
 Czar, or Sultan. If it is a kingdom, he or she is called 
 a King or Queen. If it is a principality, he is called a 
 Prince. If it is a duchy, he is called a Duke. 
 
THE KINDS OF GOVERNMENT. 23 
 
 There are two kinds of monarchies. They are abso- 
 lute and limited. 
 
 An Absolute Monarchy is one in which all the power 
 is in the hands of one man. This is very good if that 
 man is one to be trusted. But if he is not a good man, 
 and hence cannot be trusted, then it is terrible. 
 
 When reading history, we learn of many different 
 absolute monarchies. One, for instance, is Russia, which 
 is one of the most powerful monarchies in the world. 
 One of the Russian emperors, or Czars, was named Ivan 
 IV., who was the Czar of Russia for about fifty years. 
 You will learn what kind of a man Ivan was from the 
 following : — 
 
 A number of noblemen were one day talking, when 
 one of them said : " The grand prince " (meaning Ivan) 
 " decides all questions alone, shut up in his chamber." 
 Ivan, hearing he had said this, ordered that he be taken to 
 prison, there to have his head cut off. Ivan had a very 
 quick temper, and all of his subjects approached him in 
 fear. One day he became angry at one of his courtiers, 
 and without any pity, he ordered that the courtier be torn 
 to death by savage dogs. But then he could do as he liked, 
 for he was an absolute monarch, and hence went unpun- 
 ished for his acts. Nor did he stop here. In fact, he did 
 so many terrible deeds that he was called Ivan the Terri- 
 ble. He one time went to a city where there were many 
 people who disliked his cruel ways, and who were not 
 
24 CIVICS FOR YOUNtr AMERICANS. 
 
 afraid to say so, and had sixty thousand men, besides 
 many women and children, killed. 
 
 Just think, my young friends, of being obliged to live 
 in a country that had a form of government which al- 
 lowed such a wretch to be its ruler. 
 
 When reading history we also learn of good monarchs 
 who tried to do what was right ; still they were all apt 
 to look out for themselves rather than for others, which 
 does not agree with Sir Walter Scott's idea of a true man, 
 for he says, " The man whom I call deserving the name 
 is one whose thoughts and exertions are for others rather 
 than himself." Another well-known writer has said : 
 " The absolute monarch is generally a tyrant. Men are 
 too imperfect to be trusted with absolute power." . 
 
 A Limited Monarchy is one in which the power of 
 the monarch is limited by the constitution and the laws 
 of the country, which say that the ruler must share his 
 power with a class of nobles, or a body of men who are 
 elected for that purpose. 
 
 One of the most powerful limited monarchies is Eng- 
 land. England at one time was an absolute monarchy, 
 and we can form something of an idea of its early kings 
 when we read of one of them, who was known as King 
 John, who, it is said, threw into prison a wealthy Jew 
 because he refused to give the king an enormous sum of 
 money. While the Jew was in prison, the king ordered 
 one of his teeth pulled out each day, until he paid 
 
THE KINDS OF GOVERNMENT. 25 
 
 the required amount of money. King John's treat- 
 ment of the poor old Jew, however, was one of the least 
 of his wicked acts. When John became king, there was 
 another who had the best claim to the throne. This was 
 John's pretty little nephew, Arthur ; but John seized the 
 treasure, and the little prince was locked up in a large 
 castle. While the prince was here, the king sent two 
 ruffians to burn the little fellow's eyes out with red-hot 
 irons. The warden of the castle, Hubert de Bourg, to his 
 praise be it remembered, sent the savages away. This 
 made the king very angry, and after this he sent another 
 ruffian to kill the poor little prince. Hubert sent back 
 word to the king that he would do it for him. John 
 knew he would not do so, and had Arthur taken to an- 
 other castle. One dark night the little prince was aroused 
 from his sleep and told to follow his jailer down stairs. 
 When at the foot of the stairs, he was drawn into a boat, 
 where he saw his uncle. King John, and another man. 
 The little fellow knelt to them and begged them not to 
 murder him. To this they paid no attention, but stabbed 
 him, and sunk his body in the river with heavy stones. 
 
 England still has a ruler ; but there are also two bodies 
 of men, or two houses, as they are called, with which he 
 shares his power. Tliese houses are called the House of 
 Lords and the House of Commons. 
 
 Long after England claimed to have a limited mon- 
 archy, however, the kings had, or at least assumed, great 
 
26 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 power. We read that during the reign of King Henry 
 VIII. (Bluff King Hal) many people were executed be- 
 cause they would not bow to the king's will. It was 
 during his reign that an old man, Wolsey by name, who 
 had been a lifelong friend of Henry VIII., received a 
 death sentence because he would not do a dishonest act 
 for the king. It is said his last words were to one Crom- 
 well, and were as follows : " Had I but served God as 
 diligently as I have served the king, he vv^ould not have 
 given me over in my gray hairs. Howbeit, this is my 
 just reward for my pains and diligence, not regarding my 
 service to God, but only my duty to my prince." He was 
 not executed, as he died broken-hearted on his way to 
 prison. Do you not think Wolsey was treated by Henry 
 VIII. very much as our forefathers were treated by George 
 III. ? Henry VIII. had six wives. One of them he be- 
 came tired of, and, on some slight excuse, he had her 
 executed, and the very next day he married another 
 woman. Hence you see that the king of this limited 
 monarchy was not much, if any, better than Ivan, the 
 absolute monarch. 
 
 After Henry VIII. came Edward VI., and after him 
 came Queen Mary. Mary tried to change many of the 
 Iws which King Henry VIII. had made, and in trying 
 to force them upon the people she had three hundred 
 persons burned to death, because they did not like her 
 pew laws. 
 
THE KINDS OF GOVERNMENT. 27 
 
 After Mary came Elizabeth. During the reign of 
 '' Good Queen Bess," as she was .sometimes called, Eng- 
 land improved very much, for Elizabeth was a queen of 
 great power and merit. She re-organized a church, and 
 said there must be no other kind ; and if any one was 
 found attending any other church, he was executed. So 
 you see, though she was called a good queen, she had 
 some very bad faults. If you would like to learn more 
 of the kings and queens of England, read Charles 
 Dickens' " Child's History of England." Some of them 
 have been noble men and Avomen, one of the best being 
 Queen Victoria, who was much beloved at home and 
 abroad. 
 
 An Aristocracy is a government in which the power 
 is placed in the hands of the nobles or aristocrats. All 
 historians agree that an aristocracy is the poorest form of 
 government a country can have. 
 
 A Republic is that form of government in which the 
 supreme power is vested in the people, or delegated to 
 representatives elected by the people. 
 
 A republic binds men together by strong ties of 
 fellowship, as in a bond of affection and i)rotherly love. 
 It is the grandest of all forms of government. 
 
 Some three hundred years ago the colony of Plymouth 
 was a republic, and at that time the people all met to 
 make the laws. There were so few people then that they 
 could do this. Now, however, there is no building, nor 
 
28 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 city for that matter, which is large enough to hold all the 
 people ; so the people send men to act for them, who are 
 called representatives, because they represent the people. 
 These representatives, as you know, meet in the city of 
 Washington to make the laws. We will learn more of 
 them. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATIOlf. 
 
 On the same day (June 11, 1776) that the committee 
 was appointed to prepare the Declaration of Independence, 
 there was another committee appointed to prepare some 
 rules or laws for the colonies which were about to become 
 independent. This committee met and drew up a set of 
 laws which they called "Articles of Confederation and 
 Perpetual Union between the States,'' meaning the thir- 
 teen original states of our country of which you have 
 learned in your histories. 
 
 During the Revolution the Articles answered very well, 
 as the attention of all the states was directed toward the 
 defeat of the English soldiers. At the close of the war, 
 however, it was found that the country had no real gov- 
 ernment. As a well-known writer has said, " There were 
 thirteen separate and independent states, each free to do 
 as it pleased. Each state claimed for itself the right to 
 coin money, lay duties on foreign goods, to levy taxes, 
 and to raise and equip its own army. There was a loose 
 kind of union between them, which did not amount to a 
 good general government, because it had few of the 
 
30 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. , 
 
 powers belonging to a government. Congress could not 
 enforce tax laws, nor coin money, nor do anything except 
 advise the states ; and the states could take the advice 
 or neglect it, just as they pleased. 
 
 " The weak states were afraid of the strong ones, and 
 the strong ones were jealous of each other. Each state 
 made laws for itself, and these laws sometimes stood in 
 the way of trade between different parts of the country. 
 The states were in a fair way to quarrel among them- 
 selves, and even to get into' wars with one another, which 
 would have been worse for them than any foreign war 
 could have been." ^ In fact, the states were very much in 
 the same condition as the seven sons of an old gentleman, 
 who were always quarrelling. They left their studies 
 and work to quarrel among themselves. Some bad men 
 were looking forward to the death of the old gentleman, 
 who was very wealthy, to cheat the sons out of their 
 property by making them quarrel about it. The good old 
 man one day called his sons around him. He laid before 
 them seven sticks which were bound together. He said, 
 *• 1 will pay one hundred dollars to the one who can break 
 this bundle." Each one strained every nerve to break 
 it. After a long but vain trial they all said that it could 
 not be done. " And yet, my boys," said the father, 
 " nothing is easier to do." He then untied the bundle 
 and broke the sticks, one by one, with perfect ease. 
 * Barnes* Primary History. 
 
x'HE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION. 31 
 
 " Oh ! " said his sons, " it is easy enough to do it so; any- 
 body could do it in that way." 
 
 Their father replied : " As it is with these sticks, so it 
 is with you, my sons. So long as you hold fast together 
 and aid each" other, you will prosper, and none can injure 
 you. But if the bond of union be broken, it will happen 
 to you just as it has to these sticks which lie here broken 
 on the ground." 
 
 Our forefathers, like the good old man in the story, 
 saw that only in union could there be strength. The war 
 had left a very large public debt to be paid, and there 
 was no money with which to pay it. The trade of the 
 country was broken up, and the people were very poor. 
 Congress, as the head of the government was called, might 
 make treaties with foreign nations, but it could not com- 
 pel the states to abide by them ; and, of course, foreign 
 countries would not make treaties under such circum- 
 stances. 
 
 At this time Washington wrote, " The Confederation 
 seems to me to be little more than a shadow without the 
 substance." At another time he said, " It is a subject 
 of regret that so much blood and treasure have been lav- 
 ished for no purpose ; that so many sufferings have been 
 encountered without compensation ; and that so many 
 sacrifices have been made in vain." 
 
 Many other prominent men were active in preparing 
 the pnblic mind for a change ; among the most active 
 
32 CIYICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 were James Madison, who was called " the father of the 
 Constitution/' and Alexander Hamilton. Finally their 
 labor was rewarded, and the public was ready for a 
 change. A convention was called, and the following 
 gentlemen, Messrs. Randolph, Madison, Jones, Tucker, 
 and Lewis, were appointed commissioners to meet other 
 commissioners for the purpose of forming a new govern- 
 ment. This meeting was the means of our having our 
 present form of government, and it was by these com- 
 missioners and the others who met with them that our 
 present Constitution was written ; a Constitution about 
 which James Wilson, who was one of the signers of the 
 Declaration of Independence, wrote the following : " Re- 
 garding it in every point of view with a candid and 
 disinterested mind, I am bold to assert that it is the Best 
 Form of Government which has ever been offered 
 TO THE World." 
 
 Are you not proud, my young American friends, that 
 it is your country and your government about which such 
 good things can be written ? We hope to show you, in 
 the remaining chapters, how true Mr. Wilson's words are'. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 A Constitution is the highest law of a country. It is 
 that which tells the form of the government, and also 
 tells just what power each part of the government has. 
 Hence it is important that every American should have 
 a knowledge of our Constitution. 
 
 The people who made our Constitution began it as 
 follows : — 
 
 " We, the people of the United States, in order to form a 
 more periecfc union, establish justice, insure domestic 
 tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote 
 the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty 
 to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish 
 this Constitution for the United States of America." 
 
 This is called the Preamble to the Constitution, because 
 It introduces or begins it, and tells its object. You will 
 notice that this preamble is something like that written 
 by Philip Brusque for himself and the fisherman. 
 
 Our forefathers, at the suggestion of Thomas Jefferson, 
 
84 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 very wisely divided the government into three depart* 
 ments, called the Legislative, the Executive, and the 
 Judicial. We shall hereafter see why it was best so to 
 divide it. 
 
 The Legislative is the department that makes the 
 laws, and is called Congress. 
 
 In the city of Washington, which is the capital of the 
 United States, there is a very beautiful building, called 
 the capitol, in which Congress holds its meetings. 
 
 Congress is composed of two bodies of men, called 
 houses. One of these houses is called the Senate, and the 
 other is called the House of Representatives. 
 
 The Judicial department interprets or tells the mean 
 ing of the laws, and then applies them. 
 
 In an absolute monarchy the same person makes the 
 laws, and also interprets them, or tells their meaning. If, 
 then, the monarch makes a law, and afterwards has it 
 brought before him in a way which he did not expect, he 
 can say, " Oh, it does not mean that, but means thus and 
 so." 
 
 You can understand this better, perhaps, if I tell you 
 a story. An Irishman once opened a barber shop, and 
 hung up a sign which read : " What do you think, Paddy 
 Magee will shave you for nothing and give you a drink.'* 
 When Paddy had any customer he would tell him that 
 the sign m^ant as follows : '' W-h-a-t ! do you think 
 Paddy Magee will shave you for nothing and give you a 
 
THE CONSTITUTION. 36 
 
 drink ? " When read this way there was no doubt that 
 Pad^y expected full pay for his work. 
 
 Paddy's sign was like many of the laws made by an 
 absolute monarch. It could be changed to suit the occa- 
 sion. But when one department makes the laws, and 
 another department interprets them, everything must be 
 so plain as to have but one meaning. Hence you see 
 what a good thing it is to have the two departments. The 
 legislative department has to make the laws so plain that 
 not only its members will know what they mean, but also 
 that there will be no doubt in the minds of the members 
 of the judicial department as to their mqaning. Therefore 
 all laws have to be made with great care. 
 
 The Executive is the department that executes the 
 laws. The President of the United States is the executive. 
 We will learn more of his powers in another chapter* 
 
' CHAPTER Vn. 
 
 THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 
 
 The Constitution says,— . 
 
 ''The House of Representatives shall be composed of 
 members chosen every second year by the people of 
 the several states." 
 
 At the time the Constitution was written there were 
 some of the members of the committee who wanted the 
 representatives elected for five years. There were others 
 who thought one year should be the time. All were 
 anxious to do what was right ; so, like sensible men, each 
 gave up a little to the other and, therefore, to please both 
 sides, it was fixed at two years. 
 
 It was wise to make it two years, for now a represen- 
 tative is not elected for so long a time as to make him 
 careless and too independent, nor is he apt to abuse his 
 power. If, at the end of two years, he has shown by his 
 actions that he is not fit to represent the people, some one 
 else can be elected to take his place. While, if he has 
 been just the right man in the right place, the people can 
 
•raS TTOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 87 
 
 m^lect him for another term. You see a man has this 
 re-election to look forward to, and, knowing that as a rule 
 the men who work the hardest for the country's good are 
 the ones preferred for re-election, he will try to do his 
 very best for the good of the country. 
 
 In England they have what is called the House of 
 Commons, which many people think is like our House of 
 Representatives. President Lincoln is said to have asked 
 the following question of some gentlemen : " Gentlemen, 
 if we were to call a sheep's tail a leg, how many legs 
 would the sheep then have ? " " Why," said they, " five 
 legs, of course." '-'Not so, gentlemen," answered Mr. 
 Lincoln. "Why noH" asked they. "Because, gentle- 
 men, calling a sheep's tail a leg doe3 not make it one'' 
 
 And so, calling the House of Commons like our House 
 of Representatives does not make it so. We will notice 
 some things in which they differ. The members of the 
 English House are elected for seven years, but they seldom 
 serve that length of time, as you will learn in another 
 chapter. 
 
 There is no doubt, however, but that the House of 
 Commons is a much more able body of men than the 
 House of Lords, which goes to prove that the people can 
 be trusted to select their law makers, if they are but given 
 the opportunity to do so. This fact strengthens our faith 
 in our own form of government, where all the law makers 
 
38 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 and oth^r officers of the government are elected by the 
 people or their representatives. 
 
 How indepc ndent the House, where every member 
 
 can do as he thinks best, and, knowing that good laws 
 will always please the best and largest number of men, 
 he, as a rule, tries to do what is best for the country. 
 The Constitution also says, — - 
 
 '* No person shall be a representative who shall not have 
 attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been seven 
 years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, 
 when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which 
 he shall be chosen." 
 
 Our forefathers very wisely thought that a man should 
 be at least twenty-five years old before he could be elected 
 to so important a trust. By the time a man is twenty- 
 five years old he has formed his character and is old 
 enough to have good judgment. 
 
 In the House of Commons, however, many of the 
 members are only twenty-one years old, — mere boys, — to 
 make the laws for one of the largest countries in the 
 world. 
 
 It was a good idea to have it understood that a man 
 when elected a representative must be an inhabitant of 
 that state in which he shall be chosen. Who knows the 
 wants of New Jersey as well as a man who lives in New 
 
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 39 
 
 Jersey? No one. And that is the reason the Constitu- 
 tion says a representative must be a citizen of the state in 
 which he is chosen. 
 
 In England, a member of the House of Commons may 
 be chosen from any part of Great Britain. That is, a 
 man living in Edinburgh, Scotland, may be chosen to rep- 
 resent Cambridge, England. Or a man of Oxford, Eng- 
 land, may represent Dublin, Ireland. It is not reasona- 
 ble to suppose that a man of Oxford can represent Dublin 
 as well as a man right from Dublin. 
 
 Sometiir\es it is said that by choosing a man from any 
 part of the country, bette;* and more able men will be 
 chosen. This is not a good argument, for the reason that 
 there never was, nor is it likely there ever will be, a state 
 having people enough in it to make a state, that will 
 not have more than enough men able in every way to 
 represent it. Our forefathers had the good sense to see 
 this truth. 
 
 Some of the citizens of our country are what are called 
 naturalized citizens. You know what an adopted child 
 is. Well, a man who is a naturalized citizen is an adopted 
 citizen, only it is the country that adopts him. Before he 
 is adopted he has to promise that he will become a citizen 
 of our country, fight for our laws in time of war, and 
 do all other acts that a person born a citizen is required 
 to do*. When he has signed papers promising all this, he 
 is made a citizen, entitled to all the rights and privileges 
 
40 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 of those who are born citizens, except he cannot ever be 
 elected either President or Vice-President of the country ; 
 and must have seven years' residence after naturalization to 
 be a Representative, and nine years to be a Senator; pro- 
 viding first, however, that before applying to be natural- 
 ized he has lived in the country not less than five years. 
 The law also provides that a declaration of intention to 
 become a citizen must be made at least two years before 
 naturalization ; except in the case of those who have been 
 honorably discharged from one year's service in the army 
 or navy of the United States. These need no declaration 
 of intention and need not prove more than one year's 
 residence. 
 
 In most countries they will not allow naturalized citi- 
 zens to hold office so as to take part in the affairs of the 
 government. Americans, however, are too liberal-minded 
 to say that no one but American-born citizens shall hold 
 office. Any thinking man (and they are the ones to be 
 elected to an office) cannot live in a country twelve years 
 and not know about its laws and its form of government. 
 
 Another clause of the Constitution reads as follows : — 
 
 " When vacancies happen in the representation from any 
 state, the executive authority thereof shall issue writs 
 of election to fill such vacancies." 
 
 This means that if a member of the House dies, or for 
 any other reason his seat becomes vacant, the governor of 
 
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 41 
 
 the state which he represents, calls an election for the 
 purpose of filling his place. This, our forefathers thought 
 the best thing to do, because the executive of a state, as 
 the governor is called, will feel interested in having the 
 state fully represented, and, therefore, will be verj prompt 
 to call an election. The Constitution also provides that 
 each state shall have at least one representative, and can- 
 not have more than one for every thirty thousand people. 
 A.S our country increases in population, the ratio of repre- 
 sentation changes. 
 
 The Constitution provides that, — ' 
 
 " The House of Representatives shall choose their speaker 
 and other officers, and shall have the sole power of 
 impeachment." 
 
 The speaker is the one who presides over the House. 
 You will understand what this means when we tell you 
 he is like the president of a literary society. This makes 
 the House independent. When the House of Commons 
 elects a speaker, he cannot act until he has been approved 
 of by the king. In this, you see, the House of Commons 
 is not independent, but is really dependent upon the 
 king's will. 
 
 Many people do not understand what is meant by 
 impeaching an officer. It is simply to charge him with 
 crime or with misbehavior in office. It is very much the 
 same as an indictment by a grand jury. One man thinks 
 
42 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 another man guilty of violating the law. He appears 
 before the grand jury. The grand jury hear his charge ; 
 and if they think the man is guilty, they indict him, as it 
 is called. Then the man has a right to a fair trial before 
 another jury, called the petit jury. So, when an officer 
 is impeached by the House, he has a trial before anothej 
 body, as we shall learn as we advance. 
 
 In England, the House of Commons has the power of 
 impeachment,, and the House of Lords tries the one im- 
 peached. Notwithstanding this you will learn wherein 
 our laws are be^tter than those of England. 
 
CHAPTER VIIL 
 
 THE SENATE. 
 
 The Constitution says, — 
 
 " The Senate of the United States shall be composed of 
 two senators from each state, chosen by the legisla- 
 tures thereof for six years, and each senator shall have 
 one vote.'* 
 
 The legislators of a state are the men who are chosen 
 by the people to make the state laws, for each state has 
 .ts own home government, besides sharing in the benefits 
 of the central or United States government, of which we 
 are talking : just as each class in a school has its own 
 rules which its members obey, besides obeying the rules 
 made by the board of education and the principal of the 
 school. 
 
 For many reasons our forefathers were very desirous 
 that the best men in our land should be elected to our 
 Senate. There is no reason why they should not be. In 
 the first place, the people do, or should, choose good mftxi 
 for their state legislature ; and these men, who come from 
 
44 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICAISS. 
 
 all parts of the state, have the choosing of the United 
 States senator. 
 
 There are two senators from every state, whether large 
 or small; thus Rhode Island has as many votes in the 
 Senate as New York, which has nearly twenty times as 
 many people. This was thought no more than right, 
 because the large states have so much more voice in the 
 House of Representatives than the small states. 
 
 Another excellent plan was adopted, as you will see. 
 The senators are elected for six years. Now, if at the end 
 of six years all the senators were new men, who had never 
 had any experience in law-making, what sad work they 
 would make of it ! No one would know how to begin. 
 Thanks to the wisdom of those who made our Constitu- 
 tion, this cannot be, for the following reason. 
 
 When the first senators were elected, they met in the 
 capital of our country, and were divided into three classes. 
 When the Constitution went into effect, there were but 
 nine states that had adopted it. There were then eigh- 
 teen senators. These were divided into the three classes, 
 ■ — six in the first, six in the second, and six in the third. 
 According' to the Constitution, the term of the first class 
 was to expire in two years, the term of the second class 
 was to expire in four years, and the term of the third class 
 was to expire in six years. Remember this was only to 
 be done that one time. So you see that now every two 
 
THE SENATE. 45 
 
 years one-third of the senators are newly elected, while 
 two-thirds are old members and know all about the duties 
 of senators. Everything, therefore, moves off in perfect 
 order from the very first day they meet until the close of 
 the session. Had not our forefathers been so thoughtful, 
 the whole Senate might be made up of new men every 
 six years ; and with a number of inexperienced men 
 together, there is no knowing what might be the result. 
 
 If a senator dies or resigns his office, and the legisla- 
 ture of his state is not in session, the governor of the 
 state appoints some man to act as senator for that state, 
 until the legislature meets and elects some one. 
 
 The Constitution says, — 
 
 ^' No person shall be a senator who shall not have attained 
 the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen 
 of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, 
 be an inhabitant of that state for which he shall be 
 chosen." 
 
 You notice the senators have to be older than the rep- 
 resentatives. There are many good reasons why they 
 should be. As we advance, you will learn that the respon- 
 sibility of a senator is greater than that of a representa- 
 tive, and for this reason he should be a man of more 
 mature years. The senator must also live in the state 
 that chooses him, as he will know the wants of his own 
 state better than one living in another state. 
 
46 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 The House of Lords is sometimes said to resemble ouj 
 Senate. You will know how little resemblance there is 
 when you have read what is to follow. 
 
 The English House of Lords is composed of what are 
 called the peers, or noblemen, of England, sixteen repre- 
 sentative peers of 'Scotland, and twenty-eight representa- 
 tive peers of Ireland ; also the bishops and archbishops of 
 the Church ^f England. The noblemen receive different 
 titles, as duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron. 
 
 A man to be elected to our Senate must show some 
 talent, and not many, if any, ignorant men, or men lack- 
 ing good, sound judgment, ever become members. 
 
 How different in the House of Lords, where there is 
 no choice ! A person horn a nobleAian, no matter how 
 little good common sense he may display, cannot be 
 deprived of his seat. Hence you see what kind of people 
 may make up the House of Lords. 
 
 If the king desires, he has the power to make a com- 
 moner^ a peer, and as late as 1832 he exercised this power. 
 There was a law the king wanted passed. The House of 
 Lords did not think it a good law, and did not pass it. 
 The king began to make peers of the commoners, intend- 
 ing to make peers enough to get a majority in favor of his 
 law, that it might be passed. 
 
 The House of Lords, seeing that many were being 
 
 * The members of the House of Commons are commoners, as, if 
 fact, are all persons under the degree of nobility. 
 
THE SENATE. 47 
 
 added to their house, finally agreed to pass the law, if the 
 king would not make any more peers. They then called 
 ^j 11^1 and a limited monarchy. Like the man who wa> 
 being whipped by his wife, when some one said to him • 
 4' My dear fellow, why do you stand still and let your wife 
 whip you so ? " " Oh," said he, " it pleases wife, and. does 
 not hurt me ; so I let her whip." Thus, no doubt, 
 thought the king, "It pleases the lords, and does not hurt 
 me ; therefore, I let them call ours a limited monarchy." 
 There is no doubt, however, that England is inclined to 
 become more and more like a democracy, and the time 
 may come w^ien it will be. 
 
 According to the Constitution, — 
 
 ^ The Vice-President of the United States shall be presi- 
 dent of the Senate, but shall have no vote unless the^ 
 be equally divided." 
 
 If the Senate were to choose one of its own number 
 for speaker, or president, the state which this one repre- 
 sented, would be deprived of one of its senators. Again, 
 the president has more or less power, and often influences 
 ,the course of legislation ; therefore, that state would have 
 more than its share of power. The framers of the Con- 
 stitution, ever thoughtful, said : " We will make the 
 Vice-President of the United States the president of the 
 Senate ; for he belongs not to any one state, but to 
 the people at large, because he las been chosen by them 
 
48 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 for this high office.'* It is right, too, that he should 
 have a vote, as there is always an even number of sena- 
 tors, and a time may come when there will be a tie on 
 some question before the Senate. Days, perhaps weeks, 
 could thus be wasted, because neither side would be will- 
 ing to yield; but the Vice-President, having a vote, can 
 stop any such thing, by voting with one side, and thus 
 make a majority. 
 
 The Constitution states that, — 
 
 " The Senate shall choose their other officers, and also a 
 president j9ro tempore in the absence of the Vice-Presi- 
 dent, or when he shall exercise the office of President 
 of the United States." 
 
 Nothing seems to have been forgotten. What a wise 
 law this is! Just before Congress closes its session the 
 Vice-President retires, and then the Senate elects a presi- 
 dent pro tempore; so that, should the President of the 
 United States die before the next session, the Vice-Presi- 
 dent becomes President of the United States and the 
 Senate can begin work at once, as there is a president to 
 preside. 
 
 The Constitution provides that, — 
 
 *'The Senate shall have sole power to try all impeach- 
 ments. When sitting for that purpose they shall be 
 on oath or affirmation. When the President of the 
 
THE SENATE. H^ 
 
 United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside, 
 and no person shall be convicted without the concur 
 rence of two-thirds of the members present." 
 
 There are many wise provisions in this clause of the 
 Constitution, as we shall see. It is much easier to call a 
 man guilty of a crime, than it is to prove him guilty. So 
 our forefathers placed the impeachment power in the 
 House, but gave to the older and more select body the 
 power to ixy all impeachments. 
 
 There are people in our country who think that it ia 
 wrong to say, '' I solemnly swear," etc., because the Bible 
 Bays, " Swear not at all." Others think that the Bible 
 means by this not to take the name of God in vain. The 
 framers of the Constitution, being liberal-minded men, 
 and not wishing in any way to interfere with the religious 
 belief of any one, said that the words, " I solemnly sioeaVy' 
 or "I solemnly affirm,'' may be used. 
 
 During the meetings of the committee that framed the 
 Constitution, Benjamin Franklin proposed one day, that 
 prayer should be resorted to. Among other things he 
 said : "I have lived a long time, and the longer I live, the 
 more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God 
 GOVERNS IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN. And if a sparrow can- 
 not fall without His notice, is it probable that an empire 
 can rise without His aid ? " Surely we have every reason 
 to think that Franklin was right. Nothing seems to hav<? 
 
60 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 been overlooked. How wise to have the Chief Justice pre^ 
 side over the Senate when the President of the United States 
 is on trial ! Because, you remember, if the President is 
 found guilty, the Vice-President becomes the President. 
 Think of the temptation, then, for the Vice-President, were 
 he presiding, sometimes to decide points against the Presi- 
 dent, hoping he may be found guilty. Our forefathers 
 removed all chances of temptation by requiring the Chief 
 Justice to preside when the President of the United States 
 is on trial. 
 
 According to the Constitution, — 
 
 ^Judgment in case of impeachment shall not extend 
 further than to removal from office, and disqualifica- 
 tion to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or 
 profit under the United States ; but the party convicted 
 shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject to indictment, 
 trial, and punishment, according to law." 
 
 This is another grand provision of the Constitution. 
 Its meaning is, that, though a man who is impeached 
 may be tried and found guilty by the Senate, the Senate 
 can punish him only by removing him from office. Then 
 if his offence is anything for which he can be punished by 
 law, he can have another trial by jury. You learn from 
 this, that there is only one way by which a man can be 
 deprived of liberty 'or put to death, and that is after 
 
THE SENATE. 51 
 
 he has had a fair trial and has been found guilty of an 
 olfence. 
 
 How different this was in England ! There the House 
 of Lords might then inflict banishment from the country, 
 take a man's property from him, put him in prison, or 
 sentence him to death. 
 
 There are many cases in history of men who have 
 worked hard for the party which they represented, and 
 have thus made enemies, who, to get them out of the way, 
 have had them impeached, found guilty, and sentenced to 
 death. All this because they stood in the way of the 
 wicked schemes of their opponents in office. 
 
 My young American friends, be proud of the fact that 
 your forefathers were the first ij^ the world to do 
 
 AWAY WITH SUCH A BAD, BAD LAW. 
 
 In this country, an officer is tried on an impeachment. 
 If found guilty, he is removed from office. He is then 
 arrested, if his crime is one for which it is thought he 
 should be arrested, given a fair trial by a court of justice, 
 and if found guilty, he is punished. He has, however, a 
 trial by jury, the same as any other man, and hence his 
 political enemies have no power over him. 
 
 The Constitution states that, — 
 
 "The time, place, and manner of holding elections for 
 senators and representatives shall be prescribed in 
 each state by the legislature thereof; but Congress 
 
62 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS, 
 
 may at any time, by law, make or alter such regula- 
 tion, except as to the place of choosing senators." 
 
 This is for the following reason : Should the legisla- 
 ture of a state become disloyal or negligent, and fail to 
 call an election, Congress can do so, in order to protect 
 itself. Then, if they do not attend to it, Congress can set 
 a time, and if they still neglect it, they lose their repre- 
 sentative in Congress for that term. 
 
 Congress meets at least once a year, so there can be no 
 chance for the country to suffer from want of legislation. 
 The meetings begin on the first Monday in December. 
 
 The Constitution says, — 
 
 " Each house shall be the judge of the election returns, 
 and qualifications of its own members, and a majority 
 of each shall constitute a quorum to do business ; but 
 a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and 
 may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent 
 members in such manner and under such penalties as 
 each house may provide.'* 
 
 This is a thoughtful provision, for it might happen 
 that two men from the same state might each claim to 
 have been regularly elected a senator or representative. 
 In all such cases, you will notice, the house to which the 
 man claims to have been elected, hears both sides, and then 
 
THE SENATE. 53 
 
 determines who is entitled to the seat. If some other de- 
 partment had the power to determine who was entitled to 
 the seat, there might be a time when said department 
 would be strongly partisan, and hence it would be 
 tempted to decide in favor of the one belonging to its 
 own party. 
 
 It is also well that the Constitution requires a major- 
 ity to make the laws, for if it did not, a small number of 
 either house might meet and make bad laws to carry out 
 some scheme of their own. 
 
 Our forefathers thought that there might come a time 
 during some high political excitement, when a majority 
 of either house might stay away, thinking by so doing to 
 stop legislation. To prevent this they give the minority 
 power to oblige the majority to be present. 
 
 In England, the House of Commons can do business 
 with a comparatively small portion of the members 
 present. A quorum of the House of Lords, including the 
 Chancellor, is three ! 
 
 By the Constitution, — 
 
 ^^Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings, 
 punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, witli 
 the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member." 
 
 The framers of the Constitution showed their wisdom 
 in making each house an independent body. The rules 
 
64 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS.' 
 
 that govern the house are called Parliamentary Law. 
 These rules or laws every member is obliged to respect. 
 
 •One important rule is, that no bill, i.e. a proposed law, 
 shall be passed without being read before the house three 
 times, and, furthermore, the three readings shall not take 
 place on the same day. 
 
 It often happens that a bill is read which sounds as ii 
 ,it would be an excellent law ; but some wise-head, who 
 thinks it over during the night, surprises his fellow-mem- 
 bers in tiie morning by showing them wherein it would 
 not be good at all, but, in fact, would be very bad. For 
 example, the captain of a boat once made a law (without 
 a third reading) which read as follows, — 
 
 ^' The seats in this cabin are reserved for ladies. Gen 
 tlemen are requested not to occupy them until the ladies 
 are seated." 
 
 At the first reading this sounds like a very good law ; 
 but read it again thoughtfully, and you see it gives the 
 gentlemen the liberty to sit in the ladies' laps! 
 
 How wise, too, is the clause which requires a two* 
 thirds vote to expel a member. Rarely ever has one 
 party a two-thirds majority, hence no member can be 
 expelled on mere party grounds. Could a majority expel 
 a member, there might be a temptation, during some high 
 political excitement, to expel a member, (or members,) 
 simply because he was of the opposite party. Our wise 
 old forefathers, however, left no such temptation possible. 
 
THE SENATE. 
 
 56 
 
 Again, — 
 
 " Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and 
 from time to time publish the same, excepting such 
 parts as may in their judgment require secrecy ; and 
 the yeas and nays of the members of either house on 
 any question, shall, at the desire of one-fifth of those 
 present, be entered on the journal.'* 
 
 This is no inore than right, as the congressmen are 
 the agents of the people, and the people have a right to 
 know what their agents are doing. 
 
 The yeas and nays clause is a thoughtful one ; for 
 a man voting on a bill will be very careful if he is 
 voting by yea or nay, as at any time in the future his 
 constituents can tell just how he voted. 
 
 The yeas and nays are taken by having the clerk call 
 the roll, and those members who are in favor of the bill, 
 when their names are called, say " yea.'* Those who are 
 opposed to the bill, when their names are called, say 
 '' nay." The answers are written opposite each member s 
 name. 
 
 Everything in this free country is done openly. Any 
 person may go into either house and stay as long as he 
 may desire, excepting on rare occasions, when, as in time 
 of war, it is thought best by either house to require 
 secrecy, when they hold what are called executive sessions. 
 
56 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 In England, no person can go into the House of Parlia- 
 ment without an order, or pass, from some member, and 
 even then all persons not members must retire from the 
 floor when a vote is about to be taken. The galleries may 
 be cleared by the Speaker if so requested by a member. 
 
 The Constitution provides that, — 
 
 " The senators and representatives shall receive a com- 
 pensation for their services, to be ascertained by law. 
 and paid out of the treasury of the United States. 
 They shall, in all cases, except treason, felony, and 
 breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during 
 their attendance at the session of their respective 
 houses, and in going to and returning from the same ; 
 and for any speech or debate in either house they 
 shall not be questioned in any other place." 
 
 This is one of the most important clauses in the Con- 
 stitution. If payment were left with the different states 
 it might not always be prompt or sure, and so, many 
 times, , the senators or representatives might feel they 
 need not attend and work for uncertain pay. In fact, 
 there were just such cases during the Confederation, and 
 our forefathers, seeing the evils of them, made the new 
 Constitution on a wiser plan. 
 
 Again, if the pay of the congressmen were left with 
 the states, the national or head government would be 
 dependent upon the local or state governments. Thia 
 would be very unjust. 
 
THE SENATE. 57 
 
 The members of the houses in England do not receive 
 my pay. The result is, that the members who are not 
 wealthy have to depend on their wealthy friends, and 
 oherefore must at all times act to please them. 
 
 A man who is making the laws of a nation should be 
 independent to act as his conscience tells him, and not as 
 some one else may dictate to him. 
 
 The last part of this clause in our Constitution is as 
 important as the first ; for how often might a state be 
 deprived of a representative, if he could be arrested for 
 any petty offence. There might be a time when a law 
 ought to be passed which a few men did not, for selfish 
 reasons, desire passed. To carry out their selfish ends 
 they might have a member arrested on some trifling 
 charge, just to keep him from the house, that he might 
 not vote for the law. Of course, if a member is guilty 
 of a high crime, he is not fit to be a congressman, and it 
 is right that he be arrested. 
 
 Our forefathers knew that a man should not fear to 
 Bay just what he thinks, at all times, about a law or bill, 
 which may come before the house of which he is a mem- 
 ber, and in order that he may not fear to do so, the}^ 
 added this provision to the Constitution : " That no person 
 shall be questioned in any other place for what he may 
 '5ay while making a speech at debate in either house." 
 Freedom of speech, as they very well knew, is absolutely 
 necessary to good government. 
 
58 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 In England, a member cannot be held for what he says 
 in either house, but if he has the speech printed he can 
 be prosecuted. 
 
 In our country, a member is free to print all of his 
 speeches if he so desire. 
 
 Notice how careful the framers of the Constitution 
 were to remove temptation from those who were to be 
 our congressmen. 
 
 By a thoughtful provision of the Constitution, — 
 
 "No senator or representative shall, during the time 
 for which he ^yvas elected, be appointed to any civil 
 office under the authority of the United States, which 
 shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof 
 shall have been increased during such time ; and no 
 person holding any office under the United States, shall 
 be a member of either house during his continuance in 
 office." 
 
 This clause of the Constitution makes it impossible for 
 a member of Congress to cause a paying office to be 
 created for his' own good. The country needs the time 
 of the representatives to do work for the good of the 
 people, and not for themselves. 
 
 The law makers should not have anything else on 
 their minds when making the laws for a nation, thought 
 our forefathers, and hence they added the last part of 
 (/his clause, forbidding congressmen to bold office. 
 
THE SENATE. 59 
 
 In England, a man while a member of either house 
 can hold an office under the government. 
 The Constitution requires that, — 
 
 "All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the 
 House of Representatives, but the Senate may oppose 
 or concur with amendments as on other bills." 
 
 This clause means that all bills for raising money, 
 that is, that tell how the money shall be raised for carry- 
 ing on the government, shall be first passed in the House. 
 Why our forefathers thought this a wise thing is not 
 clear. Probably they thought that because it is the larger 
 house the bills would come more directly from the people. 
 The last part of the clause is wise, as it prevents the 
 House from having too much power. 
 
 In England, all money bills must originate in the 
 House of Commons, but the House of Lords cannot change 
 them in any way. This gives the House of Commons 
 great power if they choose to use it. There are what are 
 called " riders " sometimes added to a bill. A " rider " is a 
 part of a bill that has really no relation to the main bill, 
 yet the bill, to be passed, must be passed " rider " and ail- 
 Sometimes the House of Commons adds a " rider " ta 
 a money bill. It may be something which the House of 
 Lords dislikes very much, still it cannot change the biU 
 Ui a«ay way. It must pass it or reject i^ To reject it 
 
60 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 may stop the payments of pensions or salaries, and thus 
 throw the country into confusion. Rather than do this 
 the Lords pass the bill, "rider" and all. 
 - We should be proud to know that one of our houses 
 can never so impose on the other. 
 
 Study the following clause very carefully, as it tells 
 how the laws are made by Congress : — 
 
 " Every bill which shall have passed the House of Rep- 
 resentatives and the Senate, shall, before it become 
 a law, be presented to the President of the United 
 States; if he approve he shall sign it, but if not he 
 shall return it, with his objections, to that house in 
 which it shall have originated, who shall enter the 
 objections at large on their journal, and proceed to 
 reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, two- 
 thirds of that house shall agree to pass the bill, it 
 shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other 
 house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and 
 if approved by two-thirds of that house, it shall become 
 a law. But in all such cases the votes of both houses 
 shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names 
 of the persons voting for and against the bill shall be 
 entered on the journal of each house respectively. If 
 any bill shall not be returned by the President within 
 ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been 
 presented to him, the same shall be a law, in like 
 
THE SENATE. 61 
 
 manner as if he had signed It, unless the Congress, by 
 their adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it 
 shall not be a law. '* 
 
 You see by this clanse how hard it is to make a bad 
 law. In the first place, the bill is passed by one of the 
 houses. It is then sent to the other honse. If the second 
 house passes it, then it goes to the President of the 
 United States. After he has looked it over carefully, he 
 either signs it, and it becomes a law, or he vetoes it, 
 that is, refuses to sign it, and sends it back to the house 
 that :first passed it. Now, before it can become a law, 
 two-thirds of this house have to favor it. Next, it is sent 
 to the second house again, where a two-thirds vote is also 
 necessary. If the two houses pass it a second time, it 
 becomes a law without the President's name. You also 
 notice that the second time the houses vote on the bill 
 they do so by a yea or nay vote, which, as we have said 
 before, causes the members to vote very thoughtfully. 
 
 In England, if the king vetoed a bill, it could not be- 
 come a law. This gave him great power. It is now 
 claimed, ''The queen has no such veto. She must sign her 
 own death-warrant, if the two Houses unanimously sen^l 
 it up to her. ' * They have thus gone to the other extreme. 
 
 In order to prevent wrong legislation, the following 
 clause was added to the Constitution: 
 
C2 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 " Every order, resolution, or vote to which the concur- 
 rence of the Senate and House of Representatives may 
 be necessary (except on a question of adjournment) 
 shall be presented to the President of the United 
 States ; and before the same shall take effect, shall be 
 approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall 
 be repassed by two-thirds of the Senate and House of 
 Representatives, according to the rules and limitations 
 prescribed in the case of a bill." 
 
 If an order or resolution could be passed by Congress, 
 without the signature of the President, a hill or matter of 
 great importance, might, by calling it a resolution or order 
 become a law without the President's assent. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 WHAT CONGRESS HAS POWER TO DO. 
 
 The Constitution provides that, — 
 
 ** Congress shall have power (1) to lay and collect taxes, 
 duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts and pro- 
 vide for the common defence and general welfare ol 
 the United States ; but all dixies, imposts, and excises 
 shall be imiform throughout the United States." * 
 
 You remember that during the Confederation Congress 
 had not this power, and the result was we had no gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 •' [2) To borrow money on the credit of the United 
 
 States." 
 
 During the war of 1812 and also during the Civil War 
 this proved to be a wise provision, for had Congress been 
 without this power there would have been no money tc 
 carry on the .war, and we might not to-day have been 
 living in a republic. 
 
64 CIYICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 " (3) To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and 
 among the several states, and with the Indian tribes." 
 
 This means to make the rules that must be followed 
 by other nations who enter our ports. You remember 
 reading in your history that, during the Confederation, 
 foreign nations placed such restrictions as they pleased on 
 our commerce, but Congress had no power to do the same 
 with them, and hence we were at the mercy of those for- 
 eign nations. 
 
 " (4) To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and 
 uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies through- 
 out the United States.'^ 
 
 If Congress had not this power each state might have 
 a different law which would oftentimes cause trouble. 
 
 *f (5) To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of 
 foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and 
 measures." 
 
 If money was not of the same value all over the coun- 
 try there would be constant confusion. If the weights 
 and measures were not uniform, one state might call ten 
 ounces a pound, and another state might call twenty 
 ounces a pound, which, of course, would be a very foolish 
 and confusing condition of thinjrs- 
 
WHAT CONGRESS HAS POWER TO DO. 65 
 
 " (6) To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting 
 the securities and current coin of the United States." 
 
 A man guilty of counterfeiting the securities and 
 moneys of the United States commits an offence, not 
 against any one state, but against the government ; hence 
 it is right that the government should have the power to 
 provide for his punishment. 
 
 " (7) To establish post-offices and post-roads." 
 
 A post-road is one over which the mail is carried ; all 
 railroads are post-roads. 
 
 " (8) To promote the progress of science and useful arts, 
 by securing for limited times to authors and inventors 
 the exclusive right to their respective writings and 
 discoveries." 
 
 This means to grant copyrights and patents. The 
 power is given to Congress in order that the copyright 
 or patent may be as good and binding in one state as 
 another. By a copyright an author is given the sole 
 right to print and sell his work in the United States for 
 a period of twenty-eight years, at the end of which time 
 he can have it continued fourteen years longer. An 
 inventor's patent secures to him the sole right to make, 
 use, or sell his invention in the United States for a period 
 
66 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 of seventeen years, and, if renewed, for tlie additional 
 period of seven years. 
 
 ^'(9) To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme 
 Court. 
 
 " (10) To define and punish piracies and felonies com- 
 mitted on the high seas, and offences against the law 
 of nations. 
 
 " (11) To declare war, grant letters of marque and 
 reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land 
 and water." 
 
 If a citizen of the United States should be guilty of 
 piracy or felony, foreign countries would hold the general 
 government responsible for it, and not any one state : 
 therefore the government should have the power to pun- 
 ish such offences. 
 
 To grant letters of marque and reprisal is to grant 
 commissions to citizens to seize the property of an enemy 
 at war. If individuals were to do this of themselves they 
 could, if captured, be treated as pirates. But if they have 
 these letters of marque and reprisal they must, if captured 
 by the enemy, be treated as prisoners of w^ar. 
 
 " (12) To raise and support armies ; but no appropriation 
 of money to that use shall be for a longer term than 
 two years. ' 
 
 " (13) To provide and maintain a navy. 
 
WHAT CONGRESS HAS POWER TO DO» 67 
 
 " (14) To make rules for the government and regulation 
 of the land and naval forces. 
 
 "(15) To provide for calling forth the militia to execute 
 the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel 
 invasions. 
 
 " (16) To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining 
 the militia, and for governing such part of them as 
 may be employed in the service of the United States, 
 reserving to the states respectively the appointment of 
 the officers, and the authority of training the militia 
 according to the discipline prescribed by Congress." 
 
 Dr. Joseph Alden says, when writing of the above 
 powers of Congress : " Under the Confederation, Congress 
 had no power to raise armies. It had power simply to 
 agree upon the number of land forces, and to make requi- 
 sitions from each state for its quota. It was the duty of 
 each state to furnish its quota. Experience proved that 
 the system was miserably inadequate." 
 
 If Congress had not power to organize, arm, and disci- 
 pline the militia, it would be necessary to keep a standing 
 army, which would be a great expense to the government. 
 
 " (17) To- exercise exclusive legislation in all cases what- 
 soever, over such district (not exceeding ten miles 
 square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the 
 acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the govern- 
 
68 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 ment of the United States ; and to exercise like author- 
 ity over all places purchased by the consent of the 
 legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for 
 the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dock-yards, 
 and other needful buildings; — and 
 '^ To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper 
 for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and 
 all other powers vested by this Constitution in the 
 government of the United States, or in any department 
 or officer thereof." 
 
 This has reference to the District of Columbia in 
 which Washington, the ca})ital of the United States, is 
 situated, and all other property owned by the govern 
 ment. In order that Congress may be independent, it 
 is necessary that it should possess supreme authority 
 over the place of its sessions. 
 
 At one time the Congress of the Confederation, during 
 its meetings in Philadelphia, was surrounded by a mob of 
 mutineers from the Continental army, who were angry 
 because they had not received any pay for several months. 
 
 The governor of the state was so tardy about taking 
 any steps to defend Congress that it adjourned to Prince- 
 ton, N. J. Had Congress had the power then over its 
 place of meeting that it now has, the mutineers would 
 have been quelled at once. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 WHAT CONGRESS AND THE STATES CANNOT DO. 
 
 In this country we have what is called the writ of 
 habeas corpus} It is to prevent unjust imprisonment. 
 If a man is arrested and placed in prison, a writ of 
 habeas corpus may be sued out before a legal judge. 
 The judge, by the "writ of habeas corpus,'' orders that 
 the arrested man be brought before him. The man who 
 caused the arrest must then show good reason for it, or 
 the person accused is discharged. (See page 74.) 
 
 Notice the following important clause of the Constitu- 
 tion, — 
 
 " The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be 
 suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or inva- 
 sion the public safety may require it.'' 
 
 This is a law of which every American should be 
 proud. In some colmtries men have been kept in prison 
 
 ^ These are two Latin words which mean, "you may have the 
 bodjo" 
 
70 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 year after year until they have sickened and died with 
 broken hearts, when there was no just cause why they 
 should have been imprisoned at all. 
 Again, — 
 
 " No bill of attainder or ex post-facto law shall be passed." 
 
 A bill of attainder is an act of the legislature inflicting 
 the punishment of death, without trial, upon persons sup- 
 posed to be guilty of high crimes. What a fearful law 
 this is ! Many men have been made to suffer by it. No 
 such bloody deeds can be done in the United States, and 
 
 OURS IS THE FIRST GOVERNMENT PROHIBITING ACTS OF 
 
 ATTAINDER. My youug Americans, are you not proud of 
 our noble old forefathers ? 
 
 An ex post-facto ^ law is one which renders an act 
 punishable after it was done, which was not punishable 
 at the time it was committed. 
 
 When a law has been made, it should be published at 
 once, that the people may know what it is. Not, how- 
 ever, as the Koman Emperor, Caligula, is said to have 
 published his laws ; (1) by having them written in very 
 small characters and (2) by having them hung upon high 
 pillars, so that he could ensnare the people, which by the 
 way, he often did. In fact, so vile was he, that one his- 
 torian has said that " his ferocious acts seem like the 
 
 * Meaning " after the deed is done." 
 
WHAT CONGRESS AND THE STATES CANNOT DO. 71 
 
 wild freaks of a madman." If the laws of this old tyrant 
 were unjust, how much more so are those laws, that make 
 iin act punishable after the deed is done, that was not 
 unlawful at the time it was committed. 
 
 For example, let us suppose that on August first, John 
 Smith, while hunting, shoots a deer. After the shooting, 
 a law is enacted making it unlawful to shoot deer on 
 August first, when Mr. Smith is arrested and put into 
 prison for having shot the deer. How wrong such an 
 imprisonment would be, and how unjust the law that 
 would make Mr. Smith's act a punishable one ! and yet 
 there are countries that have had these ex post-facto 
 laws. Our Constitution prohibits such injustice. 
 
 The following are wise provisions of the Constitution 
 with reference to the several states, — 
 
 " (1) No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported 
 from any state. 
 
 " (2) No preference shall be given by any regulation of 
 commerce or revenue to the ports of one state over 
 those of another ; nor shall vessels bound to, or from, 
 one state, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay duties in 
 another." 
 
 You remember how England passed a law during the 
 colonial times, prohibiting the colonies importing any- 
 thing whatever from any country in Europe, unless it was 
 shipped from an English port and in an English ship. 
 
72 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 Our forefathers, remembering this unjust law of Eng- 
 land, determined that no such law should ever exist 
 between the states. The different states are treated with 
 equal justice. 
 
 " (3) No money shall be drawn from the treasury but in 
 consequence of appropriations made by law; and a 
 regular statement and account of the receipts and 
 expenditures of all public money shall be published 
 from time to time." v 
 
 This clause is for the purpose of protecting the public 
 funds. Those who have charge of the moneys will be 
 more careful if they know they must publish just how 
 much money they have received, and how much paid out, 
 and for what purposes. 
 
 " (4) No title of nobility shall be granted by the United 
 States, and no person holding any office of profit or 
 trust under them, shall, without the consent of the 
 Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or 
 title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or 
 foreign state." 
 
 In republics all men have equal rights. There sliould, 
 then, be no titles of nobility. If foreign nations could 
 confer titles of nobility on our officers, they might be 
 offered sometimes as bribes. 
 
WHAT CONGRESS AND THE STATES CANNOT DO. 73 
 
 You have learned that Congress is forbidden to pass 
 certain laws ; that prohibition would be of little use if the 
 states were not also prohibited from passing them. You 
 will notice that the following clauses of the Constitution 
 make such prohibitions : — 
 
 '^ (5) No state shall enter into any treaty, alliance, o. 
 confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; 
 coin money ; emit bills of credit ; make anything but 
 gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts ; 
 pass any bill of attainder, ex post-facto law, or law 
 impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any 
 title of nobility. 
 
 •* (6) No state shall, without the consent of the Congress, 
 lay any imposts or duties on imports or exports, ex- 
 cept what may be absolutely necessary for executing 
 its inspection laws ; and the net produce of all duties 
 and imposts, laid by any state on imports or exports, 
 shall be for the use of the treasury of the United 
 States; and all such laws shall be subject to the re- 
 vision and control of the Congress. 
 
 * (7) No state shall, without the consent of Congress, lay 
 any duty of tonnage, keep troops, or ships of war in 
 time of peace, enter into any agreement or compact 
 with another state, or with a foreign power, or engage 
 in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent 
 danger as will not admit of delay.*' 
 
T4 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 Although the states are given the power to lay 
 imposts, etc., it is impossible for them to abuse this 
 ])ower, as all such laws are subject to the revision and 
 control of the Congress. 
 
 Note. — The writ of habeas corpus is also used when 
 a person is detained for any cause, though; perhaps, not 
 under arrest or imprisoned. For example, John Doe has 
 Richard Roe's boy in his possession and refuses to give 
 him up. , Mr. Roe's remedy is to sue out a writ of habeas 
 corpus. Only judges of a Court of Record have the 
 power to issue such writs. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMElTr. 
 
 IVj yon know that when your father votes, lie does not 
 vote directly for the President of the United States, but 
 for men called electors, and these vote for the President ? 
 This method was planned by our forefathers, because 
 they thought it would be a surer way of choosing one of 
 the best citizens. 
 
 They thought that if the people of each state were to 
 choose a number of the best citizens as electors, that 
 these electors could meet and choose a President and Vice- 
 President better than the people at large, a.nd so the Con 
 stitution provides that, — 
 
 " The executive power shall be vested in a President of 
 the United States of America. He shall hold his 
 office during the term of four years, and, together 
 with the Vice-President, chosen for the same term, be 
 elected as follows. 
 
 " Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legisla- 
 ture thereof may direct, a number of electors, equaJ 
 
76 CIVICS FOR YOU AG AMERICANS. 
 
 to the wliole number of senators and representatives 
 to which the state may be entitled in the Congress ; 
 but no senator or representative, or person holding an 
 office of trust or profit under the United States, shall 
 be appointed an elector-" 
 
 It is the duty of the President to execute the laws. 
 The history of past nations shows that it is much better 
 to have the executive power in the hands of a single per- 
 son. Even some of our own states, during the Revolu- 
 tionary War, gave the executive power into the hands of 
 more than one person. By reading the history of Penn- 
 sylvania you will learn of the evils resulting from that 
 plan. 
 
 The President is elected for four years, but he can be 
 re-elected as often as the people choose. Washington, 
 however, recommended that be never be elected for more 
 than two terms. " The weakness and wickedness of man 
 require that great power should not be in the same hands 
 for any great length of time." 
 
 The last provision of this clause is also a wise one ; 
 for a man holding an office would be tempted to vote for 
 one who would keep him in office. As it is, the electors 
 have no interest of their own in choosing the President. 
 
 These are the rules laid down in the Constitution for 
 the election,— 
 
THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. 77 
 
 «(1) The electors shall meet in their respective states, 
 and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one 
 of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the 
 same state with themselves ; they shall name in their 
 ballots the person voted for as President, and in dis- 
 tinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and 
 they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for 
 as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-Presi- 
 dent, and of the number of votes for each, which lists 
 thiBy shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the 
 seat of the government of the United States, directed 
 to the president of the Senate ; the president of the 
 Senate shall, in presence of the Senate and House of 
 Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes 
 shall be counted ; the person having the greatest num- 
 ber of votes for President shall be the President, if such 
 number be a majority of the whole number of electors 
 appointed ; and if no person have such majority, then 
 from the persons having the highest numbers, not ex- 
 ceeding three on the list of those voted for as Presi- 
 dent, the House of Representatives shall choose imme- 
 diately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the 
 President, the votes shall be taken by states, the repre- 
 sentation from each state having one vote ; a quorum 
 for this purpose shall consist of a member or members 
 from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the 
 states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House 
 
78 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 of Representatives shall not choose a President when^ 
 ever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, be- 
 fore the fourth day of March next following, then the 
 Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of 
 the death or other constitutional disability of the Presi- 
 dent. 
 
 " (2) The person having the greatest number of votes 
 as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such 
 number be a majority of the whole number of electors 
 appointed ; and if no person have a majority, then 
 from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate 
 shall choose the Vice-President : a quorum for the pur- 
 pose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number 
 of senators, and a majority of the whole number shall 
 be necessary to a choice. 
 
 ^^ (3) But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office 
 of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President 
 of the United States." 
 
 This clause is not carried out as it was intended to be. 
 For, you know, the people now nominate their candidates 
 and vote for the electors, and these are expected to vote 
 for their candidate. If, however, by any action of his 
 own, a candidate proves himself unfit for this high ofiice, 
 the electors are under no obligation to vote for him. 
 
 You notice that, if the electors fail to elect a President 
 the House of Representatives proceeds to elect one, be- 
 
THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. 79 
 
 cause, the House of Representatives being the larger body 
 of Congress, the choice comes more directly from the 
 people. The privilege of electing the Vice-President, 
 when the electors have failed to do so, is given to the 
 Senate, because when elected he becomes their presiding 
 ofiicer. 
 
 You may have heard sometime that the candidate 
 receiving the popular vote was not after all elected Presi- 
 dent. Let us see how this is possible. We will suppose 
 there are six states, say the New England, which will 
 answer our purpose as well as the whole thirty-eight. 
 
 Maine is entitled to 6 electors. 
 
 Vermont is entitled to 4 electors. 
 
 New Hampshire is entitled to 4 electors. 
 Massachusetts is entitled to 14 electors. 
 Connecticut is entitled to o electors. 
 
 Rhode Island is entitled to 4 electors. 
 
 Now we will suppose that one party has for a candi- 
 date John Doe, and that another party has for a can- 
 didate Richard Roe. The following table will show the 
 result ; — 
 
80 
 
 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 Name of states. 
 
 Votes cast 
 for Roe 
 electors. 
 
 Votes cast 
 for Doe 
 electors. 
 
 Roe's 
 majority. 
 
 Doe's 
 majority. 
 
 ^1 
 
 . o 
 o a> 
 
 12; -3 
 
 
 h 
 
 'it ,- 
 
 Ma,me .... 
 Vermont . . . 
 New Hampshire 
 Massachusetts . 
 Connecticut . . 
 Rhode Island . 
 
 20,000 
 10,000 
 12,000 
 30,000 
 20,000 
 10,000 
 
 15,000 
 11,000 
 11,000 
 32,000 
 15,000 
 11,000 
 
 5000 
 1000 
 5000 
 
 1000 
 2000 
 1000 
 
 6 
 4 
 4 
 14 
 6 
 4 
 
 6 
 4 
 6 
 
 4 
 
 14 
 
 4 
 
 Total . . . 
 
 102,000 
 
 95,000 
 
 11,000 
 
 4000 
 
 38 
 
 16 
 
 22 
 
 You see that, notwithstanding 7000 more votes were 
 cast by the Roe party than by the Doe party, Doe is 
 elected President because he has the greatest number of 
 electors. It makes no difference whether a man carries a 
 state by one thousand or only one majority ; he has the vote 
 of the electors from that state.^ 
 
 1 People have sometimes felt that the fraraers of the Constitution 
 were unjust in making it possible for a man to be elected President 
 of the United States without having received the popular vote. Let 
 us study the plan carefully, and we shall find that our forefathers 
 were as thoughtful in this matter as we have found they were in 
 every other. There were, at the time of Mr. Cleveland's election, 
 three hundred and twenty-five (325) members in the House of Rep- 
 resentatives, and seventy-six (76) members in the Senate, making 
 
THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. 81 
 
 According to the Constitution, — 
 
 "The Congress may determine the time of choosing the 
 electors, and the day on which they shall give their 
 votes; which day shall be the same throughout the 
 United States." 
 
 And it also states that, — 
 
 " No person except a natural-born citizen, or a citizen of 
 the United States at the time of the adoption of this 
 Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of Presi- 
 dent ; neither shall any person be eligible to that 
 
 in all four hundred and one (401) representatives of the people to 
 make their laws for the country. Of these New York, for example, 
 had thirty-four in the House and two in the Senate, or -^^j of the 
 whole number. If New York had had one-half of all the members, 
 she, of course, would have had one-half to say when a new law was 
 being made. Since she did have ^j of the members she had -^ to 
 say. 
 
 Now, let us suppose that a new law has been passed. There is to 
 be elected an executive to execute this law. How much shall New 
 York have to say about this election? There are to be elected foui 
 hundred and one (401) electors, and of these New York is entitled 
 to thirty-six (36), or ^^^j of the whole number. New York, then, 
 has just as much to say as to who shall execute that law as she had 
 In making the law. What. can be more just? We must not lose 
 sight of the fact that the President is President of the United States, 
 therefore, the States, as States, should have the choosing of him for 
 his high of^ce. 
 
82 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 office who shall not have attained to the age of 
 thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident 
 within the United States." 
 
 According to law, the electors are chosen on the Tues- 
 day next after the first Monday in the last November of 
 each presidential term ; that is, the gentleman who is 
 now President will have served his term of office by the 
 following 4th of March. The electors, then, that are 
 to choose his successor will be chosen on the first Tues- 
 day next after the first Monday in the last November of 
 his term. 
 
 According to law, the electors meet to give their votes 
 on the second Monday in the last January of each presi- 
 dential term. 
 
 The electors meet in their respective states, usually in 
 the state capitol. 
 
 Only American citizens of the United States can be 
 elected President or Vice-President of the United States. 
 The exception named in the Constitution was a compli- 
 ment to those patriotic men who had labored for the 
 country during the War of the Revolution. All of these 
 men are now dead, and no one but a native-born citizen 
 can be elected. 
 
 The Constitution requires that, — • 
 
THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. 83 
 
 '^ In case of the removal of the President from office, or of 
 his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the 
 powers and duties of the said office, the same shall 
 devolve on the Vice-President ; and the Congress may 
 by law provide for the case of removal, death, resigna- 
 tion, or inability, both of the President and Vice-Presi- 
 dent, declaring what officer shall then act as President, 
 and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disabil- 
 ity be removed, or a President shall be elected." 
 
 For many years it was understood that if the Presi- 
 dent and Vice-President were both removed, by death or 
 other cause, from the office of President, the president of 
 the Senate pro tempore should act as President. 
 
 Five Presidents have died in office, viz. : Harrison, 
 Taylor, Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley, and the following 
 Vice-Presidents became Presidents, viz. : Tyler, Fillmore, 
 Johnson, Arthur and Roosevelt. More or less anxiety has 
 always been felt when a Vice-President becomes President, 
 as all know it is possible for the Vice-President to die 
 before his term of office expires. 
 
 Many people felt that it would hardly be just for the 
 president of the Senate pro tempore to act as President, 
 -because he might be of one party and the President might 
 have been of another party. The people by their votes 
 might have said they desired a change of party. By 
 this act it was possible that there would be no change, 
 therefore a new law has been made. 
 
84 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 When a man is elected President of the United States, 
 he appoints nine men of his party to aid him in exe- 
 cuting the laws. These men are called the President's 
 Cabinet, and are known as the Secretary of State, the Sec- 
 retary of the Treasury, the Secretary of War, the Attor- 
 aey-General, the Postmaster-General, the Secretary of the 
 Navy, and the Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture 
 and of Commerce and Labor. 
 
 The President's Cabinet, consisting of able and well- 
 known men, and being also of the same party as the 
 President and Vice-President, it was thought no more 
 than right that should the President and Vice-President 
 both be removed from office by death or any other cause, 
 the members of the Cabinet should be their successors. 
 And, hence, according to law the first in order is the 
 Secretary of State ; the succession then passes from one 
 member of the Cabinet to another in the following order : 
 (1) Secretary of the Treasury; (2) Secretary of War; (3) 
 Attorney-General ; (4) Postmaster-General ; (5) Secretary 
 of the Navy ; (6) Secretary of the Interior . 
 
 The Constitution next provides that, — 
 
 *^ (1) The President shall, at stated times, receive for his 
 services a compensation, which shall neither be in- 
 creased nor diminished during the period for which 
 he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive 
 within that period any other emolument from the 
 United States, or any of them. 
 
THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. 85 
 
 "(2) Before he enter on the execution of his office, he 
 shall take the following oath or affirmation : — 
 
 " ' I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully 
 execute the office of President of the United States, 
 and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, 
 and defend the Constitution of the United States/ " 
 
 This is a wise provision, as it renders the President 
 independent of Congress. "If his salary could be in- 
 creased, he might be tempted to conform to the wishes of 
 the house to gain an increase of income. If his salary 
 could be diminished, the house might use that power to 
 make him subservient." 
 
 All of the Presidents up to the time of General Grant's 
 second term received a salary of $25,000 a year. Since 
 that time they have received $50,000 a year. 
 
 " (3) The President shall be commander-in-chief of the 
 army and navy of the United States, and of the militia 
 of the several states, when called into the actual ser- 
 vice of the United States ; he may require the opinion, 
 in writing, of the principal officer in each of the execu- 
 tive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties 
 of their respective offices, and he shall have power to 
 grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the 
 United States, except in cases of impeachment." 
 
86 CIYICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 The army and navy should be under the control of the 
 President, because it is his duty to see that the hiws are 
 executed. If at any time force is required, he has the 
 military power to assist him. 
 
 By the heads of departments are meant the members 
 of the President's Cabinet. It was thought they would be 
 more careful if obliged to give their opmions in writing. 
 
 It is possible for a man to be found guilty of a crim» 
 when he is innocent. If there was not any pardoning 
 power there would be no way of righting an injustice. 
 
 If the President could pardon a man found guilty on 
 impeachment, he might be tempted to favor his political 
 friends, no matter what their political offence might be. 
 
 " (4) He shall have power, by and with the advice and 
 consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two- 
 thirds of the senators present concur ; and he shall 
 nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of 
 the Senate, shall appoint, ambassadors, other public 
 ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and 
 all other officers of the United States, whose appoint- 
 ments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which 
 shall be established by law : but the Congress may 
 by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers, 
 as they think proper, in the President alone, in the 
 courts of law, or in the heads of departments " 
 
THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT- 87 
 
 The power to make treaties is placed in the hands of 
 the President because at all times he is familiar with for- 
 eign affairs. Then, oftentimes, it is well to maintain 
 secrecy while making a treaty. This could not be done 
 in large bodies. The President must act with care, as his 
 treaties are not binding upon the United States till two- 
 thirds of the Senate agree to them. 
 
 By ambassadors are meant ministers of the highest 
 rank. They are sent by the government to represent it, 
 and manage its interests at the court of some other gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 Consuls are agents for the government. They are 
 sent to foreign countries to look after, and protect the 
 rights, commerce, merchants, and government seamen, and 
 attend to such other duties as may be given them. 
 
 These are important positions, and good men should 
 be chosen to fill them. For this reason our forefathers 
 thought best to place their appointment in the hands 
 of the President of the United States and the Senate. 
 
 "(5) The President shall have power to fill up all vacan- 
 cies that may happen during the recess of the Senate, 
 by granting commissions which shall expire at the end 
 of their next session." 
 
 It was necessary to give this power to the President, 
 in order that all of the departments of the government 
 might at all times be in working order. 
 
88 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 " (6) The President shall from time to time give to the 
 Congress information of the state of the Union, and 
 recommend to their consideration such measures as he 
 shall judge necessary and expedient ; he may, on 
 extraordinary occasions, convene both houses, or either 
 of them, and in case of disagreement between them, 
 with respect to the time of adjournment, he may 
 adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; 
 he shall receive ambassadors and other public minis- 
 ters ; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully 
 executed, and shall commission all the officers of the 
 United States." 
 
 The information is given to Congress in the form of 
 a written message and is called, "The President's Mes- 
 sage." 
 
 At the time of the firing upon Fort Sumter the Presi- 
 dent of the United States convened Congress, which met 
 and took action at once to defend the Union. Had the 
 President not been given the power to convene Congress, 
 there is no knowing what might have happened to our 
 country. 
 
 Our forefathers thought it wise that some one person 
 be responsible for the reception of ambassadors and other 
 public ministers, and hence they designated the President 
 as such person. 
 
THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. 89 
 
 ( f ) " The President, Vice-President, and all civil officers of 
 the United States, shall be removed from office on im- 
 peachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or 
 other high crimes and misdemeanors." 
 
 By this clause officers are plainly told upon what 
 ground they may be impeached. This was in order that 
 no officer should be impeached by an ex post-facto law. 
 We will see in another chapter what is meant by treason 
 and bribery. 
 
 In England, the king is the executive. " He appoints 
 his ministers, who perform all executive acts in his name, 
 and are responsible to the nation. It is a maxim of the 
 English Constitution that ' the king can do no wrong ' ; 
 but if his ministers do wrong " (even though they act to 
 please the king) '^ they cannot plead the king's commands 
 in justification," ^ but are held responsible to the country 
 themselves. 
 
 You may have heard people say that it is bad for our 
 country to have a change in administrators so often, 
 meaning every four years. Just notice carefully what is 
 to follow, and you will learn how much better off our 
 country is, in this respect, than England. " The ministers 
 are termed the administrators in England. The character 
 of the administration depends upon the character of the 
 majority of the House of Commons. If a majority of the 
 
 * Alden's Science of Government. 
 
90 CIVICS FOR YOUXG AMERICANS. 
 
 House are Whigs,^ the administration will be a Whig ad 
 ministration ; that is, the king will send for a leading Whig 
 statesman, and tell him to form an administration. He 
 selects such men for his associates as he thinks best, and 
 they are appointed by the king. The person who forms 
 the administration is called the Prime Minister, and 
 selects his office, commonly that of the first Lord of the 
 Treasury. 
 
 " The cabinet, or cabinet-council, consists of such of the 
 prominent ministers as are more immediately in the con- 
 fidence of the king, who are sum.moned to consult upon 
 executive matters. 
 
 " If, while a Whig ministry is in power, the political 
 character of the House of Commons should change, and 
 a majority become Tories, one of two things would take 
 place. The ministers would resign and a Tory adminis- 
 tration be formed, or Parliament ivould he dissolved and 
 a new election held. If, in the new Parliament, the 
 majority were Whigs, the ministers would remain in office ; 
 if not, they would resign. Thus, while the ministers are 
 said to hold office at the will of the king, they really hold 
 office at the will of the majority in the House of Com- 
 mons. Changes in the administration are consequently 
 more frequent in England than in the United States." ^ 
 
 * The "Whigs are those who advocate popular rights. The Torieg 
 are those who support the king in his high claims. 
 « Alden. 
 
CHAPTER Xn. 
 
 THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. 
 
 We are now to learn of the most important depart- 
 ment, the judicial. 
 
 The Congress makes the laws, the judiciary depart- 
 ment interprets and applies those laws. The rights of 
 the people then depend more upon the ability and hon- 
 esty of the judges than upon any other department of the 
 government. There can be no prosperity in a govern- 
 ment where justice is not to be had. The judiciary de- 
 partment has the administering of justice in its hands. 
 Our forefathers knew this, and for that reason they were 
 careful to make the judicial an able and independent de- 
 partment, and hence provided that, — 
 
 "(1) The judicial power of the United States shall be 
 vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior 
 courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain 
 and establish. The judges, both of the Supreme and 
 inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good 
 behavior, and shall, at stated times, receive for their 
 
92 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 services a compensation, which shall not be diminished 
 during their continuance in office." 
 
 You learn from this clause how the judges are made 
 independent of all political parties. Their office depends 
 on their own good behavior. As long as they are honest 
 and upright there is no earthly power that can remove 
 them. If they are not honest and upright, they can be 
 impeached by the House, and, after trial by the Senate, 
 can be removed from office. Another wise provision is 
 that which says their compensation^ i.e. their salary, can- 
 not be diminished during their continuance in office, so 
 there is no temptation for Congress to try to starve them 
 to do as they might desire them. You remember that in 
 the colonial times the judges held their offices at the will 
 of the king. This is yet true in many monarchial govern- 
 ments. It is a sad condition of things, and we should 
 all be thankful that our forefathers showed such wisdom 
 when forming this portion of our Constitution. 
 
 The Supreme Court of the United States is composed 
 of one chief-justice, and eight associate justices. The 
 chief -justice receives a salary of $10,500 a year, and the 
 associate justices receive each $10,000 a year 
 
 The other officers of the national courts are the attor- 
 ney-general, the district-attorneys, the marshals, and the 
 clerks, each of whom has his own particular duties to 
 perform. 
 
THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT 93 
 
 " (2) The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law 
 and equity, arising under this Constitution, the laws 
 of the United States, and treaties made, or which shall 
 be made, under their authority; to all cases affecting 
 ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls; to 
 all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction ; to 
 controversies to which the United States shall be a 
 party ; to controversies between two or more states ; 
 between citizens of different states ; between citizens 
 of the same state claiming lands under grants of 
 different states, and between a state, or the citizens 
 thereof, and foreign states, citizens, or subjects." 
 
 You notice by this clause that the United States courts 
 have jurisdiction in nine subjects. 
 
 Suppose a state should coin some money, and put it 
 into circulation. A buys goods of B and offers him some 
 of the coin in payment for the goods. B refuses to take 
 it. A refuses to give any other money. B brings suit to 
 recover his debt, and the state courts decide against B. 
 He would then appeal to the United States court. This 
 court would decide that the state law making the coin 
 lawful money was unconstitutional, and therefore null 
 and void. This would be a case arising under the Con- 
 stitution. 
 
 Again, suppose a man from our country goes to Eng- 
 land, and on his return endeavors to smuggle some goods. 
 
94 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 The goods are seized and kept by the government. This 
 would be a case arising under the laws of the United 
 States. 
 
 "Again, suppose a treaty existed between Great Brit- 
 ain and the United States, in which the latter engaged 
 to prohibit the exportation of arms to Ireland. A citizen 
 of New York is detected shipping arms to Ireland. He 
 is arrested and tried by the United States court, and 
 punished." ^ This would be a case arising under a treaty 
 made. 
 
 Again, if an ambassador or any other public ministt;r 
 or consul should be sent to this country from some foreign 
 country, he would not be subject to our laws, but to the 
 laws of his own country. There are laws of nations, 
 however, to which all countries are alike subject. If any 
 judicial question affecting an ambassador, consul, or min- 
 ister should arise, it would be brought before the United 
 States court. This would be a case arising under those 
 affecting ambassadors, etc. 
 
 Again, if the United States was at war with another 
 country, and a vessel of the United States captured a 
 vessel at sea which was thought to belong to the enemy, 
 but claimed that it did not, the United States court would 
 decide the question. This would be a case arising under 
 the admiralty. 
 
 ' Alden, 
 
THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. 95 
 
 Again, a railroad buys some land of the United States 
 and fails to pay for it. The United States can bring a 
 suit against the railroad corporation, and compel the 
 payment. This is necessary in order that the government 
 may protect its rights. 
 
 Two states may be having a controversy about their 
 boundary lines. In order that a settlement may be had, 
 one state sues the other in the United States court, where 
 the question is finally settled. 
 
 From these explanations you will have an idea of the 
 authority or commission of the United States court. 
 
 " (3) In all cases affecting ambassadors, other public 
 ministers and consuls, and those in which a state shall 
 be a party, the Supreme Court shall have original 
 jurisdiction. In all the other cases before mentioned, 
 the Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction, 
 both as to law and fact, with such exceptions and 
 under such regulations as the Congress shall make." 
 
 By original jurisdiction is meant that in which a suit 
 originates or commences. By appellate jurisdiction is 
 meant that to which the decision of an inferior court 
 is taken on appeal. You will notice there are only 
 a few cases in which actions can be commenced in the 
 Supreme Court, i.e. those that l^ave at first to do with 
 the general government. The piincipal business of this 
 
9t) CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 court is to review cases tnat have been tried in lower 
 courts. When the Supreme Court decides a case, then it 
 -^an go no farther. Both parties must be content. 
 
 *' (4) TJie trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeach- 
 ment, shall be by jury ; and such trial shall be held in 
 the state where the said crimes shall have been com- 
 mitted ', but when not committed within any state, the 
 trial shall be at such place or places as the Congress 
 may by law have directed." 
 
 No man can be convicted unless all of the jurors agree 
 that he is guilty. 
 
 It is right that a man be tried in the state where the 
 crime is committed. Otherwise, a poor man in New 
 Jersey might be sued by a rich man, and the suit might 
 be taken to California. The accused might not be able 
 to secure the attendance of his witnesses, and thus be 
 unable to defend hifnself. 
 
 Our forefathers were no respecters of persons. 
 " All men are created equal " was their doctrine 
 And they so framed the Constitution that every 
 
 WORD IN IT IS NOT FOR ANY PARTICULAR CLASS, B^^T FOli 
 ALL ALIKE. 
 
CHAPTER Xm. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. 
 
 When reading the history of England and other for- 
 eign countries, we are made to shudder at the acts of 
 some of the old rulers. Many times people have been 
 accused of treason for a great variety of acts. When a 
 ?man did anything to displease a ruler, it was a common 
 thing to charge him with treason, and then convict him, 
 and next, to punish him according to law. This punish- 
 ment was often fearful. (1) The offender was dragged 
 to the gallows. (2) He was hanged by the neck, but was 
 cut down while alive. (3) His entrails were taken out 
 and burned while he was living. (4) His head was cut 
 off. (5) His body was divided into four parts. (6) These 
 four parts were then given to the king to do as he saw fit 
 with them. 
 
 Our forefathers knew of all these things, and hence 
 they thought best to have it understood just what treason 
 against the United States is ; therefore the Constitution 
 says, — 
 
98 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 " (1) Treason against the United States shall consist only 
 in levying war against them, or in adhering to their 
 enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person 
 shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony 
 of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confes- 
 sion in open court. 
 
 " (2) The Congress shall have power to declare the pun* 
 ishment of treason, but no attainder cf treason shall 
 work corruption of blood or forfeiture, except during 
 the life of the person attainted." 
 
 Sometimes men were tortured until they confessed 
 they were guilty of treason. Then they were convicted 
 and dealt with as described. In our country a confession 
 in open court can be taken as testimony against a man, 
 or there must be at least two witnesses to prove him 
 guilty of treason before he can be convicted. 
 
 Congress has made a law that a person guilty of trea- 
 son shall be put to death by hanging. 
 
 By corruption of blood a person is disabled from inherit- 
 ing lands from an ancestor ; nor can he either retain those 
 in his possession, or transmit them by descent to his heirs. 
 That is, B is convicted of and punished for treason. A, 
 who is B's father, is worth a large property. After B is 
 punished by being hung, A dies. Then C and D, who 
 are the children of B, cannot inherit their grandfather's 
 
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. 99 
 
 property because their father was hanged for treason. 
 Think of living in a country where anything so unjust 
 is lawful ! Our forefathers prevented any such innocent 
 suffering in our country by adding this wise provision to 
 the Constitution : " No attainder of treason shall work 
 corruption of blood or forfeiture, except during the life of 
 the person attainted." 
 
 In order that each state could have full faith in each 
 of the other states our forefathers provided that, — 
 
 ^' (1) Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to 
 the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of 
 every other state. And the Congress may by general 
 laws prescribe the manner in which such acts, rec- 
 ords, and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect 
 thereof." 
 
 This means that each state must have full faith in each 
 of the other states ; then if a case has been tried in one 
 state and an attempt is made to bring the same matter 
 into the court of another state, the person who was sued 
 may procure the record of the former trial, and that will 
 put an end to the proceedings. 
 
 " (2) The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all 
 privileges and immunities of citizens in the several 
 states. 
 
100 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 •* (3) A person charged in any state with treason, felony, 
 or other crime, who shall flee from justice, and be 
 found in another state, shall on demand of the execu- 
 tive authority of the state from which he fled, be 
 delivered up, to be removed to the state having juris- 
 diction of the crime." 
 
 If it were not for this clause a person might commit 
 some crime in one state, and then flee to another state, 
 where he would be free. The dishonest men of our coun- 
 try now flee to Canada. It being a foreign country, they 
 cannot there be arrested by us (certain crimes excepted). 
 
 " (4) New states may be admitted by the Congress into 
 this Union ; but no new state shall be formed or erected 
 within the jurisdiction of any other state ; nor any 
 state be formed by the junction of two or more states, 
 or parts of states, without the consent of the legisla- 
 tures of the states concerned as well as of the Con- 
 gress. 
 
 "(5) The Congress shall have power to dispose of and 
 make all needful rules and regulations respecting the 
 territory or other property belonging to the United 
 States ; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so 
 construed as to prejudice any claims of the United 
 States, or of any particular state." 
 
MISCELLANEOUS PROYISlONS. 105 ' 
 
 The first clause is just, as Congress should determine 
 what states are to make up the government over which it 
 is to have charge. 
 
 Had not Congress any power over the territories they 
 might be in the hands of lawless men in a very short time. 
 In each territory there is a governor appointed by the 
 President of the United States and the Senate ; a legisla- 
 ture, which is chosen by the people ; and one or more 
 judges, appointed by the President of the United States 
 and Senate. 
 
 Each territory has the right to choose a man as a dele 
 gate, who has a seat in the House of Representatives, and 
 can take part in debates relating to the territory, but is 
 not entitled to a vote. 
 
 That each state may feel that it is protected against 
 foreign and domestic foes, — 
 
 *'(6) The United States shall guarantee to every state in 
 this Union a republican form of government, and shall 
 protect each of them against invasion, and on applica- 
 tion of the legislature, or of the executive (when the 
 legislature cannot be convened), against domestic vio- 
 lence." 
 
 All of the states are here bound to help, protect, and 
 defend each and every state in time of need. 
 
102' civics FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 " (7) The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both houses 
 shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to 
 this Constitution, or, on the application of the legis- 
 latures of two-thirds of the several states, shall call a 
 convention for proposing amendments, which, in either 
 case, shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as part 
 of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures 
 of three-fourths of the several states, or by conventions 
 in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode 
 of ratification may be proposed by the Congress : pro- 
 vided that no state, without its consent, shall be de- 
 prived of its equal suffrage in the Senate." 
 
 This was a wise clause. Had there been no provisions 
 for amendments, the Constitution would have been faulty; 
 because it has been necessary to add fifteen of them, as 
 you will see in a future chapter. 
 
 " (8) All debts contracted- and engagements entered into 
 before the adoption of this Constitution shall be as 
 valid against the United States under this Constitu- 
 tion as under the Confederation." 
 
 Here our noble old forefathers showed their honesty 
 of purpose. They might have ignored any debts of the 
 Confederation by assuming that it was a government of 
 the past, and therefore had nothing in common with the 
 
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. 103 
 
 present government. They were, however, too noble to 
 take any such action. 
 
 "(9) This Constitution, and the laws of the United 
 States which shall be made in pursuance thereof, and 
 all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the 
 authority of the United States, shall be the supreme 
 law of the land ; and the judges in every state shall 
 be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or 
 laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding." 
 
 After reading this clause there can be no doubt that 
 the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. 
 
 ^^ (10) The senators and representatives before mentioned, 
 and the members of the several state legislatures, and 
 all executive and judicial officers, both of the United 
 States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath 
 or affirmation to support this Constitution ; but no 
 religious test shall ever be required as a qualification 
 to any office or public trust under the United States." 
 
 There had been too much suffering, both in England 
 and in this country, on account of religious persecution, 
 for our forefathers to forget this clause when framing the 
 Constitution. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE AMENDMENTS. 
 
 You remember learning in your history of the perse* 
 cutions to which the people of the colonies were sub- 
 jected. It is not surprising then that when the first 
 Congress met the people insisted on some amendments 
 being made to the Constitution ; because it was generally 
 felt that the Constitution did not sufficiently protect the 
 rights of the people. They wished to be secured certain 
 rights beyond the possibility of being encroached upon by 
 Congress. The following ten articles of amendments were 
 made during the first session of the first Congress under 
 the Constitution : — 
 
 "Article I. 
 
 " Congress shall make no law respecting an establish- 
 ment of religion ; or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ; 
 or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ; or 
 the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to peti- 
 tion the government for a redress of grievances. 
 
THE AMENDMENTS. 105 
 
 "Article II. 
 
 " A well-regulated militia being necessary to the secu- 
 rity of a free state, the right of the people to keep and 
 bear arms shall not be infringed. 
 
 ^^ Article III. 
 
 " No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any 
 house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of 
 war but in a manner to be prescribed by law. 
 
 "Article IV. 
 
 "The right of the people to be secure in their per- 
 sons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable 
 searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no war- 
 rants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by 
 oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place 
 to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. 
 
 "Article V. 
 
 " No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or 
 otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or in- 
 dictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the 
 land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual ser- 
 v^ice in time of war or public danger ; nor shall any person 
 be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy 
 of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal 
 
106 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of 
 life, liberty, or property without due process of law ; nor 
 shall private property be taken for public use without 
 just compensation. 
 
 "Article VI. 
 
 " In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy 
 the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury 
 of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been 
 committed, which district shall have been previously ascer- 
 tained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause 
 of the accusation ; to be confronted with the witnesses 
 against him ; to have compulsory process for obtaining 
 witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of coun- 
 sel for his defence. 
 
 "Article YII. 
 
 " In suits at common law, where the value in contro* 
 versy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by 
 jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall 
 be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United 
 States than according to the rules of the common law. 
 
 "Article VIII. 
 
 "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive 
 fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments in- 
 flicted. 
 
THE AMENDMENTS. 107 
 
 "Article IX. 
 
 " The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights 
 shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained 
 by the people. 
 
 "Article X. 
 
 "The powers not delegated to the United States by 
 the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are 
 reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.'* 
 
 There is no country in the world that furnishes greater 
 security for personal liberty than is furnished by these 
 provisions in our Constitution. 
 
 The things that are forbidden in them have often 
 taken place in other countries. Our forefathers, know- 
 ing that human nature is the same in all ages, were de- 
 termined they should never lawfully take place in our 
 country. 
 
 During the Civil War, you remember. President Lin- 
 coln abolished slavery. It was necessary, however, for 
 Congress to amend the Constitution, so as to sanction the 
 act. Therefore, in December, 1865, the following amend- 
 ment was adopted, — 
 
 "Article XIII. 
 
 " (1) Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as 
 a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have 
 
108 CIVICS FOB YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 been duly convicted, shall exist within the United 
 States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. 
 * (2) Congress shall have power to enforce this article bj 
 appropriate legislation." 
 
 In 1868 another amendment was adopted which reads 
 
 as follows, — 
 
 "Article XIV. 
 
 ** All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and 
 subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the 
 United States and of the state wherein they reside. 
 No state shall make or enforce any law which shall 
 abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the 
 United States ; nor shall any state deprive any person 
 of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, 
 nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal 
 protection of the laws." 
 
 Still another section was added for the purpose of 
 declarhig liow the representatives should be apportioned 
 among the states, and also to protect the freedmen. It 
 reads as follows, — 
 
 "Representatives shall be apportioned among the several 
 states according to their respective immbers, counting 
 the whole number of persons in each state, excluding 
 Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any 
 
THE AMENDMENTS. 109 
 
 election for the choice of electors for President and Vice- 
 President of the United States, representatives in Con- 
 gress, the executive and judicial officers of a state, or 
 the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any 
 of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one 
 years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in 
 any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion 
 or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall 
 be reduced in the proportion which the number of such 
 male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male 
 citizens twenty-one years of age in such state.'* 
 
 It was thought best to punish in some way those men 
 vA) t had once been in Congress, and at the opening of 
 tLo Civil War, took part against the government. The 
 following section was adopted for that purpose, — 
 
 " No person shall be a senator or representative in Con- 
 gress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or 
 Qold any office, civil or military, under the United 
 States, or under any state, who, having previously 
 taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an offi- 
 cer of the United States, or as a member of any state 
 legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any 
 tftate, to support the Constitution of the United States, 
 shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against 
 Uie same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies 
 
110 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thii da 
 of each, house-, remove such disability." 
 
 Notice the last sentence in this clause. It shows yoy 
 how willing one American is to overlook tht* faults of 
 another if he shows he is sorry for what he has done. 
 " Forgive, if ye wish to be forgiven." 
 
 In order that there should never be any question as tc 
 the payment of any loss to those who fought against the 
 government, and also no questions as to the rights of everj 
 citizen, white or black, to vote, Congress adopted the foL 
 lowing, — 
 
 " The validity of the public debt of the United States^ 
 authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment 
 of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insur- 
 rection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither 
 the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any 
 debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or 
 rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the 
 loss or emancipation of any slave \ but all such debts, 
 obligations, and claims shall be held illegal and void. 
 
 " The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appro- 
 priate legislation, the provisions of this article." 
 
 '* Article XV. 
 "(1) The right of citizens of the United States to 
 
THE AMENDMENTS. Ill 
 
 vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, 
 or by any state, on account of race, color, or previous 
 condition of servitude. 
 
 " (2) The Congress shall have power to enforce this 
 article by appropriate legislation." 
 
 These are all the amendments that have as yet been 
 added to the Constitution, excepting the XI. and XII. 
 The XII. is given on i:>age 77. It was adopted in 1804 
 and is a great improvement on the original clause. Look 
 up the original and see if you do not think so. 
 
 The eleventh amendment was adopted in 1798 as a 
 restriction upon the judicial power. It reads as follows : 
 
 " The judicial power of the United States shall not be 
 construed to extend to any suit, in law or equity, com- 
 menced or prosecuted against one of the United States 
 by citizens of another state, or by citizens or subjects of 
 any foreign State." 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES. UNITED STATES CAPITALS. 
 
 " When" the Constitution was presented to the states for 
 adoption it met with decided opposition from a large part 
 of the people ' who were opposed to conferring so much 
 power upon the general government ' ; and, ' in the differ- 
 ences in opinion between its friends and opponents origi- 
 nated the two great political parties into which the people 
 were divided during a period of about thirty years.' The 
 friends of the Constitution, ' regarding its adoption indis- 
 pensable to the Union, took the name of Federalists, and 
 bestowed upon the other party that of Anti-Federalists, 
 intimating that to oppose the adoption of the Constitution, 
 was to oppose any union of the states.' The Federal 
 party embraced a large number of the ablest statesmen of 
 that period, including Washington, Hamilton, Adams, 
 Jay, and Marshall ; while in the opposite ranks were those 
 known as Anti-Federalists, or Republicans^ under the 
 leadership of Jefferson, George Clinton, Burr, and others. 
 *In the contests of the French Revolution, the Federal- 
 ists leaned to the side of England, the Republicans to that 
 
POLITICAL PARTIES. 113 
 
 of France.' The opposition of the Federalists to the war 
 of 1812, the favor they extended to the Hartford Conven- 
 tion, and other causes, contributed to their destruction, 
 and in 1820 the party was disbanded. 
 
 "The two elections of Jefferson and the two of Madison 
 were triumphs of the Republicans. The two of Monroe 
 may also be regarded as triumphs of the same party, 
 though party lines were almost obliterated, the first years 
 of Monroe's administration being known as 'the era of 
 good feeling./ The nomination of John Quincy Adams 
 was supported by a union of Republicans with most of the 
 old Federalists. The presidential contest of 1828, *the 
 moifi bitter in American history/ was largely of a per- 
 sonal character. The candidates were Adams and Jack- 
 son, the latter succeeding. ' The Jackson party being, for 
 the most part, the old Republican party, took the name 
 of Democrats, while their opponents assumed the name of 
 Whigs.' The former, during Jackson's first term, took 
 ground against the re-chartering of the United States 
 Bank, and afterward against a high, or ' protective tariff.' 
 The Whigs favored these measures. ' The election of 
 Van Buren.was a continuation of Jackson's policy ; ' that 
 of Harrison was a triumph of the Whigs. 
 
 "In the presidential contest of 1844, the Democratic 
 party favored Hhe annexation of Texas,' as also 'the 
 claim to Oregon as far north as 54 degrees 40 minutes. 
 Their rallying cry was 54-40, or fight.' They elected 
 
114 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 James K. Polk over Henry Clay, the candidate of the 
 Whigs. In the contest of 1848, a third party, composed 
 mostly of northern men, who were ' opposed to the exten- 
 sion of slavery into the territory of the United States/ 
 and known as the Free Soil Party, nominated Martin Van 
 Buren. General Taylor, the Whig candidate, was elected. 
 In the contest of 1852, the candidate of the Democrats 
 was Franklin Pierce ; that of the Whigs was General 
 Winfield Scott ; Mr. Pierce was elected." — Andersons 
 U. S. History. 
 
 Before the next election the Whig party ceased to exist, 
 and two new parties came into being, the Republican and 
 the American ; making altogether three parties. The 
 American party wanted none but native-born citizens to 
 hold political offices, and its members also favored a longer 
 residence in the United States on the part of persons of 
 foreign birth, before allowing them to be naturalized. 
 Buchanan, who was elected, was the candidate of the 
 Democratic party. 
 
 At the next election there were four candidates. The 
 slavery question was the all-important one. The Demo- 
 cratic party was still the strongest one, but its members 
 became divided on the slavery question. The northern 
 Democrats nominated Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois; 
 and the southern Democrats nominated John C. Breckin- 
 ridge, of Kentucky. The northern Democrats believed in 
 letting all new states say whether they were to be admitted 
 
POLITICAL PARTIES. 115 
 
 as slave states or not ; while the southern portion of the 
 party claimed that neither Congress nor the people of a 
 territory, who desired to be admitted as a state, had the 
 right to prohibit slavery in any territory. 
 
 The American party nominated John Bell, of Tennes- 
 see ; their platform was " The Union, the Constitution, 
 and the Enforcement of the Laws." 
 
 The Republican party was opposed to slavery and de- 
 sired to exclude it from the territories at any cost. Mr. 
 Lincoln, who was elected, was the candidate of the 
 Republicans. 
 
 During Lincoln's administration the Civil War occurred. 
 When Lincoln was assassinated, Andrew Johnson became 
 President. At the close of Johnson's term the contest 
 mainly turned upon the right of Congress to establish 
 laws for the admission of the Southern States to the 
 Union. The Democrats nominated Horatio Seymour, 
 ex-governor of New York, and the Republicans nomi- 
 nated General U. S. Grant, who was elected. 
 
 At the next election there was a new party formed, 
 known as the Liberal Republican Party, which nominated 
 Horace Greeley, of New York. These were men who 
 were opposed to Grant's administration. The Democrats 
 had no candidate, but indorsed Mr. Greeley. General 
 Grant was re-elected. The next three Presidents, R. B. 
 Hayes, James A. Garfield, and Chester A. Arthur, were 
 Republicans. 
 
116 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 In 1884 the Republicans nominated James G. Blaine, 
 of Maine; the Democrats, Grover Cleveland of New Yoi k; 
 the People's Party, Benjamin F. Butler, of Massachu- 
 setts; the Prohibition Party, John P. St. John, uf Kan- 
 sas. Mr. Cleveland was elected. In 1888 Benjamin Har- 
 rison, of Indiana, was nominated by the Republicans; Mr. 
 Cleveland being re-nominated by the Democrats. Clinton 
 B Fisk, of New Jersey, was nominated by the Prohi- 
 bition party. Mr. Harrison was elected. In 1892 Mr. 
 Cleveland and Mr. Harrison were re -nominated. James 
 B, Weaver was nominated by the People's party, which, 
 among other things, asked that mints should be free to 
 coin all silver. The Democrats elected Mr. Cleveland. 
 In 1896 Wm. J. Bryan, of Nebraska, was nominated l)y 
 the Democrats, the}' declaring for free coinage of silver 
 at the ratio of 16 to 1. The Republicans nominated 
 Wm. McKinley, of Ohio, and declared for the gold stan- 
 dard. Mr. McKinley was elected. These men were re- 
 nominated in 1900. Mr. McKinley was again elected. At 
 his death Theodore Roosevelt, of New Yoik, became 
 President. In 1904 Mr. Roosevelt, Republican, and Al- 
 ton B. Parker of New York, Democrat, were the candi- 
 dates. Mr. Roosevelt was elected. At this election the 
 Prohibition party nominated Silas C. Swallow; the Pop- 
 ulist, Thomas E. Watson; the Socialist, Eugene V. Debs. 
 
UNITED STATES CAPITALS. Il7 
 
 Perhaps the following facts will be of interest to 
 you : — 
 
 '' Philadelphia was the first capitaJ of the United 
 States, Congress being in session in that city when the 
 Independence of the states was declared. A little more 
 than five months after that event, while the British 
 forces were advancing through New Jersey towards the 
 Delaware River, Congress adjourned to Baltimore (Decem- 
 ber, 1776), but returned to Philadelphia less than three 
 months later (March, 1777). On the approach, by Chesa- 
 peake Bay, of the British army under Howe, Congress 
 adjourned at first to Lancaster, Pa. (Sept. 27th to 30th, 
 1777), and then to York, Pa. (Sept. 30th) ; but after the 
 British evacuated Philadelphia, Congress returned to that 
 city (July, 1778), which city continued to be the capital till 
 June, 1783, when Congress adjourned to Princeton, N. J. 
 (June 30), and, in November of the same year, to Annap- 
 olis, Md. The next session was opened at Trenton, N. J. 
 (Nov. 30, 1784), but in January, 1785, Congress adjourned 
 to New York. In 1790, the seat of government was 
 removed to Philadelphia, and in 1800, to Washington 
 City, where it has remamed ever since/' 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 We said we lioped to make you understand why our 
 form of government is the best in the world. Have we 
 not done so ? We have no Ivan who can murder his sub- 
 jects and go ' unpunished. We have no King John who 
 can imprison us at his will or murder innocent little boys. 
 We have no Queen Elizabeth to dictate how we shall wor- 
 ship the ever-living and true God. None such are found 
 in this glorious republic in which the supreme power is 
 vested in the people. We have a government so organ- 
 ized that its rulers cannot, for any length of time, materi- 
 ally err. We have a Constitution which is acknowledged 
 by all to be a masterpiece. With the most of this Couv 
 stitution you are now familiar. In the last pages of any 
 good United States History are to be found all of the 
 clauses of the Constitution in regular order. These, it 
 is hoped, you will carefully read, as you can now do so 
 understandingly. 
 
 And now, my young friends, we desire to impress upon 
 you this solemn truth. The good or evil of this model 
 
CONCLUSION. 
 
 119 
 
 COUNTRY IS IN TOUR HANDS. Only a few years must 
 pass before all who are now occupying the positions of 
 trust and honor will be no more, and you are to fill their 
 places. The boys of to-day are to be the men of twenty 
 years hence. Are you going to be ready ? Will you see 
 to it that only honest, upright men are placed in office ? 
 If so, you will hold the Union where you find it, the best 
 government in the world. 
 
 Be always true to God, your country, your neighbor, 
 and yourself. You will thus "be prepared for death, 
 and life or death will thereby be the sweeter." 
 
 Can you not now appreciate our national hymn as you 
 never have before ? 
 
 2. 
 
 My country, 'tis of thee, 
 Sweet land of liberty, 
 
 Of thee I sing : 
 Land where my fathers died, 
 Land of the pilgrims' pride, 
 From every mountain side, 
 
 Let freedom ring 1 
 
 My native country, thee — 
 Land of the noble free — 
 
 Thy name I love : 
 I love thy rocks and rills, 
 Thy woods and templed hills ; 
 My heart with rapture thrills 
 
 Like that above. 
 
 3. Let music swell the breeze, 
 And ring from all the trees 
 
 Sweet freedom's song ! 
 Let mortal tongues awake ; 
 Let all that breathe partake ; 
 Let ocks their silence break, - 
 
 The sound prolong 1 
 
 4. Our fathers' God, to thee, 
 Author of liberty. 
 
 To thee we sing : 
 •Long may our land be bright 
 With freedom's holy light ; 
 Protect us by thy might. 
 
 Great God, our King I 
 
 S, F. Smitq. 
 
PRESIDENTS AND VICE-PRESIDENTS 
 
 NO. 
 
 PRESIDENTS 
 
 INAUGURATED 
 
 VICE-PRESIDENTS 
 
 1. 
 
 George Washington 
 
 April 30, 1789 
 
 John Adams 
 
 2. 
 
 John Adams 
 
 March 4, 1797 
 
 Thomas Jefferson 
 
 3. 
 
 Thomas Jefferson 
 
 March 4, 1801 
 
 j Aaron Burr 
 ( George Clinton 
 
 4. 
 
 James Madison 
 
 March 4, 1809 
 
 \ George Clinton 
 ^ Klbridge Gerry 
 
 5. 
 
 James Monroe 
 
 March 4, 1817 
 
 Daniel D. Tompkins 
 
 6. 
 
 John Q. Adams 
 
 March 4, 1825 
 
 John C. Calhoun 
 
 7. 
 
 Andrew Jackson 
 
 March 4, 1829 
 
 John C. Calhoun 
 Martin Van Buren 
 
 8. 
 
 Martin Van Buren 
 
 March 4, 1837 
 
 Richard M. Johnson 
 
 9. 
 
 Wm. H. Harrison 
 
 March 4, 1841 
 
 John Tyler 
 
 10. 
 
 John Tyler 
 
 April 6, 1841 
 
 
 11. 
 
 James K. Polk 
 
 March 4, 1845 
 
 George M. Dallas 
 
 12. 
 
 Zachary Taylor 
 
 March 5, 1849 
 
 Millard Fillmore 
 
 13. 
 
 Millard Fillmore 
 
 July 10, 1850 
 
 
 14. 
 
 Franklin Pierce 
 
 March 4, 1853 
 
 Wm. R. King 
 
 15. 
 
 James Buchanan 
 
 March 4, 1857 
 
 John C. Breckinridge 
 
 16. 
 
 Abraham Lincoln 
 
 March 4, 1861 
 
 Hannibal Hamlin 
 Andrew Johnson 
 
 17. 
 
 Andrew Johnson 
 
 April 15, 1865 
 
 
 18. 
 
 Ulysses S. Grant 
 
 March 4, 1869 
 
 j Schuyler Colfax 
 ( Henry Wilson 
 
 19. 
 
 Rutherford B. Hayes 
 
 March 5, 1877 
 
 Wm. A. Wheeler 
 
 20. 
 
 James A. Garfield 
 
 March 4, 1881 
 
 Chester A. Arthur 
 
 21. 
 
 Chester A. Arthur 
 
 Sept. 20, 1881 
 
 
 22. 
 
 Grovcr Cleveland 
 
 March 4, 1885 
 
 Thomas A. Hendricks 
 
 23. 
 
 Benjamin Hlrrison 
 
 March 4, 1889 
 
 I^evi P. Morton 
 
 24. 
 
 Grover Cleveland 
 
 March 4, 1893 
 
 Adlai K. Stevenson 
 
 25. 
 
 William McKinley 
 
 March 4, 1897 
 
 Garret A. Hobart 
 
 26. 
 
 William McKinley 
 
 March 4, 1901 
 
 Theodore Roosevelt 
 
 27. 
 
 Theodore Roosevelt 
 
 Sept. 14, 1901 
 
 
 28. 
 
 Theodore Roosevelt 
 
 March 4, 1905 
 
 Chas. W. Fairbanks 
 
 £1201 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 EXPLANATIONS OP STATE, COUNTY, CITY, TOWN 
 AND TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENTS 
 
 ALSO 
 
 CHAPTERS CONTAINING SUGGESTIVE REVIEW QUESTIONS 
 
 AMONG WHICH ARE MANY FACTS NOT 
 
 FOUND IN THE TEXT 
 
 In preparing the following" pages the writer has been materially 
 assisted by borrowing, **with thanks,** from various authors. 
 
 Chicago, January 6, 1905. 
 
 H.G.P. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In 1775, the Continental congress was asked to advise the 
 people of Massachusetts. The citizens of that state had imprisoned 
 their governor and assumed the management of that colony. 
 Congress advised the formation of a temporary government until 
 the king should restore the old charter. This was done, and by 
 the spring of 1776 not only Massachusetts but all of the thirteen 
 colonies had formed a similar government. 
 
 Eeconciliation being impossible, the colonies took the final 
 step by passing the Declaration of Independence. Then the 
 states, that had not already done so, adopted constitutions and 
 organized permanent governments. All of the other states, except 
 Texas, were formed out of the territory already owned or acquired 
 by the United States, and admitted into the union by acts of 
 Congtess. (See page 100). 
 
 From history and geography it is learned that our country 
 at first extended only from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi 
 river, and that it now reaches from ocean to ocean. This addi- 
 tional area was not all acquired at one time nor in the same way. 
 Prosperous farmers often buy tracts of land from their neighbors, 
 to give a farm to a son, or to get another right of way to another 
 public highway; so our country has, for various reasons and at 
 
INTRODUCTION. 123 
 
 different times, purchased land from other countriet -wnich claimed 
 owneri^hip by right of discovery and exploration. Another way 
 bj which territory has been acquired is by conquest, that means 
 territory conquered and occupied while at war with other nations, 
 and is retained as a part of the United States by terms of settle- 
 ment at the close of tlie war. Still another way is for a country 
 that is independent to ask admission' as a state or organization as 
 a territory, and to have the request granted, thus becoming a 
 part of the United States. (Examples of the last mentioned are 
 Texas and the Hawaiian Islands). 
 
 Any tract of land, however obtained, that is to be permanently 
 a part of the United States, is organized into one or mure terri- 
 tories. The people of the territory are protected by the nation 
 and enjoy perfect liberty and freedom, and have all the ad- 
 vantages of commerce, education, etc., that are enjoyed by the 
 states, but have no voice in making laws of the United States, or 
 in electing the President, or even their own governor and judges. 
 (See page 101.) Territories, therefore, always desire to be ad- 
 mitted into the Union as a state as soon as possible, and they early 
 instruct their delegates to apply for adlnission. 
 
 Before any territory is admitted into the Union as a state 
 its citizens are instructed by an act of Congress to draft a consti- 
 tution which, in its general features, is similar to that of thQ 
 United States, and contains nothing that is contrary to it. The 
 republican form of government guaranteed to every state, and the 
 right of the people as specified in the national constitution, are 
 thus made doubly secure. Wlien the constitution is ratified, the 
 citizens are authorized to elect state officers, judges of the state 
 courts, representatives in Congress, etc. After all this has been 
 
124 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 done and the President properly notified, it is his duty to issue a 
 proclamation announcing that all the requiremients for admission 
 have been complied with and that the territory now becomes one 
 of the states of this great Union. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 SUBDIVISIONS. 
 
 In no great country in the^ world has the individual, man, 
 woman, or child, as much influence in the control of governmental 
 affairs, both local and general, as in the United States. This is 
 due to the fact that local government is entirely under the super- 
 vision of the states. That places directly on its citizens the 
 responsibility which has been still more localized by the states 
 being divided and subdivided into various divisions for Federal 
 and State purposes. Congressional, state representatives, state judi- 
 cial, counties, commissioners, districts, townships, school districts, 
 road districts, and sections are the principal divisions. 
 
 The largest of these divisions and the one that is purely federal 
 is the Congressional. They are made on the basis of population 
 and are subject to change every ten years. (See page 171 ). Thej 
 are composed of counties, that is a county is not part in one 
 district and part in another to equalize the two; if, however, a 
 county contains a large city like New York -or Chicago, it is 
 divided into several districts. 
 
 Then there are the districts for representation in the state 
 legislature, representative and senatorial. In many states these 
 
COUNTY. 125 
 
 are the same with more representatives than senators per district. 
 These are based on population. In many states the county is 
 made the basis of representation in the House of Representatives, 
 that is, each county is to have at lea:st one representative and as 
 many more as its population entitles it to. In the state of Con- 
 necticut the township is the basis and each township has at least 
 one representative in the Lower House. 
 
 The next largest of these divisions is the state judicial. They 
 are based on the population, also, and. are likewise divided by 
 counties. There may be several judges in one county or several 
 counties in one district. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 COUNTY. 
 
 The county is the next division and is a very important one. 
 It is the center around which all of the large ones are built and 
 likewise the center for the supervision of the judicial and repre- 
 sentative districts as well as for the administration of the smaller 
 divisions into which it is divided. The county is the unit of the 
 local government. It has a county seat which bears the same 
 relation to it that the capital does to the state or the ITnited 
 States. The court house and the jail are located there. (In fact 
 it is the capital of the county.) 
 
 The county is made by the state and is subject to it. It 
 has no sovereign powers, that is, it cannot make laws for itself. 
 
126 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 They are made for it by the legislature of the state. It is lef^ 
 to the county, however, to enforce the laws. The state places 
 the proper limitations within the power of the county, then if 
 its officials are not carefully selected and are lax in the manage- 
 ment of affairs, it is the fault of the citizens of the county and 
 they, in turn, are the ones that suffer for it, by having large 
 sums of their taxes squandered or illy spent and their schools, 
 roads, and other institutions greatly im,paired on that account. 
 The officials are elected by the citizens of the county and are not 
 responsible to any state official, only in so much as their respective 
 duties aid in the general supervision of the state. 
 
 The county is not self governing because it does not make 
 its own laws directly, but is self administrative because it selects 
 its own officers and enforces the laws made for it. The state has 
 taken the precaution to safeguard the rights of the citizens of the 
 county just as the United States has the citizens of the states. 
 (See pages 53 and 73). 
 
 All of the states are divided into counties except Louisianaj 
 which has similar divisions called parishes. The county is a very 
 old organization^ it is so called because these divisions were 
 originally ruled over by counts in England. It is not made on 
 the basis of population, nor is it of any certain fixed size. It is 
 created by the state or the territorial legislatures. Wlien boun- 
 daries are once made they seldom are changed because the records 
 of deeds, mortgages, transfers, contracts, deaths, births* marriages, 
 etc., are made matters of record in the county, and it is a very 
 difficult thing to transfer the records to another county and correct 
 the many oustanding documents that have been copied, as a mat- 
 ter of record. 
 
TOWNSHIPS. 127 
 
 The county has the power to create new or change old pub- 
 lie highways; to build bridges; to lay drainage systems; to build 
 a court house, jail, home for the poor; to manage a county farm; 
 to grant francl.ises to corporations, and many other duties that are 
 not necessary to name here. It is plainly to be seen that the county 
 is a very important division in the administration of our govern- 
 mental affairs. 
 
 The county is divided into as many * districts as there are 
 members in th.e board of commisfiioners. Each district is • repre- 
 sented by a member on the board; he must be a resident of that 
 district, but is usually selected by a vote of the entire county. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 TOWNSHIPS. 
 
 This division is a very important one in our administrative 
 affairs and is considered by many good authorities of more im- 
 portance than the county. 
 
 In early times, when the people of Germany, Scandinavia, and 
 England began to establish homes instead of wandering from 
 place to place, a clan or tribe would settle together and form 
 a little village. To protect themselves, they would surround their 
 village and fields with a stockade called a tun (toon). In Eng- 
 land, particularly, this name came to be applied to the land within 
 the enclosure. Thus has come to us the name which in some 
 states is called town, in others township. 
 
128 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 In your histories you have read and talked much about the 
 New England town meeting. The people met in those meetings 
 to elect their officers, to discuss public questions, to make rules or 
 laws for the townships, levy the taxes for the local government, 
 and to discuss any special questions pertaining to its town (or town- 
 ship). You found that those meetings, and the township 
 divisions, became a very important factor in the government of 
 New England. 
 
 Very much in the same way that the ^^tun" was organized in 
 Germany, Scandinavia and England was it reproduced by the 
 people who settled along the shores and on the banks of the rivers 
 of New England. These early settlers, Puritans, were very demo- 
 cratic in spirit, and much like their forefathers across the sea, were 
 compelled to cluster their homes about a common center, which 
 in New England was the church, and to fortify this to protect 
 themselves against the Indians. As the colony grew and new set- 
 tlers came from England, a new colony was established near by and 
 the Indian frontier pushed a little farther back. As time went on 
 these townships were united, particularly for defense against the 
 Indians, into larger divisions that became counties, and later the 
 CQunties were grouped together, forming for the first time the 
 organization of a united colony that after 1776 was to become a 
 state. WTien the county was organized it assumed authority over 
 the questions that were of general interest to the townships, and 
 the state of questions that were of general interest to the coun- 
 ties and townships (similar to a school found on page 43). 
 The townships, however, retained their individuality and the powers 
 of local government. They are even to this day the centers of 
 local administration and the units of political life in New England. 
 
TOWNSHIPS. 129 
 
 Likewise you studied with equal interest the local government& 
 of Virginia, and the other southern colonies, which you found to 
 be different from the town meetings of New England. There were 
 several reasons for this; first of all, these people were not Puri- 
 tans; second, they did not come over from England as families (or 
 even communities), as was the case in New England; nor did the 
 vast majority of the settlers come with the expectation of estab- 
 lishing permanent homes in the grand old colony of Virginia ; the 
 Indians in this section were very much more peaceable than in 
 New England, so the colonists were not compelled to form such 
 close bonds of union to protect themselves; the climiate was too 
 warm along the coast for the English people to cultivate the soil, 
 so slavery soon gained a foothold in the colonies. The soil was 
 very productive and the products grown were those that England 
 needed, thus the colonists found a ready^ market for everything 
 they were able to raise. 
 
 Wlien these colonists came to make a settlement they would 
 sail up a river and somewhere along its banks, select a site for a 
 colony, each memher taking a plat of land by the river's edge. As 
 these planters prospered from- year to year they would extend 
 their plantations back father from the river, preparing a little 
 more of the land for cultivation at each new planting. Thus grew 
 up in these states many large plantations. The owner would 
 select a favorable site on his plantation to erect a mansion, about 
 which, would be clustered a number of small cottages, the homes 
 of the few white people and the many slaves that cultivated his 
 fields. These plantations were so large that the mansions were 
 oftentimes miles apart. When local divisions were organized 
 
180 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMEiRICANS. 
 
 they were made very much larger than those of New England and 
 each one contained a number of these plantations. These divi- 
 sions took the names of counties. 
 
 The affairs of a county are managed by a Board of Commis- 
 sioners, who at first were appointed by the Governor, but after the 
 board was once organized it managed, somehow, to fill its own" 
 vacancies. This was very different from the New England town- 
 ship meetings. 
 
 These boards were controlled very largely by the owners of 
 these plantations, so the government of the county was rather an 
 aristrocratic than a democratic form. Owing to these large plan- 
 tations the county did not need the detail of local government that 
 was necessary in the divisions of New England. The organization 
 of schools, the building of highways, and so many other necessary 
 things in New England were not so nearly important in the 
 southern colonies, which were so thinly populated and where the 
 villages were so few. 
 
 From this discussion it is plain to be seen that the rights 
 and liberties of the people were much safer in New England 
 under the democratic township system than under the aristocratic 
 county system as conducted in Virginia. No one realized this more 
 than did the greatest of ail democrats, Thomas Jefferson, for ho 
 said : "Those wards, called townships in New England, are the 
 vital principles of their governments and have proved themselves 
 the wisest invention ever devised by the wit of man for the per- 
 fect exercise of self-government, and for its preservation. * ** * 
 As Cato then concluded every speech with the words Carthage must 
 be destroj'ed,^ so do I, every opinion with the injunction, 'divide 
 the counties into wards (townships)/^' 
 
TOWNSHIPS. 131 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 TowNsmrs, continued. 
 
 By glancing at the map of any of the original states, it will 
 be noticed that the boundaries of the townships and counties 
 are very irregular, and that some townships are quite small, con- 
 taining as few as five square miles, while others are very much 
 larger. The reason of this is that there was no uniform system of 
 surveying, platting, and recording of land grants. A man would 
 select a piece of land that he desired, have it surveyed, many times 
 the survey would extend around swamps and marshes, thus making 
 the plat a very irregular one. 
 
 When settlers began to cross over the mountains into Kentucky 
 and Tennessee surveys similar to the one above were made. They 
 marked these plats by ^'blazing" the trees, that is they would 
 chop notches in the trees or cut off the bark. A plat of this survey 
 would be recorded in the state land office. When the people actually 
 began to settle on these plats they found some pieces of land had 
 been recorded as many as five or six times. In Kentucky, espe- 
 cially, the government was annoyed very much by the difficulties 
 arising over the conflicting claims of the land grants. In order to 
 avoid a repetition of these difficulties, Congress passed in 1785 a 
 knd ordinance which with some slight modifications has become 
 our present simple and most excellent system of surveying and 
 platting of public lands. 
 
 Under this new cystem the government surveyed and platted 
 all public lands before they were opened to settlement. By this act 
 Congress made a regular township, called Congressional, six miles 
 square. Whenever a new territory was to be surveyed the govern- 
 
132 
 
 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 ment would establish, a base line running east and west through 
 it, and likewise a meridian line north and south. (See diagram.) 
 Every six miles north and south 
 of the base line other lines were 
 run parallel to it, and likewise 
 similar lines were run at the 
 same distance east and west of 
 the prime meridian. These lines 
 divided the territory into con- 
 gressional townships, except the 
 fractional areas along its border. 
 These fractional parts were sur- 
 veyed likewise^, and not being six 
 miles square were called Frac- 
 tional townships. Since the far- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 f: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 1 r 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (r 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 c 
 
 f- 
 
 6 
 
 V 
 
 3 
 
 2 
 
 ; 
 
 / 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 7 
 
 £> 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Z 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 fi 
 
 A B is a meridian line. C D is a base 
 
 ther north you go the narrower i^"^- e f is a correction line. 
 
 , . . The distance is proportionally much 
 
 the earth becomes, it is neces- greater between the base line and the cor. 
 Sary if the survey runs a long section line than is shown in diagram. 
 
 distance north of the base line, to take a line parallel to it as a 
 correction line and start anew. The base line is 30 located in a 
 territory that not more than one correction line is ever necessary. 
 
 Section. — By this same ordinance the township wa^ divided 
 into sections, each a mile square, thus making thirty-six to the 
 township. Each section was subdivided into four quarters and 
 each quarter was re-subdivided into quarters. Since a quarter sec- 
 tion contains one hundred and sixty acres, one-fourth of a quar- 
 ter section or forty acres was the smallest plat of land that a 
 settler could enter. 
 
 By this system it was very easy for a settler to locate his claim 
 
TOWNSHIP AND COUNTY. 133 
 
 and with very little expense have the boundaries made; and any 
 plat of land large or small could be easily located. 
 
 The first of the townships north of the base line are called 
 number one north; the second row number two north; the third, 
 three north, etc. The first row south, number one south, etc. 
 Next the first row of townships east of the meridian line was 
 range one east; second row, range two east; third row, three east; 
 etc. The first row west, range one west, etc. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 TOWNSHIP AND COUNTY. 
 
 In the previous chapters two distinct forms of local govern- 
 ment have been observed, the township system in the northern 
 states and the county in the southern. As the people began to 
 move westward and form new territories, they took with them the 
 customs of their home states, and as a result three systems are now 
 to be found in the United States, — the township, county, and the 
 combination of county and township systems. 
 
 This mixed system is a compromise between the township 
 and county, in w^hich the county has less influence than in the 
 south and the township less than in New England. While the 
 county may be considered in all these states the unit, it has under- 
 gone m'any changes. All the officers are elective and for a short 
 term, and their powers are rather closely restricted by the laws 
 of the state. The township has remained a vigorous organization, 
 caring for nearly all of the local questions and holding a restraint 
 
134 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 upon the county. The states that have tliis system are on the 
 border line between the north and south, viz. : Pennsylvania, Ohio, 
 Indiana, Illinois^ etc. 
 
 Illinois furnishes a good example of these two systems. The 
 southern part w^as settled by people from Virginia and Kentucky. 
 They established the county system witli this difference that all 
 officers were elective. The northern portion was settled by peo;;l3 
 (from the north) who w^ere accustomed to the township system. 
 When the first constitution was made a large part of the popula- 
 tion was in the southern portion of the state, so the county system 
 was adopted. The prohibition of slavery in Illinois by the Ordinance 
 of 1787 caused fewer people to come from the south to this state 
 than fromi the north. The northern portion soon grew in popula- 
 tion to exceed the south. The northern settlers did not find the 
 county system satisfactory and opposition soon became quite strong 
 between the north and south, resulting in a new constitution for 
 the state in 1848. A provision in this constitution gave the citizens 
 of the county local option concerning the question of township 
 governments, that is, if the majority of the voters in the county 
 should vote to organize townships they would then be organized. 
 The northern counties immediately organized township govern- 
 ments and held their town-meetings. The system has gradually 
 grown until over four-fifths of the counties in Illinois have estab- 
 lished township governments. 
 
TOWNS AND CITIES. 135 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 TOWNS AND CITIES. 
 
 Good harbors along the shores, shallow places fording rivers, 
 rapids furnishing water power, many mines of various ores, lishing 
 and commerce along the lakes, railway stations in the agricultural 
 districts, and other things that require many men to work together 
 in one place, have caused a great number of villages to spring up 
 over the TTnited States, particularly in the northern part. Where 
 people build their homes so closely together and so many of them, 
 there are things of interest to them that the farming country does 
 not need. For an economical system of local government it has 
 been found necessary to give them a separate system of govern- 
 ment. In fact a town or city government is a modification of a 
 township governmjent to meet their needs. Some of the things of 
 special interest to the town and city are fire departments, water 
 supply and sewerage systems, lighting of streets, a police force to 
 guard persons and property, many more and better roads or streets, 
 sidewalks, school buildings, hospitals, public parks, and, especially 
 in the larger cities, street railways and other things which you 
 will be able to think of. 
 
 Some of these towns and villages have grown to be great 
 cities: New York, from an Indian fur-trading center and fishing 
 village, and Chicago from a little portage fort have grown until 
 they rival the world as commercial and manufacturing centers. 
 The growth in populativm, numberless varieties of manufacturing 
 establishments, imm'cnse wholesale and retail stores, great railway 
 systems, with their immense store houses, etc., have caused such 
 
136 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 a great modification of these township governments that they are 
 no longer recognized and there has grown up a distinctive and 
 separate form of city and town governments. What is true of 
 New York and Chicago is likewise true with the hundreds of other 
 cities in the United States. The variety of town and city govern- 
 ment is as great, at least, as there are states and even greater, for 
 the cities in one state may differ very materially from each other 
 on account of interests, industries, and the traditions brought there 
 with the first settlers. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 STATE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 State. — We shall now attempt to study the state, county, 
 township, city and town governments with the officers and their 
 respective duties. As a matter of fact, the states exhibit compara- 
 tively few differences in the general character of their constitutions, 
 governments and laws,but in the details the variations are numerous 
 and the dissimilarities increase as we begin to compare the thirteen 
 original states with the newer ones that have been admitted into 
 the Union. 
 
 These variations are due to the differences of climate, occu- 
 pations, nationalities and the methods of transportations, etc. 
 The laws of a state in which the principal occupation is agriculture 
 will diffei from those in which the leading industry is mining, 
 and a state containing many large manufacuring cities will differ 
 materially from both of these. The states along the coast, with 
 their citizens interested in marine commerce, and large cities as 
 
STATE GOVERNMENT. 137 
 
 terminals of railroads, will have many laws peculiar to themselves. 
 The cotton, sugar and tobacco-growing states have many laws in 
 the statutes that are not to be found on the books of their narthern 
 brothers, but in their jilaces are other laws peculiar to the needi«. 
 
 The arid states in the mountain sections where the soil is made 
 fenile by irrigation have on their statutes many laws that are not 
 to be found anywhere else. 
 
 Legislative Department, — The legislative department in all 
 thi^ states is composed of two houses, the Senate and House of 
 Kepresentatives ; in six states the latter is called "The Assembly/' 
 in three the "House of Delegates." 
 
 Senate. — The number of senators varies from fifteen in Nevada 
 ix) sixty-tliree in Minnesota. The average is about thirty. In over 
 half of the states the length of term is four years, in New Jersey 
 three years, in Mlassachusetts and Ehode Island one year, in the 
 rest two years. Sixteen states have the same length of term 
 for both Houses. In most of the states the senators are not elected 
 at the same time, so the Senate is a continuous body, like the 
 Ignited States Senate. (See page 44.) As a rule, there are quili- 
 fications covering age, residence and citizenship. 
 
 House of Representatives. — The House is a very much larger 
 body than the Senate. Its membership averages about three times 
 that of the Senate, Nevada having the fewest (30), New Hamp- 
 shire the largest (308). The length of term varies fromi one year 
 in four of the original states, to four years in Louisiana and Missis- 
 sippi, while in all the rest the term is two years. The qualifica- 
 tions of a member are much the same as those of the Upper House, 
 except that the age limit is lower and the period of residence shorter. 
 In practically all of the states the senators and representatives 
 
138 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 are elected from districts equal in number to the members of the 
 respective houses (see page 137). Illinois has the same number of 
 districts for each as many as it has senators. There are three 
 representatives per district, and a provision is mlade for minority 
 representation, that is, each party nominates three candidates (or 
 can nominate three) and the voters have a right to cast three votes. 
 They may cast one vote for each of three candidates, or one and a 
 half for each two, or three votes for one. Under this arrangement 
 is it possible for the minority party to elect a member from each 
 district. 
 
 Sessions of the Legislature, — In those states that elect mem- 
 bers annually (also in South Carolina and Georgia.) the legislatures 
 meet annually, in all the others bi-annually. In nearly all of the 
 states when making the constitution the people thought it wise 
 to limit the length of the session of the legislature. In three 
 states it is limited to forty days, Pennsylvania to one hundred and 
 fift}^, in sixteen of the states there is no limit, and in most of the 
 rest it is sixty days. Special sessions may be called by the governor 
 or upon the request of a certain number of members^ which num- 
 ber varies in different states. 
 
 The salaries vary from one dollar a day and eight cents mileage 
 in Ehode Island to fifteen hundred dollars per year and ten cents a 
 niile in New York. The regulations are similar to those of the 
 United States : (1) A quorum, which is a majority in each house in 
 all but a very few of the -ctates. (2) Freedom of speech in the 
 legislative halls. (3) Expulsion of a member by a two-thirds vote. 
 
 (4) ExemJption from arrest during a session of the legislature. 
 
 (5) Eegulations regarding adjournment of a session. (6) The 
 keeping of journals and j)ublishing the records from time to 
 
STATE GOVERNMENT. 139 
 
 time. (T) Regulations regarding compensation. (8) Eestrie- 
 tions as to liolding other offices by the members of the legislature. 
 
 Special Duties of Each House. — The Senate tries all impeach- 
 ments. In New York the Senate and Court of Appeals conjointly 
 try impeachment of all officers; in Nebraska the Senate and Su- 
 preme Court try impeachments. In Vermont the Senate can pro- 
 pose amendments to the Constitution. In many of the states the 
 regular appointments made by the governor must be approved by 
 the Senate. 
 
 Tlie House of Representatives has the sole power of impeach- 
 miont. In Connecticut the Ix)wer House may propose amendments 
 to the constitution. 
 
 Executive. — The principal officers of the executive department 
 are Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer or 
 Comptroller, Attorney-General, Superintendent of Public Instruc- 
 tion (in some states called school commissioner), State Engineer, 
 State Surveyor, and Superintendent of Public Works. The chief 
 executive officer is the Governor ; he is elected directly by the people 
 for a term of from one to four years. In two states, Massachusetts 
 and Rhode Island, the governor is elected, for one year; in two 
 states, New York and New Jersey, for two years; in the remain- 
 ing states about equally divided between two and four years. The 
 salary of the governdr varies from one thousand dollars a year 
 in "Michigan to ten thousand a 3^ear in New York and Pennsylvania. 
 
 Duties of the Governor. — (1) It is the duty of the Governor to 
 
 enforce the laws of the state and when called upon to assist in the 
 
 execution of them in any of the local divisions; also to assist the 
 
 # ITnited States government if called upon. (2) It is his duty to 
 
140 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 send a message to the legislature at the beginning of each session, 
 stating the condition of the different departments of the state gov- 
 ernment, together with their needs, and a recommendation of such 
 new laws and revision of old ones as in his judgment should be 
 enacted. (3) He is the commander-in-chief of the state militia 
 and can call out these troops whenever, in his judgment, the pro- 
 tection of the citizens or their property is needed, whether it be to 
 aid the sheriff of the county or the President of the United States. 
 (4) In all states the Governor has the power to pardon criminals, 
 to grant reprieves, etc. In Vermont, however, he has not the 
 power to pardon a murderer, that is left to the legislature. (5) In 
 all the states except Rhodes Island, Delaware, Ohio and North 
 Carolina, the Governor has the power to veto all acts passed by the 
 legislature. Although in Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey and 
 Indiana, only a majority of each house is required to pass a bill 
 over the Governor's veto; in all the other states two-thirds is re- 
 quired. In about half of the states the Governor has the power 
 to veto any item or items in a bill for the appropriation of any pub- 
 lic money, but at the same time approving the balance of the bill. 
 This is considered by many to be a very important safeguard, be- 
 cause in cases where the Governor must approve all or veto all, it 
 is possible for some ill-advised appropriations to be attached to the 
 absolutely necessary ones and put into the same bill, so that the 
 Governor is compelled to approve the bad with the good or no 
 money will be appropriated for state purposes. (6) In many 
 states the Governor has the powTr to appoint many state officers, 
 in some states with the consent of usually the senate, in others with- 
 out. He usually has power to fill all vacancies, and generally has 
 supervision, if not control, of all the state boards and officials. He 
 
STATE GOVERNMENT. 141 
 
 has j^ower in ?ome states to remove from office, in others to prefer 
 charges and bring them before the legislature. 
 
 These are the general duties of the governors of the several 
 states. 
 
 Lieutenant-Governor. — About two-thirds of the states have 
 Lieutenant-Governors, who in case of death or disability of the 
 Governors, succeed them in office. The Lieutenant-G<^vernor is 
 always president of the Senate. 
 
 Secretary of State. — Each state has a Secretary. In most of 
 the states he is elected by the people, but in some by the legislature. 
 lie has charge of the state seal and keeps a record of the proceed- 
 ings of the legislature and the other departments of the state. He 
 has charge of the election returns and in general acts as a clerk 
 for the state. 
 
 Treasurer, or Comptroller. — Each state has a Treasurer, or 
 Comptroller, who has charge of all the fund's of the state, paying 
 them out at the order of the legislature or the state officials 
 authorized to draw upon the treasury. It is his duty to collect all 
 funds due the state and to report the financial condition of the state 
 to the Governor, or to the legislature at the beginning of its session. 
 .He is always under heavy bond for tlie faithful performance of 
 his duty. 
 
 Attorney-General. — Most of the states have Attorney-Generals, 
 who are the legal advisors of the legislature, the Governor and the 
 other state officials. Whenever the state has business in any court, 
 the Attornej^-General or his assistants represent it. The volume of 
 business in a state is quite large and in some cases the Attorney- 
 General has many assistants. It is his duty to prosecute all persons 
 
142 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 or corporations that violate the state law, whenever he is in posses- 
 sion of such evidence. It is necessary that he be a man of much 
 experience and thoroughly acquainted with all phases of the law. 
 
 Superintendent. — The Superintendent of Public Instruction^ 
 or School Commissioner, is a very important officer. He has super- 
 vision of all classes of public schools, issuing of licenses by the state, 
 and in some states courses of study, text-books, levying of money 
 for school purposes; he attends to all other duties and important 
 questions concerning public schools. From this it will be observed 
 that he needs to be a broad-minded, well-educated man, and like- 
 wise thoroughly familiar with the many important problems con- 
 nected with a school system of a great state. In many of the 
 states he is assisted in his duties by a state board of education. 
 
 The State Engineer, Surveyor and Superintendent of Public 
 Works have the various duties that their namies imply. 
 
 Judicial, — It is impossible to describe a system of courts that 
 apply to all the states; the courts tend, however, to approach a 
 certain type. There is a Supreme Court in every state, the judges 
 of which represent the entire state. It has jurisdiction over all 
 cases tried in the lower courts, and has original jurisdiction in a 
 very few cases. Its decisions are final on all points or cases con- 
 nected with the state laws, but cases can be appealed to the United 
 States courts if it contains any points over which they have juris- 
 diction. (For these cases see page 93). Below the Supreme Court 
 are district, circuit or superior courts, which are equal in number 
 to the districts into which a state is divided. In some counties 
 where the volume of business is very large there are several judges 
 in one county, in others where the volume of business is much 
 smaller there may be one judge for two or three counties. In the 
 
STATE GOVERNMENT. 143 
 
 latter case the judge goes around from one* county to another and 
 holds sessions of court, the length of the session de^^ending upon 
 the amount of business. These courts have both original and appel- 
 late jurisdiction. Then there is a lower division known as justice 
 courts. They try miinor cases. The judges of these courts are 
 called justices of the peace. They have only original jurisdiction 
 over niiinor, civil and criminal cases. In cities there is a court 
 called the mayor's court. 
 
 In addition to the above there are courts of equity, probate 
 courts, and in large cities there are criminal and juvenile courts. 
 Prom the names of them you can tell what cases they try. In many 
 states where the volume of business has become too great for the 
 Supreme Court, there has been established what is known as the 
 Court of Appeals. Many cases that are appealed from the lower 
 courts come before this one and are settled, although they may be 
 appealed from this court to the Supreme Court; in most cases, 
 however, the decision of this court is final, that is, the contending 
 parties accept it as such. 
 
 The term of office of judges varies from two years to life, or 
 during good behavior. The judges receive their offices in principally 
 three ways,— some are elected by the people, others appointed by the 
 governor, and still others appointed by the legislature. There are 
 qualifications relating to age, residence, citizenship, etc. I^early 
 all of the states provide a fixed salary for the judges without any 
 fees. This salary varies with the character of the court and the 
 volume of business. 
 
144 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 COUNTY OFFICERS. 
 
 The principal officers of the county are : Sheriff, Auditor, Clerk, 
 Superintendent, or Commissioner of Public Schools, Treasurer, 
 County Assessor, Coroner, Attorney, Recorder, and in states where 
 they have a cumpulsory educational law, one or more Truant 
 Officers, Surveyor, a Board of County Commissioners, and usually 
 a Board of Health and a Board of Tax Equalizers. These are not 
 all of the county officials in the various counties, nor will all of 
 these be found in every, county, but they are the principal ones. 
 
 The Sheriff.— It is the duty of the Sheriff to maintain peace 
 and order and to execute all the decrees and decisions of the county 
 courts. He is the keeper of the county jail, and it is his duty to 
 care for its inmates. It is his duty to help capture any offender 
 of the law, whenever the proper authority is given to him. 
 
 The Auditor. — It is the duty of this official to keep a record of 
 all claims against the county and to record the tax assessments of 
 the county. He is usually the clerk of the county board of com- 
 missioners, investigates and authorizes the loans of school money, 
 and certifies all checks and transfers of public funds made by the 
 county treasurer. He makes all these transactions matters of pub- 
 lic record. These duties vary in different states. 
 
 County Cleric. — This officer is commonly known as the Clerk 
 of the Court. He keeps all records and proceedings of the county 
 courts, distributes all election ballots and receives and records all 
 election returns, issues marriage licenses, etc. 
 
COUNTY OFFICERS. 145 
 
 Superintendent of Schools. — The Superintendent of Public 
 Schools has the supervision of all the schools in the county, except 
 city schools. He examines the teachers, grants licenses to teach, 
 conducts institutes as schools of instruction for teachers and visits 
 tlie schools at stated times ; in some states he has charge of the se- 
 lection of school books or the management of the same, as pro- 
 vided by the statute. Occasionally he has some authority in the 
 selection of the teachers, but more often in their dismissal. He is 
 Usually a member of the county board, of educatioa and a very im- 
 portant factor in the public school system. 
 
 The County Assessor. — The County assessors aid the local 
 assessors in their work and assist in the equalization of property 
 valuations. 
 
 The Treasurer. — Th^ Treasurer has charge of all the county's 
 funds. In many states he collects all the taxes, not only for the 
 county but for the state, township, city, and town as well. It is 
 his duty to make the proper distribution of these funds, as pre- 
 bcribed by the auditor's report. He collects all moneys due the 
 county and makes all disbursements that are certified by the proper 
 authorities. He is compelled to give a heavy bond, which he for- 
 feits if he appropriates any of the funds for any purposes not pre- 
 scribed by the authorities. 
 
 The Coroner. — The Coroner investigates eases ')f death caused 
 by violence and decides how the individual met his death. He 
 may swear in a jury of six or twelve men to aid him. 
 
 County Attorney. — The advisor of all the officers of the 
 county, fhe prosecutor of all violations of the law, and the repre- 
 sentative of the county of any court proceedings that it may be a 
 
146 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 party to is the County Attorney. He is to the county what the 
 state's attorney is to the state. 
 
 The Recorder. — The Recorder keeps a record of all deeds, mort- 
 gages, transfers, contracts, etc., and in some states the records of 
 births, deaths, marriages, divorces and such other records as the 
 state may prescribe. 
 
 The Surveyor. — The Surveyor lays out and plats any new 
 surveys, roads, county ditches or drains, runs any lines for locating 
 boundaries, cornerstones or other marks of identification, and at- 
 tends to such other business as comes in the line of a surveyor. 
 
 Board of County Commissioners. — There is a Board of County 
 Commissioners, usually three to five in number. This board is the 
 legislative body of the county, if we may honor it with that name. 
 It has the supervision of the county officers, the laying and changing 
 of townships, school districts, roads, etc. The care and construc- 
 tion of any bridge which is so expensive it would be too much of 
 a burden for any town or township to construct, is also under its 
 supervision. This board has charge of the construction and main- 
 tainance of all buildings which the count^^ may need, or i& author- 
 ized to construct such as: a jail, court house, hospital, etc. In 
 some states they may purchase and maintain a farm as a home for 
 the poor and unfortunate of their county. The board also deter- 
 mines the amount of money necessary to defray the expenses of the 
 county from year to year. Wliere there is not an especial board it 
 acts as a board to equalize the taxes and to hear the complaints of 
 those who consider that they have been assessed above their valua- 
 tion. In many states it has considerable power in appointing cer- 
 tain officers and in filling vacancies, but little power in removing 
 officers. . It has the power to grant franchises to railway, telephone. 
 
OFFICERS OF THE TOWNSHIP. 147 
 
 telegraph or any other companies. In some states this board is 
 given the power of granting licenses for the purpose of selling 
 all spirituous liquors and any other commodities that require a 
 license. From what has been said it is plain that this board is a 
 very imiportant one in the administrative affairs of local government. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE TOWNSHIP. 
 
 With these divisions, as with the others we have discussed, the 
 officers and their duties are as various as there are states in the 
 Union. An important feature about them all is, however, that 
 practically all expenditures of township money for road's, schools, 
 poor, buildings, and for improvements of public interest are auth- 
 orized by a public vote of the citizens at their annual town meeting. 
 Many townships have a Board of Trustees, or Township Com- 
 missioners, who has charge of the work of the towrship. In 
 some states the functions of this board are intrusted to one person, 
 as in Indiana for example He is limited, however, in his levy for 
 township money, and the checking out of the ?ame, except in very 
 minor cases, by an advisory board of three members elected by the 
 voters of the district. In others, as the New England states, Mich- 
 igan, Illinois, ^Minnesota, etc., all appropriations must be made at 
 the annual session of the town meeting. This way, at least a ma- 
 jority of the citizens of a township must be sufficiently concerned 
 in tlie improvements to vote upon themselves the necessary taxe^ 
 to make the same. 
 
148 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 The principal offices of the township are: a Board of Com-« 
 mis&ioners, or Trustees, as mentioned above; an Assessor, who 
 levies on all the property of the township ; one or more Road Com- 
 missioners, in some states called Supervisors, who liave general 
 charge of the public highways of their respective districts. In 
 some states a clerk, who has charge of all the township records, 
 administers oaths, takes affidavits, etc. Hie records the proceed- 
 ings of all the township meetings, including by-laws, rules, ordi- 
 nances, etc., made at these meetings, and in some states it is his 
 duty to certify to the proper authorities the amount of fundfe nec- 
 essary to meet the expense of the township annually. In some 
 townships they have a Supervisor of the Poor, whose duties are 
 what his name implies. The township has a Board of Health, 
 which is usually composed of all or part of the township officers. 
 In case of any contagious disease, they can take the necessary pre- 
 caution to prevent its spreading and still farther endangering the 
 lives of the citizens. Some states have a Township Auditor who 
 must examine the accounts of all the officers who have the power to 
 authorize or disburse any of the township^s funds. 
 
 In each township there is one or miore judicial officers, known 
 as the Justice of the Peace. He tries all minor cases and for any 
 criminal offenses committed in the township, gives the criminal a 
 hearing and binds him over to the proper authorities. To execute 
 the orders of the justice court, there is elected for every justice an 
 offilcer, usually known as the Constable; he has the same general 
 duties for the township that the sheriff has for the county. These 
 are the principal officers that will be found in any township organi- 
 zation. The duties of the same as well as the names vary. 
 
 The length of term of the officers of the township vary from 
 
OFFICERS OF TOWN AND CITY. 149 
 
 one to four years ; in many states they are elected at the annual town 
 meeting, others run a still longer time, particularly in towns where 
 they do not have the regular town meetings, but the prevailing 
 term of office is short. In many townships the officers serve with- 
 out salary and if they receive any pay at all it is for the actual 
 time that it takes them to perform the duties of their office. In 
 others they are paid a salary which is small and varies with the 
 extent of their official duties. On the whole the township business 
 is carried on in a very economical manner. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 OFFICERS OF TOWX AND CITY. 
 
 In the course of the administration of the New England town- 
 ship affairs, in that section of the township where a manufacturing 
 establishment was placed and a number of homes were built around 
 the factory, different questions and problems of local governmient 
 presented themselves, and in many cases a disagreement between 
 the factory owners and the rural farming communities would fol- 
 low, the discussions and differences becoming very intense. As a 
 result of the different needs these little urban divisions were sepa- 
 rated from the township and became separate and distinct corpora- 
 tions, known as towns or villages. 
 
 These little villages would organize a government similar to 
 that of the township, creating the additional officers to carry out 
 the needs of the town. In these small towns they have a Board of 
 Aldermen, or members of a town board, in some states called a 
 
150 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 Council, the number ranging from three upward, depending on the 
 size of the village. The town is divided into divisions called wards, 
 each having one or two members in the council. These, like the 
 township ofBcers serve short terms, usually one or two years. This 
 board has charge of the administrative needs of the town, viz., the 
 town buildings, streets, crossings, sewerage, lighting, etc. This 
 board is to the town what the board of commissioners is to the 
 county. There is always a town clerk, who keeps the records and 
 proceedings of the town council and such other records as may bo 
 delegated to him by the legislature of the state and the town 
 council. 
 
 There is a Town Treasurer, Marshal, in some states a Street 
 Commissioner, Overseer of the Poor, Librarian, etc. These officers, 
 like those of the township, receive a very- small salary, or are paid 
 for the actual time they serve in the official capacity. The town 
 marshal usually receives the highest salary. 
 
 As the town grows larger its system of government becomes 
 miore complex, because its needs and duties are greatly increased 
 When it reaches a certain size its government is reorganized and 
 it is incorporated as a city. 
 
 Each state has its own system of laws for governing cities and 
 in most cases the larger ones are governed differently than the 
 femaller ones. Even two large cities in the same state may be 
 organized differently, because the state legislature usually grantii 
 the wishes of a city if they do not encroach upon the rights or in- 
 jure the interests of any other part of the state.. The reasons 
 for these variations have been given in Chapter XXL 
 
 \'\Tiile there are so many differences in the details of city 
 government, there is a general resemblance; for we find in every 
 
OFFICERS OF TOWN AND CITY. 151 
 
 city a Mayor, the head of the executive department; a legislative 
 body composed of one or two houses; and a complete system of 
 municipal courts. These officers are all elected by the people with 
 a single exception, in some cases the judges are appointed by the 
 state. 
 
 The Mayor is the most prominent officer in the city govern- 
 ment. His term varies from one year in Boston, twv> years in 
 New York, Chicago, Baltimore, San Francisco, and in many other 
 large cities, to five years in Philadelphia and St. Louis. His gen- 
 eral duties are similar to those of the governors of a state, but there 
 must be added to these many special duties. In most of the cities 
 he has the power to veto, the same as the governor or president. In 
 Chicago and San Francisco the mayor presides over the council^ 
 His salar}' in some cities is as high as $15,000 a year. 
 
 Among the other officers of the executive department the 
 principal ones are : Treasurer, or Comptroller, Clerk, Assessor, City 
 Collector, and Superintendent of Schopls. Then there are Street 
 Commissioners, a Supererintendent of police, fire department, park 
 boards, health, poor, water department, and various Inspectors, and 
 a Board of Education. 
 
 The legislative department is usually termed the City Council. 
 In many cities it is composed of two chambers, the upper, called 
 the aldermen, and the lower one, the common council ; but in New 
 York, Chicago, San Francisco, and most of the smaller cities there 
 is a single body. They are all elected by the people for a term of 
 from one to four years. The duties of the same are similar to those 
 of the legislature of a state. The council has considerable control 
 over the various departments of the city government. It has stand- 
 ing committees, such as streets, finance, public buildings, etc., that 
 
152 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 acquaint themselves with the neeas of their departm'ents and aid 
 the council in making legislations for them. The council is not a 
 very large body; in San Francisco it has as few as twelve, in other 
 cities it is increased from two to five, or six times this nimiber. 
 
 Courts. — The system of courts in the city is similar to that 
 already discussed, with a slightly different organization in each" 
 city. In some cities the judges are appointed by the governor of 
 the state for life or during good behavior, but in most cities they 
 are elected by the people for a short term. 
 
 Many chapters could be written on the government of any one 
 of the great cities in the United States, and not exhaust the facts 
 that every citizen should know how to perform, his part in the 
 government of that city. And, furthenuiore, he should be familiar 
 with the admirable points in the government of other great cities 
 of the country, so when any change in his own city is to be made, he 
 will be familiar with and profit by the experience of his neighbors. 
 
 We trust that with these few general facts you will not only 
 familiarize yourself with the details of your own city government, 
 but you will he interested in strengthening the weak points in it 
 by fainilia5rizing yourself with the satisfactory experiences ojf 
 others. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 CONCLUSION". 
 
 In our brief study we have seen how the few colonies scattered 
 along the Atlantic coast have expanded and increased in num- 
 ber until they have built up the greatest self-goveniing empire the 
 
CONCLUSION. 153 
 
 world has ever known. In much the samie way those good old 
 Pilgrim Fathers came together in their town meetings to discuss 
 plans and methods as to how they could accomplish the greatest 
 good for the largest number (in the most economical way) within 
 the bounds of their domain, even to this very day do the grand- 
 children of their grand-children meet in town meetings, almost in 
 the shadow of the gravestones of their sires to discuss questions 
 to the self-same end. Not only in the same town or village, but in 
 the valleys of the many branches of the Father of Waters, farther 
 west in the boundless prairies, where they have built peaceful homes, 
 and even beyond the Kocky Mountains, to the great Pacific's shore, 
 do they meet from time to time on the self-same mission with al- 
 most the same liberty and freedom enjoyed by their fore-fathers of 
 old; although they have built counties and states over them and, 
 what is more, have united these states into a bond of union and 
 elected one of their own citzens to rule for a. period of four years 
 at a time over this continuous expanse of empire which is greater 
 than that ruled over by all the crowned heads of Europe combined. 
 You may ask the question, how is all this possible? It is 
 answered by stating, that it is the harmonious relationship that the 
 state bears to these local divisions, and, secondly, the same rela- 
 tion that it bears to the general government. The state exercises 
 a general supervision over the townships and counties, which is 
 just enough to harmonize so many local administrations; the 
 United States government adheres strictly to questions that are 
 of general interest to the states ; and it seldom if ever interferes in 
 any of the local affairs of the several states. Under this system 
 every American citizen is equal to every other American citizen in 
 the nuanagement of all public affairs, and votes directly or indi- 
 
154 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 rectly for every officer from, tlie least in the school district or 
 township to the greatest in the state or nation, so that every man, 
 woman or child is animated by a spirit of patriotism and is desir- 
 ous of acquainting himself with all the questions of public interest 
 that concern him or her, from the little home circle to the great 
 questions of public policy that bear on the relation of states to each^ 
 other and the nation to foreign countries. 
 
 This great nation has arrived at this point after having 
 solved one perplexing question after another ; however, it is not free 
 from the many trying conditions that beset its pathway; but deep 
 in the hearts of its loyal citizens are the firm convictions that in the 
 future as in the past it will meet these difficult situations fairly 
 and squarely with a complete and satisfactory solution. 
 
 In order to show more clearly the import of these statements, 
 we wish to give you a brief discussion of local government of the 
 next greatest Republic in the world. 
 
 France is divided into eighty-nine divisions called depart- 
 ments. All of them, have identically the same government; the 
 principal officer in each is the Prefect. He is the treasurer, re- 
 cruiting officer and superintendent of sichools for his department 
 and, furthermore, appoints nearly all of the inferior officers. Each 
 department has a central council, elected by the people, but this 
 body has very little power, it connot even assess its own taxes ; thej 
 are assessed for it by the central legislature at Paris. The manner 
 of collecting the same is speciJBed by the legislature. This depart- 
 ment council has not even the right to express its views on any sub- 
 ject, it acts simply in its official capacity in matters of adminis- 
 tration. 
 
 The smallest division into which a department is divided is a 
 
CONCLUSION. 155 
 
 Commune, which may bo a town or township. The people elect a 
 council for the commune, and the council elects the Mayor. The 
 mayor is responsible to the j^refect, and he in turn to the minister 
 of the interior at Paris. If the mayor displeases any of these 
 officers he is forced to resign and a new one is appointed in his 
 place. So the minutest details of government are authorized by 
 the minister of the interior. 
 
 This is enough to show you that the people of France do not 
 manage their own affairs, but that they are governed by a body of 
 men whose official head is located in Paris. It is a sort of "Central- 
 ized despotism" in which the people have comparatively little to 
 say. The French people know very little about governmental af- 
 fairs, although they are generally intelligent on most any other 
 subject. How different this is from our o^wti county. 
 
 "But if we Americans were to set about giving to the state 
 governments things to do that had better be done by the counties 
 and towns (townships), and giving the federal government things 
 to do that had better be done by the states, it would not take many 
 generations to dull the keen edge of our political capacity. We 
 ehould lose it as inevitably as the most consummate of pianists will 
 lose his facility if he stops practicing. It is, therefore, a fact of 
 cardinal importance that in the United States the local govern- 
 ments of townships, counties and cities are left to administeij 
 themselves instead of being administered by a great bureau with 
 its head at the state capital" (Washington). 
 
 There is an old maxim that runs, "You learn to do by doing.'* 
 Is it not true that because the local government is no higher than 
 the people of those divisions make it, l)ecause they are largely 
 responsible for it, and that the larger ones are only a combination 
 
156 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 of these smaller ones, prove that the wisdom and justice of our 
 government is due to the wisely directed efforts of the great Ameri- 
 can citizen in the local affairs. 
 
 Mjy young readers, may you ever be filled with a personal 
 inspiration to understand the details of all the departments of our 
 government and feel the worth of your part in maintaining this 
 great republic. 
 
SUGGESTIVE REVIEW QUESTIONS. 
 
 CHAPTER rV. 
 
 THE KINDS OF GOVEENMENT. 
 
 SUGGESTIVE REVIEW QUESTIONS. 
 
 What is a monarchy? What title is given to the ruler of an erapir**? 
 Of a kingdom ? Of a principality ? Of a duchy ? How many kinds of 
 monarchies are there ? What are they called ? What is an absolute mon- 
 archy ? What is said of an absolute monarchy ? What monarchy is spoken 
 of ? Tell in your own words the story of Ivan IV. 
 
 What is a limited monarchy ? AVhat limited monarchy is spoken of * 
 Who is now ruler of England? With whom does he share his power 2 
 What is an aristocracy ? What is thought of aristocracies ? 
 
 What is a republic ? What is said about a republic ? What is the nam>i 
 of the government where the people all meet to make the laws? Ans. A 
 democracy. What colony was once a democracy? Why is it now necessary 
 to have representatives? W jere do the representatives of our country meet? 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 AETIOLES OP CONFEDERATION. 
 SUGGESTIVE REVIEW QUESTIONS. 
 
 What were the first laws called by which this country was governed? 
 For what states were they drawn? Name the thirteen original states. 
 
158 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 Why had we no re&.l government under these Articles ? What did Wasn 
 ington say about it? Who were active in preparing the public mind for 
 a change? What did James Wilson say about our Constitution? 
 
 CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 SUGGESTIVJi REVIEW QUESTIONS. 
 
 What is a constitution? Repeat the preamble. What are the three 
 departments in our government? What is the legislative department? 
 Where does Congress meet? Of what is Congress composed? What is 
 the judicial department? Why is it better to have the two departments 
 independent? What is the executive department? 
 
 CHAPTER YII. 
 
 THE HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. 
 
 SUGGESTIVE REVIEW QUESTIONS. 
 
 Op what is the House of Representatives composed? Why was it wise to 
 make it two years? What is an elector? Ans. One who has the right to 
 vote in choosing an officer. Name the three qualifications required for a 
 representative. What is a naturalized citizen ? How are vacancies in the 
 representation of a state to be filled ? By whom is the speaker of the House 
 of Representatives cho«^'^n? By whom are the other officers of the House 
 chosen? What sole power has the House ? What is meant by impeachment? 
 
REVIEW QltESTIONS. 159 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE SENATE. 
 SUGGESTIVE REVIEW QUESTIONS. 
 
 Of whom is the Senate composed ? Fqr how long chosen ? How many 
 votes has each senator? Explain how the best men of the state may be 
 chosen senators. P^xplain the resemblance of our government to the 
 school. What plan was adopted in the first meeting of Congress? Why is 
 this a good idea? How many will try to put only honest men into office? 
 (Hands up.) How old must a senator be? How long a citizen? Where 
 must he reside ? Why should the senator be older than the representative ? 
 How does our Senate differ from the House of Lords? 
 
 Who is president of the Senate? When has he a vote? What kind of 
 men should be elected Vice-President? Ans. Men who are in every respect 
 as competent as the President. Why? Ans. Because they may become 
 President. Who will think of this when you become voters, or the wives 
 of voters? (Hands up.) Why is it best to have the Vice-President presi- 
 dent of the Senate? Is there any objection to seeing the good points of 
 our government? Ans. No; we should see all the good and improve all 
 the faulty features. How can this be done? Ans. By keeping honest men 
 in office. How can honest men be kept in office? Jins. By the voters. Who 
 are responsible if dishonest men get office? Ans. The voters are responsible, 
 as they elect them. 
 
 How are the other officers of the Senate elected? What is meant by 
 pro tempore? Ans. For the time being. Why is a president pro tempore 
 elected? What kind of man should be chosen? Ans. One of the best in 
 the Senate, as there is no telling what may happen. Should the President 
 die, and should a war break out during the recess of Congress, we should 
 have a strong man as president of the Senate. Who try impeachments? 
 Why? Why are the words "oath" or "affirmation " used? What did Franklin 
 remark during the meetings of the committee that framed the Constitution? 
 Who presides when the President is on trial? Why is this wise? How far 
 shall judgment extend in case of mipeachnieut? When can the person 
 
160 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 be indicted? How only can a man be deprived of liberty in this country? 
 How does this differ from other countries ? Who were the first to do away 
 with this bad law ? Explain how a man is tried on impeachment. 
 
 By whom shall the time, place, etc., for holding elections for senators be 
 prescribed? What power has Congress here? Why was this provision 
 made? How often does Congress meet? 
 
 Who judges of the election returns? What power has the minority? 
 Why is this a thoughtful provision ? Why should the majority make the 
 laws ? Why was the power of compelling the members to attend given to 
 the minority? How are the rules for the houses made? How can a mem- 
 ber be expelled? What is meant by the rules which govern the House? 
 What important rule is mentioned ? Why should it take two-thirds vote to 
 expel a member? What is said about keeping a journal of proceedings, 
 etc.? Why is this right? How are the yeas and nays taken? How are 
 members of Congress compensated ? What privileges do they enjoy ? Why 
 is this an important clause ? Why should congressmen be exempt from 
 arrest for petty offences? Why should men not fear to say what they 
 think when talking on a bill? What is said about congressmen being 
 elected to civil office ? Why should this be so ? 
 
 Where do bills for raising revenue originate ? Why is it thought our 
 forefathers made this provision? How are laws made? What nmst the 
 President do with a bill ? If he object to sign a bill, what is it called ? 
 Ans. A veto. Why was this power given?" Ans. To protect the executive 
 department against encroachments of the legislature, and for greater secur- 
 ity against the enactment of improper laws. What is then done with the 
 bill when vetoed? What record of names is imperative? How may a bill 
 become a law even though the President has neither signed nor vetoed it ? 
 How if passed both houses and not vetoed? Has the English king the 
 veto power? What is said of an order of resolution, etc.? Why is this 
 right ? What are the principal officers of the Senate besides the president ? 
 Ans. Secretary of the Senate, Chaplain, Chiel Clerk, Principal Executive 
 Clerk, Sergeant-at-Arms, Postmaster, Reporters of Debate, and Superinten- 
 dents of Folding and Document Rooms. " What salary is paid to congress- 
 men ? A71S. $5000 per year. Also a mileage ; i.e., twenty cents per mile 
 of travel going to and from each annual session. 
 
REVIEW QUESTIONS. 161 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 WHAT OONQRESS HAS POWER TO DO. 
 SUGGESTIVE REVIEW QUESTIONS. 
 
 What power has Congress to lay and collect taxes ? Duties ? Imposts ? 
 Excises ? What is said as to their being uniform ? What Congress had no 
 such power ? Who can borrow money on the credit of the United States ? 
 When did this prove a wise provision ? Why ? Who regulates commerce ? 
 What is meant by this? When had Congress no such power? What was the 
 result? What is said of rules of naturalization and bankruptcies? What is 
 a bankrupt law? Ans. One which provides for the relief of persons unable 
 to pay their debts. A person who cannot pay his debts is called a bankrupt. 
 Why is this well ? Wlio can coin money ? What are the places called where 
 money is coined ? ^ns. Mints. How many and where are the mints? Ans. 
 There are four, one in each of the following cities : Philadelphia, San Fran- 
 cisco, Carson City, and New Orleans. Has Congress fixed the standard of 
 weights and measures? Ans. Only in this manner: each governor has been 
 supplied with accurate copies of weights and measures used in custom houses, 
 and they have been, as a rule, adopted as the standard. Who fixes value of 
 foreign coin ? Standard of weights and measures ? Why should this be 
 vested in Congress? 
 
 What power has Congress to punish counterfeiters? Why should this 
 power be given to Congress? Who establishes post-roads? What are 
 post-roads? What kind of railroad is meant? Ans. Steam car railroad. 
 Are other roads post-roads? Ans. Any public highway may be a post-road. 
 How may authors and inventors be protected? What is a copyright? 
 An inventor's patent ? What power has Congress to constitute tribunals ? 
 Punish and define piracies, etc.? Who can declare war? Grant letters of 
 marque? What reason is given as to why Congress should have the above 
 power? — (1) Piracies, (2) declare war, (3) grant letters. What power has 
 Congress to raise and support armies? Why was Congress limited as to 
 time of appropriation? Ans. To protect the people. How? The people 
 elect new members every two years, and, if opposed to the war, may elect 
 
162 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 men who will not maintain it. To provide a navy? To make rules for the 
 government of the land and naval forces? What are the rules called? Ans. 
 Articles of War. When a man enlists as a soldier, he has to swear that 
 he will obey these Articles of War. To call forth the militia ? When did 
 this prove a wise clause? Ans. During the "Whiskey Insurrection" in 
 Pennsylvania. When had Congress no power to raise armies? What 
 was the result ? What power has Congress over the seat of government ? 
 Of all public lands? Where is the United States capital? From what 
 state was the District of Columbia taken? Why should Congress have this 
 power? What is said of the meeting held in Philadelphia? 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 WHAT CONaRESS CANNOT DO. 
 
 SUGGESTIVE REVIEW QtJESTIONS. 
 
 What is a writ of habeas corpus ? What is said of it in the Constitution ? 
 What is said about this subject ? 
 
 What is a bill of attainder? Ex post-facto law? Who first prohibited 
 acts of attainder? Give an illustration of an ex post-facto law. 
 
 What is said of commerce between the states? Of vessels bound to or 
 from one state to another ? What caused our forefathers to think of this 
 law? 
 
 How can money be drawn from the national treasury? What publica- 
 tion must be made from time to time ? What is the purpose of the clause ? 
 
 What is said of titles of nobility ? Of accepting presents, etc. ? Whj 
 should there be no titles in this country ? 
 
 What is forbidden the states as to treaties? Granting letters of marque, 
 etc.? Coining money? Emitting bills of credit? Passing bills of attainder 
 or ex post-facto laws ? The laying of imposts and duties ? How are the net 
 products of duties to be expended? Tonnage? Troops? Ships of war? 
 When may a state engage in war ? Why was it necessary to put these pro- 
 hibitions on the state ? How are states prohibited from abusing the powers 
 given them? 
 
REVIEW QUESTIONS. 163 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. 
 SUGGESTIVE BEVIEW QUESTIONS. 
 
 Does your father vote directly for the President? For whom theni 
 Why was this plan adopted? In whom is the executive power vested^ 
 For how long elected? Who else is elected with him? How are the 
 electors appointed? How many to a state? Who cannot be an elector? 
 What is the history of past nations as to the executive ? How often may a 
 President be elected? W^hat were Washington's ideas on this subject? 
 Tell in your own words how the electors conduct an alection. If the 
 electors do not elect a President, what is done ? Who would elect the Vice- 
 President ? "Why ? Explain how the candidate receiving the popular vote 
 may not be elected. Is there any reason for this? Explain how it is just. 
 (See also note, page 147, Clement's Civil Government.) 
 
 Who determines the time of choosing the electors, etc.? Only what per- 
 sons are eligible to the office of President ? When are the electors chosen ? 
 When do they meet to give their votes ? Where do they meet ? In what 
 part of the state usually ? Why was there at first an exception made as to 
 who might be eligible to the office of President ? 
 
 If the President should be removed for any cause, who would succeed 
 him? If the Vice-President should die after becoming President, who once 
 would have become President? Why was this felt to be unjust? What is 
 now the order of succession ? Why were the executive departments estab- 
 lished? Ans. To aid the President in his official duties. How are the 
 heads of departments appointed? Ans. By the President, with the advice 
 and consent of the Senate. What is a reprieve? Ans. A limited sus- 
 pension or delay of the execution of a sentence in a criminal case. 
 
 What salary is paid the President ? What is he forbidden to receive ? 
 Repeat the oath taken by the President. What is the salary of the Vice- 
 President? Ans. {|10,000. Members of the Cabinet? Ans. $8000. What 
 are the duties of the Secretary of State? Ans. To attend to our foreign 
 relations. To take charge of all laws passed by Congress ; also, all other 
 
164 CIVICS FOK YOUNG AMERICANS, 
 
 official documents, such as treaties made between the United States anci 
 foreign nations. Who is the present Secretary of State? What are the 
 duties of the Secretary of Treasury? Ans. He has charge of the financial 
 affairs of the United States government, besides superintending the collec- 
 tion of the internal revenue, the lighthouses on the United states coasts, the 
 government mints, United States coast survey, the government printing and 
 engraving, the life-saving service, and the bureau of statistics. The Secre- 
 tary of War? Ans. To provide food, clothing and military supplies for the 
 United States army ; also, to superintend the signal service. The Secretary 
 of Navy? Ans. Has charge of the public yards, docks, navigation, provis- 
 ion and clothing of the navy, medicine and surgery bureau, bureau of 
 equipment and recruiting, bureau of construction and repairs, and bureau 
 of steam engineering. Secretary of the Interior? Ans. Through this de- 
 partment is transacted all the business relating to the United States census, 
 public lands, pensions, Indian affairs, patents, educational affairs, railroads, 
 government hospitals, and Columbia Institute for the Deaf and Dumb. The 
 Postmaster-General? Ans. Has charge of all the post-offices and all public 
 business in connection with them. The Attorney-General? Ans. Conducts 
 all suits of the United States in the Supreme Court, and gives such legal in- 
 formation as may be called for by the President, Congress, or members of 
 the Cabinet. Secretary of Agriculture? Ans. Has to do with the procuring 
 and distributing of valuable seeds, plants, and giving such information as 
 may be of service to the agriculture interests of the country. 
 
 What relation has the President to the army and navy? What may he 
 require of the principal officer of the executive department? Can the Presi- 
 dent grant reprieves? What exception is mentioned? Why should the 
 President have control of the army and navy? Why should he have the 
 pardoning power? 
 
 What is said of the President making treaties? Appointing ambas- 
 sadors? Public ministers? Judges? Why is the power to make treaties 
 placed in the hands of the President? What is meant by ambassadors? 
 Consuls ? When can the President fill vacancies ? For how long ? Why 
 was this necessary? 
 
 What is required of the President as to giving information to Congress? 
 How is the information given to Congress? What power has he on extraor- 
 ^nary occasions ? When did the President con veije Congress? How may 
 
REVIEW QUESTIONS. 165 
 
 the President, Vice-President, and other officers be removed from office? 
 For what offence? "What is treason ? What kind of men should be elected 
 President? Ans. Honest men. Who are to be the voters ten or fifteen 
 years from now ? A ns. The boys of to-day. How can you keep the good 
 name of our country? Ans. By electing uprioht men to office. How many 
 will remember this when you become voters? (Hands up.) 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. 
 SUGGESTIVE REVIEW QUESTIONS. 
 
 Which is the most important department in our government? Why the 
 judicial? In whom is the judicial power vested? How long do the judges 
 hold office ? Upon what does it depend ? What about their salary ? How 
 does the tenure of office differ from that of the colonial times? Of whom 
 is the Supreme Court composed? What are the other officers of the national 
 courts? What is the salary of the Chief -Justice? Of the associates ? 
 
 Name the subjects over which the judicial powei has jurisdiction. Give 
 an example of a case arising under the Constitution. Under the laws of the 
 United States. Under a treaty made. Under those affecting ambassadors, 
 etc. Under the Admiralty. Under controversies between states. Between 
 citizens of the same state claiming land under grants, etc. 
 
 When shall the Supreme Court have original jurisdiction? What is 
 meant by original jurisdiction? When shall the Supreme Court have appel- 
 late jurisdiction ? What is meant by appellate jurisdiction? What is the 
 principal business of the Supreme Court? How can good judges be secured 
 for these courts? Ans. By electing a good President? Who, then, are really 
 responsible? Ans. The people. 
 
 What is said of trial by jury ? Where shall trials be held ? Whom does 
 this protect? What was the doctrine of our forefathers? Did they carry it 
 out fully? Ans. ^o. Why? Ana, Because they allowed slavery to coa» 
 tinue. 
 
166 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. 
 SUGGESTIVE REVIEW QUESTIONS. 
 
 What is treason against the United States ? How can a person be con 
 victed of treason? Who shall declare the punishment of treason ? What is 
 forbidden? How were men formerly made to confess guilt? What is meant 
 by corruption of blood ? 
 
 What is said of full faith and credit to be given in each state to the pub- 
 lic acts of other states ? What is meant by this ? To what are citizens of 
 each state entitled? What is said of persons fleeing from justice from one 
 state to another ? Why is this a wise provision ? 
 
 riow are new states admitted? How can new states be formed from 
 otlier states? Who has power to make rules and regulations for the terri- 
 tories ? Why should Congress have power over 'the territories ? How are 
 the territories represented in the Congress ? 
 
 What is guaranteed to every state in the Union? How are the states 
 bound? 
 
 How may amendments be made to the Constitution ? Why was this a 
 wise clause ? How did our forefathers show their honesty of purpose when 
 making the Constitution? What is the supreme law of the land? Recite 
 the clause that answers the above question. What shall not be required of 
 a qualification to hold any office of trust, etc. ? What prompted this clause 
 to the Constitution ? 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE AMENDMENTS. 
 SUGGESTIVE REVIEW QUESTIONS. 
 
 How many amendments have been made to the Constitution? Which 
 were made during the first session of Congress? Why did the people insist 
 
REVIEW QUESTIONS. 167 
 
 on having them ? Give article first. What is said of the right of the people 
 to keep and bear arms? In quartering soldiers in time of peace? When are 
 warrants to be issued? AVhen only can a porson be held to answer for a 
 capital or infamous crime? What exceptions are mentioned? How only 
 shall private property be taken for public use ? 
 
 In criminal prosecutions, what rights shall the accused enjoy? Of what 
 shall he be informed? With whom confronted? How obtain witnesses? 
 What is said of suits at common law where the value in controversy exceeds 
 twenty dollars? What is said of excessive bail? What is Article IX.? 
 Article X.? 
 
 Who abolished slavery? What was necessary after this? Repeat the 
 article. Who are citizens of the United States? What prohibition is put 
 upon the states? How are the representatives apportioned among the 
 states? What happens if the right to vote is denied? Who are prohibited 
 from being senators or congressmen? Why was this amendment made? 
 What is said of the validity of the public debt? What is said of debts 
 incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion? Repeat the 15th amendment. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Introduction. 
 
 How was the first state organized? Which were formed out of 
 territory already owned? What territory, has been acquired by con- 
 quest? WJiich asked admission? In what ways has territory been 
 acquired? How are the people of a territory protected? How are 
 their oflicers chosen? What steps must be taken by a territory to 
 be admitted? What is done after the constitution is ratified? What, 
 then, is the duty of the President? 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Subdivisions. 
 
 What can you say of the individual influence in governmental 
 affairs? To what is this due? Into how many and what divisions 
 are the states divided? What are the largest? Of what composed? 
 How does it differ from representative districts? How divided? 
 
168 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 County. 
 
 What is meant by a county? How made? What power has it? 
 If oflBcers are lax who are responsible ? Wlhat are these divisions 
 called in Louisiana? Why seldom changed? What powers or duties 
 has the county? 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Townships. 
 
 What was the origin of towns or townships? Which were first 
 organized, counties or towns? What is the relation of the county to 
 the town? State briefly the difference between the New England and 
 Virginia forms of local government. In which were the rights of the 
 people made safer? Quote Thomas Jefferson on this. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 Townships Continued. 
 
 What caused the irregular boundary lines of the irregular town- 
 ships and counties? To what difference did this lead? What has 
 taken its place? Draw a figure two times as large as that shown in 
 the book and name three of the lines on each side. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 Townships and County. 
 
 How many systems of local government are now found in the 
 United States? What brought this about? Of what was it a compro- 
 mise? What states have the combined system? Give an illustration. 
 What was done in 1848? 
 
REVIEW QUESTIONS. 169 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 Towns and Cities. 
 
 State brifly the difference between town and city government, 
 a.nd a township. Name some things necessary to a city not found in 
 a township. What is said of the variety of town and city governments > 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 State Government. 
 
 To what are the variations between the thirteen original states 
 and those of today due? 
 
 Legislative. — What is the legislative department of a state? How 
 many senators are there in your state? For how long elected? What 
 must be the age of a senator? How does the House compare with the 
 Senate as to size? For how long a term are the representatives in 
 ^our state elected? How does this compare with Nevada? New 
 Hampshire? How is the minority guarded in Illinois? How often 
 is the House elected in your state? How long is the session in your 
 state? What power has the Governor as to special sessions? What 
 salaries are paid? What regulations are similar to nearly all states? 
 Name the special duties of each House? What are the duties of the 
 Governor? Lieutenant Governor? Secretary of State? Treasurer? 
 Attorney General ? Superintendent of Schools? Engineer? Surveyor? 
 Superintendent of Public Works? 
 
 Judicial. — How many kinds? Duties of each? Teim of office of 
 judges. 
 
170 CIVICS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 County Officers. 
 
 Name the principal officers of the county : Duties of Sheriff? 
 Auditor? County Clerk? Superintendent of Schools? County As- 
 sessor? Treasurer? Coroner? Recorder? Surveyor? County Com- 
 missioners? Why should good men especially be elected for the 
 latter? What county officers, not mentioned in the book have you? 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 Officeks of the Township. 
 
 Name the officers of the township. Duties of the township board? 
 Supervisor? Clerk? Supervisor of the Poor? Board of Health? Jus- 
 tice of Peace? What are the officers of your township? What are 
 their duties? Compare them with these. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 Officers of Town and City. 
 
 How did the towns come to be separated from the townships? 
 What are the principal officers of a town? What is said about their 
 salary? Term of office? What are the principal officers of your 
 town? How long is the term of office of each? Salaries? What is. 
 the difference between a town and a city? Are cities governed alike? 
 What officers are found in every city? Wtiat is the most prominent 
 officer in the city government? How does the length of the term of 
 the mayor of your city compare with Boston? With Philadelphia? 
 What are the duties of the mayor? How do the city councils vary in 
 the different cities? How does your city council compare with that of 
 San Francisco? How do judges usually receive their offices? 
 
MISCELrlyANBOUS QUESTIONS. l7l 
 
 CHAPTER XXVin. 
 
 Conclusion. 
 
 What tends to unite the American citizen more closely tlian in 
 the second great republic of the world? What would tend to destroy 
 this? What appeal is made to you in the last chapter of this book? 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS. 
 
 What is the ratio of representation at this time? (1905.) Ans. 
 194,182. How often is the census taken by the government? Ans. 
 Every ten years. It was taken in 1900. What is a representative 
 at large? Ans. One who is elected by the whole State; to give the 
 proper representation in congress, e.g., a State has a population en- 
 titling it to twenty-eight congressmen and has only twenty-six dis- 
 tricts. Two congressmen have to be elected by all the voters of the 
 State. What are duties as mentioned in Lesson IV? Ans. Any sum 
 of money required by the government to be paid on importations 
 or consumption of goods. What are imports? Ans. A tax or duty, 
 especially a duty, or tax laid by the government on goods imported 
 into the country. What is an excise? Ans. An inland duty or im- 
 post operating as an indirect tax on the consumer, levied on tobac- 
 co, all fermented liquors, etc., grown or manufactured in the country. 
 How is it levied on the consumer? Ans. Each cigar box filled, e. g., 
 must have a government stamp, the cost of this is added to the 
 price of the cigars by the manufacturer, which is paid, of course, 
 by the consumer. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Absolute monarchy, 23. 
 Adjournment of Congress, 52 
 
 and 88. 
 Admiralty courts, 94. 
 Admission of states, 100. 
 Adoption of Constitution, 31. 
 Ambassadors, appointment of, 86. 
 Amendments, 104. 
 Appeals from state courts, 93. 
 Apellate jurisdiction, 95. 
 Appointment of officers, 86. 
 Aristocracy, 27. , 
 Armies, how raised, 66. 
 Articles of Confederation, 29. 
 
 Bankruptcy law, 161. 
 
 Bill of attainder, 70. 
 
 Bills, how introduced, 60. 
 
 Bills of credit^ 63. 
 
 Borrow money, Congress may, 63. 
 
 Cabinet, composed of, 84; how 
 appointed, 163; duties of, 163. 
 
 Cities, government of, 149. 
 
 Committees of the whole, 55. 
 
 Census, 171. 
 
 Compensation of President, 84= 
 
 Compensation of senators and 
 representatives, 56. 
 
 Conclusion, 118. 
 
 Confederation, 29. 
 
 Congress, how convened, 88. 
 
 Congress, of what composed, 34, 
 
 Congress, powers of, 63-68. 
 
 Congress, prohibitions of, 69-74. 
 
 Congressmen, salary of, 160. 
 
 Constitutional amendments, 104- 
 111. 
 
 Constitution, definition of, 33. 
 
 Consuls, 87. 
 
 Counties, government of, 144. 
 
 Declaration of war, 66. 
 Democracy, 157. 
 District of Columbia, 68. 
 Duties, 171. 
 
 Election of President and Vice- 
 . Pres., 75-79. 
 
 Election of representatives, 38. 
 Election of senators, 43. 
 Elector, 158. 
 
 Electoral vote, when given, 82. 
 Electors, meeting of, 77. 
 Electors, time of choosing, 82. 
 Electors, why preferable, 80. 
 Executive department, 75-91. 
 Executive department defined, 35, 
 Excise, 171. 
 Ex post-facto law, 70. 
 Foreigners, 39. 
 Forms of government, 22-29. 
 Franklin's remarks in conven- 
 tion, 49. 
 Freedom of speech, 56. 
 God, recognition of, 49. 
 Government, why necessary, 9-17. 
 Governments, kinds of, 22-28. 
 Gladstone on the Constitution,32. 
 Habeas corpus, 69. 
 Heads of departments, 86. 
 House of Commons, 37. 
 House of Lords, 46. 
 House of Representatives, 36-42. 
 Impeachment, 41. . 
 
 Impeachment, officers liable to,89 
 Impeachment, trial of, 48. 
 Imports, 171. 
 Journal of Congress, 55. 
 Judges, tenure of office, 91. 
 Judgment in impeachment, 50. 
 Judicial department, 34. 
 
174 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Jury, trial by, 96. 
 Kings, 18, 20, 25. 
 
 Laws, how made, 60. 
 Legislative department, 34. 
 Letters of marque, 66. 
 Liberty and law, 10. 
 Liberty, a story about, 9-17. 
 Limited monarchy, 24. 
 
 Measure, standard of, 64. 
 Meetings of Congress, 52. 
 Messages of President, 88. 
 Militia, to provide for, 67. 
 Mints, where located, 161. 
 Miscellaneous provisions, 97-103. 
 Miscellaneous questions, 171. 
 Mode of passing laws, 60. 
 Monarchical titles, 22. 
 Money appropriations, 72. 
 Money, regulation of, 64. 
 
 Naturalized citizens, 39. 
 
 Oath of office, 85. 
 
 Object of government, 16-17. 
 
 Original jurisdiction, 95. 
 
 Pardoning power, 85. 
 Parliamentary laws, 54. 
 Petition, the right of, 104. 
 Political parties, 112. 
 Popular vote, explanation of, 79. 
 Post-roads, 161. 
 powers of Congress, 63-69. 
 Powers of the President, 85-90. 
 Preamble to Constitution, 33. 
 Presidency, succession to, 84. 
 Presidents, table of, 120. 
 Prohibition of certain laws, 104. 
 Prohibition of states, 73. 
 Protection of public funds, 72. 
 
 Qualifications cf representative?., 
 
 38. 
 Qualifications of senators, 45. 
 
 Religious liberty, 103. 
 Removal from office, 89. 
 Representatives, 38; at large, 
 
 17L 
 Representation, ratio of, 171. 
 Republic, 27. 
 Revenue, bills for, 59. 
 Right of petition, 104. 
 Risht of search, 105. 
 
 School, comparisons of, 43. 
 
 Senate, 43-62. 
 
 Senate, president of, 47; officers 
 
 of, 160. 
 Senators, 45. 
 
 Speaker of the House, 41. 
 States, government of, 136. 
 Sunreme Court, 91. 
 Subdivisions, 124. 
 
 Term of office of judges. 91. 
 Term of office of President. 75. 
 T^rm of office of representa- 
 tives, 36. 
 Term of office of senators, 43. 
 Territories, rights of, 100-101. 
 Titles of nobility, 72. 
 Towns, government of, 147. 
 Towns and cities, 135. 
 Townships, government of, 127. 
 Treason, 98. 
 Treaties, 103. 
 
 Treaties, by whom forbidden, 73. 
 Treaties, by whom made, 86. 
 
 United States capitals, 116. 
 Union, lack of, 29-31. 
 
 Vacancies, how filled, 87. 
 Veto, meaning of, 160. 
 Veto-power of King, 61. 
 Veto-power of President, 60-61. 
 Vice-president, 78, 159, 163. 
 
 Wolsey, story of, 26. 
 Writs of election, 40. 
 Wilson on the Cohstitution, 32. 
 
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