Such an explanation seems to afford the only escape from
blank astonishment at the fact that, in spite of our vast advan-
tages in point of political liberty, and above all in point of prac-
tical political skill and sagacity, so many nations are ahead of
us in administrative organization and administrative skill. Why,
for instance, have we but just begun purifying a civil service
which was rotten full fifty years ago? To say that slavery
206 POLITICAL SCIENCE QUARTERLY. [VoL. II.
as elsewhere, to shape governmental growth at its will. But
impulsive, errant Richard and weak, despicable john were not
the men t