EXPERIMENTS IN GOVERNMENT AND THE ESSENTIALS OF THE CONSTITUTION

BY

ELIHU ROOT

1913







PREFACE


The familiar saying that nothing is settled until it is settled right
expresses only a half truth. Questions of general and permanent importance
are seldom finally settled. A very wise man has said that "short of the
multiplication table there is no truth and no fact which must not be proved
over again as if it had never been proved, from time to time." Conceptions
of social rights and obligations and the institutions based upon them
continue unquestioned for long periods as postulates in all discussions
upon questions of government. Whatever conduct conforms to them is assumed
to be right. Whatever is at variance with them is assumed to be wrong.
Then a time comes when, with apparent suddenness, the ground of discussion
shifts and the postulates are denied. They cease to be accepted without
proof and the whole controversy in which they were originally established
is fought over again.