Theo THE MACMILLAN COMPANY MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED LONDON BOMBAY CALCUTTA THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. TORONTO COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY Set up and electrotyped. SET UP AND ELECTROTYPED BY THE LANCASTER PRESS, INC. BY THE CORNWALL PRESS, INC. 5-20-30 2 eop. PREFACE The present volume is the outgrowth of the authors' experience over many years in teaching large college classes in American Government at the University of Illinois. This experience has demonstrated the need of a book of documents and readings to supplement the textbook, since the size of the class renders it impracticable, even in the best equipped libraries, to send the students to the books and documents from which the material has been selected. The volume covers the whole field of American government, national, state, and local, and is designed for use in connection with, and supplementary to, any of the standard texts now available in this field. The selections are intended to illustrate, amplify, and vivify the various topics treated in the textbook. The best modern and contemporary writing by the ablest authors in the field has been the source of illuminating discussions on numerous important topics. The distinctive feature of the book, however, is the emphasis placed upon primary sources and documentary material, which have been selected in preference to secondary material whenever they have been found to be available and suitable. To some extent, therefore, the volume may serve as a casebook for college classes in this field. The documents selected include such material as legislative acts, judicial opinions and decisions, executive messages and proclamations, official opinions, and proceedings of deliberative bodies. Each selection or group of selections is preceded by a brief introduction designed to enlighten the student as to its setting and significance. It is hoped that the volume will be of assistance to large college classes in making more concrete and vivid the processes and operations of government, and in thereby arousing and holding the interest of the student. Acknowledgments and grateful appreciation are due to the several authors, editors, and publishers who have generously permitted the reprinting of material in this volume. J. M. M. V |