remains in
until a majority of the voters, which is to say the adult men and women,
join in a petition for his removal. Then he will be removed at once.
The government will appoint a temporary substitute, and order an
election of his successor."

"Do you mean there is no fixed election-day?"

"None at all," said Philip. "We are always voting. When we stopped just
now I went in to vote for an alderman of our ward, in place of a man who
has resigned. I wish I had taken you in with me, though there was
nothing to see. Only three or four great books, each headed with the
name of a candidate. I wrote my name in Andrew Second's book. He is, on
the whole, the best man. The books will be open three months. No one, of
course, can vote more than once, and at the end of that time there will
be a count, and a proclamation will be made. Then about removal; any one
who is dissatisfied with a public officer puts his name up at the head
of a book in the election office. Of course there are dozens of books
all the time. But unless there is real incapacity, nobody cares.
Sometimes, when one man wants another's place, he gets up a great
breeze, the newspapers get hold of it, and everybody is canvassed who
can be got to the spot. But it is very hard to turn out a competent
officer. If in three months, however, at all the registries, a majority
of the voters express a wish for a man's removal, he has to go out.
Practically, I look in once a week at that office to see what is going
on. It is something as you vote at your clubs."

"Did you say women as well as men?" said I.

"O, yes," said Philip, "unless a woman or a man has formally withdrawn
from the roll. You see, the roll is the list, not only of voters, but of
soldiers. For a man to withdraw, is to say he is a coward and dares not
take his chance in war. Sometimes a woman does not like military
service, and if she takes her name off I do not think the public feeling
about it is quite the same as with a man. She may have things to do at
home."

"But do you mean that most of the women serve in the army?" said I.

"Of course they do," said he. "They wanted to vote, so we put them on
the roll. You do not see them much. Most of the women's regiments are
heavy artillery, in the forts, which can be worked just as well by
persons of less as of more muscle if you have enough of them. Each
regiment in our service is on duty a month, and in reserve six. You know
we have no distant posts."