vely, entered, and the inventor, his eyes
dancing, closed the door.

"Sit down," he said. "You may smoke," and he proceeded to roll himself a
cigarette. "This is your first visit to America? Yes? The first thing
you will notice is that not many Americans smoke cigarettes. Until quite
recently, the cigarette was believed to be in some mysterious way
debauching; no one but degenerates were supposed to use them. Even yet
that is the prevailing opinion outside a few of the large cities."

"Most curious," commented the Prince, and blew a smoke-ring toward the
ceiling.

"Outside of New York, which is fairly cosmopolitan, there is the same
prejudice against wine or beer, or any fermented or distilled spirit. No
public man, no teacher in a public school or university, no physician,
no professional man--no man, in a word, who depends upon public opinion,
public approval, for a livelihood--would dare sit at a table on the
sidewalk and drink a glass of beer or a liqueur. He might do it once,
and escape with the reputation of an eccentric; but to do it twice would
be to brand himself as not trustworthy."

"Astonishing!" said the Prince. "Do you speak seriously?"

"Very seriously. Some of the states have even enacted laws that no
alcoholic beverage of any kind may be sold within their borders."

"But," stammered the Prince, staring, "do you call that liberty? No
country of Europe would dare enact such a law!"

"No; it is not liberty; it is government by the majority. The wonderful
thing, the astonishing thing, the inspiring thing about it is that in
this, and in all other questions, the minority accepts its defeat
without grumbling and makes the best of it. That is the great lesson
which the United States has for the remainder of the world. And, to
preserve itself, it need keep no class in subjection, need draft no man
for service in its armies--for it is a government founded on the consent
of the governed."

He was silent a moment, considering, perhaps, how to use most wisely
this opportunity.

"Let us apply that principle to the other countries of the world," he
went on, at last. "Let us suppose that the people of each country were
asked to choose freely for themselves their form of government. How many
of the present governments would stand that test? Do you think the
government of Germany would?"

"No," said the Prince; "I suppose not. Our people are all socialists, so
my father says. But they are not fit to govern."