THE VALLEY OF DEMOCRACY
Michigan Avenue, Chicago, from the steps of the Art Institute.
THE
VALLEY OF DEMOCRACY
BY
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY
WALTER TITTLE
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
1919
Copyright, 1917, 1918, by
Charles Scribner’s Sons
Published September, 1918
Reprinted November, December 1918
TO MY CHILDREN
ELIZABETH, MEREDITH, AND LIONEL
IN TOKEN OF MY AFFECTION
AND WITH THE HOPE THAT THEY MAY BE FAITHFUL TO THE
HIGHEST IDEALS OF AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER | PAGE | |
| I. | The Folks and Their Folksiness | 1 |
| II. | Types and Diversions | 39 |
| III. | The Farmer of the Middle West | 83 |
| IV. | Chicago | 135 |
| V. | The Middle West in Politics | 181 |
| VI. | The Spirit of the West | 235 |
AUTHOR’S NOTE TO THE FOURTH
EDITION
In the reprintings of a book of this characterit would be possible to revise and rewrite insuch manner as to conceal the errors or misjudgmentsof the author. It seems, however,more honest to permit these impressions tostand practically as they were written, with onlya few minor corrections. It was my aim tomake note of conditions, tendencies, and needsin the Valley of Democracy, and the conclusionof the war has affected my point of view withreference to these matters very little.
The first months of the present year have beenso crowded with incidents affecting the wholeworld that we recall with difficulty the eventsof only a few years ago. We have met repeatedcrises with an inspirin