64   HISTORIC GROWTH OF MAN.

CHOOSING THE LEADERS.   65

their own hands. But the charges against an officer must be sustained by competent witnesses and in a formal manner.

THE TIME OF ELECTIONS is set for the 9th day of March, the officers entering upon their official duties the zest, that is, at the Vernal Equinox. This is the true beginning of the year and is thus recognized in the new social order.

Of course elections to fill vacancies or to form new bands may take place at other times than March asst.

In the primary band and city the elections are to be held every year; in the county, every three years; in the state, every five years; in the nation, every seven years, and in the unation every twelve years.

NOMINATING CONVENTIONS are held twelve days previous to election, in the county, state or nation. These conventions are presided over by the two centers, the recorder, curator and marshal, who already hold office in that county, state or nation, as the case may be. These officers must leave the mass of the numbers entirely free in their election of nominees and in the presentation of subjects for political or social issues. Where two or more political parties exist with different issues, each shall be given one day for a convention. National conventions consist of three delegates from each state, chosen by mass meetings. State conventions have two delegates from each county, chosen in the same way. Only delegates, and not officers, have a vote in the conventions.

THE ARGUMENT. We have thus sketched a plan for the social organism which is in harmony, in each part, with the constitution of man. We have

not based the argument upon analogies. We have dealt with the direct and natural functions of the faculties. If the social and other faculties do not produce social or collective wants, then where do such wants come from? And if institutions do not supply these wants, then it is evident that we do not want the institutions.

It has been a common but false idea that there might be a number of different plans of government, and that any one of these might work successfully in securing universal happiness. Let us consider this for a moment. Suppose that we could put the soul or mind of man into the lody of a horse, would the mind be able to use this just as well as it did the human body? With the feet of the horse instead of hands, could we cultivate the earth, build houses and write books? It is equally true that the very forms of our institutions, the plans of social structure, are of immense consequence. For these are the instruments, the organs, with which we do the collective work of society.

THE TRANSITION STEPS to the higher social order are simple, easy and natural. At the end of the sixth chapter we shall briefly sketch the simplified plan for fraternal and culture bands. Each of these will require only twelve officers instead of thirty-six. They are schools for learning the new system and they take the place of all other fraternal orders.

We have not sketched a Utopia, a fanciful scheme which requires an experiment or trial before we could know whether it would be successful. If in past times men have blindly represented a part of the faculties by officers, then we are entirely certain that we can