306	POLITICAL SCIENCE.
racy the number of persons willing to go into political life is
the larger the more it approaches to the absolute character;
and as they are found everywhere and are unknown beyond
their own narrow precinct, they will naturally oppose intrud-
ers into their province.    And yet, why should not the people
have a right to choose  their representative  where they can
find the best man, since all represent the whole country?   In
the elections to the state legislatures it is to a considerable
extent state law, we believe, that the person elected must
reside within the limits of the district.     Under 'the constitu-
tion of the United States a member of congress must reside
in the state from which he comes, but not necessarily in the
district which sends him.    Thus a man in the city of New
York might represent the district around Buffalo.    But very
seldom has an example of this occurred.     It seems to me to
be a pity that widely known and highly esteemed men should
not be eligible everywhere, as in Great Britain and France,
where the principal men are sought after, on account of some
connection of their ancestors or their own reputation, by a
body of electors they have never seen.    The lot of England
might have been quite different from what it is, if instead of
this usage it had been necessary for a member of the house
of commons to be an actual resident of the shire or borough
which returned him ; if indeed, as long as the rotten borough
system continued, that had been possible.    The representa-
tives from small boroughs would have carried little knowledge
and no experience into their new sphere, and would have
been liable to be browbeaten or bribed.    The men on the
other hand from abroad/ chosen by small places, would feel
grateful to them for their choice, and be mindful of their in-
terests.    But far beyond this advantage is that of raising up
a body of statesmen  able to  give themselves   to  politics,
tolerably sure of being called into the steady service of their
country, and to a great degree in  situations which place
them above corrupting influences.