Life itself was somewhat safer from intentional destruction than it was in medieval Rome during a faction war--though the Roman murderer was more like to pay for his deed--but death or mutilation beneath the wheels lay in ambush at every crossing.
The politicians let the people make all the laws they liked; it did not matter much, and the taxes went up, which is good for politicians.
Law-making was a pastime of the people; nothing pleased them more.
Singular fermentation of their humor, they even had laws forbidding dangerous speed.

More marvelous still, they had a law forbidding smoke! They forbade chimneys to smoke and they forbade cigarettes to smoke.
They made laws for all things and forgot them immediately; though sometimes they would remember after a while, and hurry to make new laws that the old laws should be enforced--and then forget both new and old.
Wherever enforcement threatened Money or Votes--or wherever it was too much to bother--it became a joke.

Influence was the law.
So the place grew.

And it grew strong.
Straightway when he came, each man fell to the same worship: Give me of thyself, O Bigness: Power to get more power! Riches to get more riches! Give me of thy sweat that I may sweat more! Give me Bigness to get more Bigness to myself, O Bigness, for Thine is the Power and the Glory! And there is no end but Bigness, ever and for ever!.