In a community where all might rise, where all might aspire to all, it necessarily followed that every man was occupied in thrusting some other into the background.

Though the population of the city at the inception of the Reformation had sunk to eighty thousand, there were vast crowds of placemen, and still greater ones of aspirants for place.

The successful occupant of the pontificate had thousands of offices to give away--offices from many of which the incumbents had been remorselessly ejected; many had been created for the purpose of sale.

The integrity and capacity of an applicant were never inquired into; the points considered were, what services has he rendered or can he render to the party?
how much can he pay for the preferment?
An American reader can thoroughly realize this state of things.

At every presidential election he witnesses similar acts.