On this point there can be no compromise.

Every American who has the opportunity of doing faithful and fearless work, and who proves faithless to it, belongs to the perfect type of the individual anti-democrat.

By cheapening his own personality he has cheapened the one constituent of the national life over which he can exercise most effectual control; and thereafter, no matter how superficially patriotic and well-intentioned he may be, his words and his actions are tainted and are in some measure corrupting in their social effect.
A question will, however, immediately arise as to the nature of this desirable individual excellence.

It is all very well to say that a man should do his work competently, faithfully, and fearlessly, but how are we to define the standard of excellence?
When a man is seeking to do his best, how shall he go about it?
Success in any one of these individual pursuits demands that the individual make some sort of a personal impression.

He must seek according to the nature of the occupation a more or less numerous popular following.