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[The] sophomores . . . have discovered the necessity of socialism . . . [They] all proclaim their disgust with the present state of things in America, they denounce the Constitution of the United States, the churches, the Government, the colleges, the press, the theatres, and above all they denounce the spirit that vivifies and unifies all these things, the spirit of Business. Here is a disaffection breaking out in which seemed the most unanimous, the most satisfied of nations; here are Americans impatient with America . . . .

[I] have made a severe effort to discover, as well as I may from a distance, what these rebels want. I see what they are against--they are against everything--but what are they for? I have not been able to discover it. This may be due to my lack of understanding, or to their incapacity to express themselves clearly, for their style is something appalling. But perhaps their scandalous failure in expression, when expression is what they yearn for and demand at all costs, may be a symptom of something deeper: of a radical mistake they have made in the direction of their efforts and aspirations. They think they need more freedom, more room, a chance to be more spontaneous: I suspect that they have had too much freedom, too much empty space, too much practice in being spontaneous when there was nothing in them to bubble out.