New-York tribune., 1877-11-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MONEY AND IT'S LAWS.

OF this work which the Messrs Poor have thought
fully made uniform with their Railway Manuai, hhe
parts are devoted 20 review of the theories oil GER
tain writers on money, and 20 an examination oi
various systems of monetary legislation. One part
only is reserved for the statement OF the authors
theory on the money function IhiS DIVISION oi
space must not however, be taken TO intimate that
As Poor holds in much respect the work OF hs pre-
deccssors in this department. of inquiry. On the
contrary he Is reluctantly compelled to take dis
paracine view of pretty much the whole body OF
the existing literature OF the sulie<. Having IN
vestieated the matter himself, by methods which,
as he asserts and as the reader viii cheerfully con-
eede. "sre entirely different from any previously
used he looks back and locks down, with con-
tempt not unminglcd with INDIGNATION, upon those
who have assumed to instruct mankind ON
n subject (Which could only be made to
yield to rigid analysis but which they have treated
latter the manner Of Aristotle and the Schools
By the last two words Air. Poor, lest he should bc
understood to express hostility TO education in gen
eral. elsewhere explains that he means Austotlcs
Legitimate successors the schoolmeu Of the middle
ages and the political economists, the schooneu
oi modern tines OF the twenty-five economists
whose writings he has examined, but one, John
Locke. an Euglishman, mpresses Ar Poor as hay-
ing had the capacity to investigate the subject of
metallic money. "IIe appears says cur author
hattelingy, "to have been the only person that has
ever had anything like correct ideas as TO It's nature
AMI functions, and there can be hJtle doubt that
had he sufficiently pursued the inquiry, he would
have unfalded its true laws This very hand
somely sand and it speaks wel, not only for Locke,
but Tor Air. Poors insight IN picking ont the very
man who, though he didn't discover the truth about
money would have done it If he had only taken
time.
OF all who have written ON money, our author ap-
pears TO cherish the worst opinion concerning Arls-
tOtle. This unfortunate Greek, " Of an emlneutly
active, but eminenty unsccntiiic mind" was, II
seems. unable 10 raise himself above the low
level of his age and race lie has finely remarks
MI. Poor "becn termed the father of the lnductiye
Method. lie, indeed, said something as to the ncces-
siy of proceeding from particulars TO generals and
of dcduciug, from q comparison of facts their con-
nectiOu and law but II never occurred TO INN 10
question the testimony OF the senses.
His method was necessarily deductIve, from his ut-
ter ignorance Of or inability to use the inductive
He was the impTessibe child, full of anima-
tonand garrulty, not the mature man, silent ana re-
hectyc from the consciousness Of his own ignorance
and impotence 20 interpret the mighty problems
which confronted HIM on every side Clearly, 1t Is
only wonder Aristotle did not make a
worse mess of 1t when he undertook to
handle a topic which, as Mr.. Poor reminds MS,
Can only be made TO yield To "a rigid analysis And
yet this animated and gaIruiOus child, having, IN
mere neutrality-suspicious. even IN malice-taken
up the subject OF money, has become the source of
all theories opinions IN reference TO IT. from his
time to our own We can understand how man,
standing on the low level Of that degraded age and
race, could commit any absurdity, but for the per
nicious influence which Aristote's philosophy has
exerted over all who have followed him, should
be wholly without an explanation were 1t not for
the suggestion which Mr. Poor throws out when
contemplating the melancholy career of Ricardo,
that no mind is capable of discussing the subject
OF money and Of preserving, at the same ume, ITS
balance or integrity The author could scarcely
help adding d" The charm, OF influence, which so
subvcrts the sense of mankind, is problem in psy-
h chology we'll worthy the most careful Investigation
III Clearly il s and Mr. Poor is the man to investigate
" it, Before his peculiar scientific methods, psychol-
ogy win have tOyieid up its seCret, just surely
the subject of money has done in The volume be-
fore u.s.
From Aristotle Mr.. Poor passes down the ages TO
locke, Smith, Ricardo and the host Of minor econ
omists "the sehoolmen Of modern times" Never.
il may safely be affirmed, never many in
fated regulations brought in one hour to nought.
But though Nr Poor feels it his duty 10 expose the
feeblcness aro nippancy. the eaTulity aud yolumin
ousncss %, tlc pucrhty ard ucapacity, the inco-
herence and ignorance, the assurance and buiOonery
Of the political economists, from Adam Smith to
Stanley Jeyous, it mus; not he thought he degen-
crates into mere abusiyeness Though severe, he
is discriminating; though sometimes cruel, Away
lust II he has to speak Of Professor Bowen's
feeblcness and carrulity, he does not charge him
with being afcctcdly sententiOus gloOmly
uorose II il must be said that Smith was wholly
untitled 10 conduct scientific discussion of any
kind" Mr. Poor Is scrupulous to premise that tins
incapacity came by nature" to take all blame
away from Smith. lie win comment he ought,
on "Milrs incapacity for scientific inquiry, the
puerility OF his mind and the infrmity of his tenn
per7 but he Will say not one word than
Justice 10 the reader demands. II candOr requires
the statement that Professor Perry has all The in
coherence of Bonamy Price, the authors
fine sense Of justice impels him instantly
TO add, though somewhat less Of his rant"
No doubt which may arise as to the grammatical
construction of the latter clause can IN the least
diminish the pleasure which is excited in every mag
unanimous bosom by a display Of impartial justice
like that Homer at times, may nod but Mr.. Poor
never foIges himself his subject. His epthcts are
ALWAYS coasis ,ent. and blend harmoniously into
living portrait of the person 10 whom they relate
IL the oxford professors incoherent butlOOnery' is
spoken OF on one page his grotesqUe way Is sure
10 be mentioned on the next. And what fine sense
of propriety is shown where llr. Poor even apollo
ezes to his readers he the posseSsOr might say,
the proprietor OF scientific methods never used be-
fore in the world, and who might say anything aud
nobody would mind it, actually apologies for III
troduciug quotations to show the inc0hercnt buf
foonerv taught in tho name OF political economy,
in one Of the FIRST universities IN Christendom. Deli
cacy Of sentiment up that notch, is rarely seen in