Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-30
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

SIX CENTURIES OF WORK AND WAGEs-TnE HIS
TORY OF ENGLISH LABOR. BY James E Thorold
Rogers, NJ P New York: G. p. Putnam's
Sons. SAN Francisco A. l. Bancroft x Co.
Eighteen years ago Mr.. Rogers published
the first two volumes of his history Of
agriculture and prices. Out of that labor
grew the present volume. No work of
which we are cognizant has given so much
of valuable information upon the subject
! treated The evidence collected rs to the
wages of labor is, of course, supplemented
| and placed in comparison with the prices
of products and thus the purchasing power
of wages is shown 1t is volume, every
/ page Of which testifies to the patience, jul
dicial attitude, ability and candid spirit OF
its author Rising from a most satisfactory
reading of this valuable contribution to
! human knowledge, we have no thought of
attempting, in the limited space at COM
mand a review of Mr. Rogers work. 1t
must suffice to say that he arrives at con-
| illusions quite the reverse of those enter
! tanned by Henry George. He establishes
! that the laborer has very nearly kept pace
| with the advance made by civilization,
and is now better fed, housed,
paid, conditioned, and has broader
| opportunities, larger fields of action
| and greater stimulus for cycrtiOn, than at
any other period in human history. Never
I
! ing man is still SO crippled as to demand
| for him the highest consideration of the
social scientist and political economist
with a view to lettering his condition. He
agrees with Mr.. George, so far rs the de-
STABILITY of ownership of land being i'll
small holdings, and in the hands of the
worker, is concerned. He concludes that
those minor luXurieS of life that, by the
better conditioned, are only esteemed COM
monplace comforts, are not enjoyed by the
workingmen of England TO the ex-
tent that is their due In short, the
| labOrer in England ought to be
better situated than he is. and he must be
so advantaged, or else civilization will prove
failure. Ignorance must give place to in
| telligencc, caste to equality of right, and
settled content in a low condition yield to
| vigorous ambition to take place in the
| front ranks, and be no longer a laggard at
| the rear Of course, Mr.. Rogers treats of
| free trade with a strong prcdiSpOSitiOn in its
| favor, and he suStains his position with
great ability, and presents his proofs with
| vigOr and telling force. But this will not
lessen the value of his history one whit to
the friend of the protection theory. Aside
from its importance as a cyclopedia of
heretofore but partially gathered facts, Mr.
Rogers work is also Il most interesting re-
view of the origin and development of Eng
lish society up 10 the last half of the thir-
tecnth century. He shows that pauperism
and the degradation of the English laborer
resulted from governmental acts that were
designed to force the laborer to work for the
lowest wage rate possible. But these acts
have ceased to have legal force in England,
though their i'll effects in large degree still
remain The history of these efforts to
lower the human standard in one class, in
order to elevate ii in another, and thus
maintain damaging servility, is one of
the most interesting strains of the volume.
That portion of the work devoted TO the
historical method of political economy will
engage the especial attention Of the thought
full, and the vigor with which he assails
standard writers on the subject will excite
the admiration of the reader, even if he
does not agree with him.
THE STORY OF THE CoUPD D ErAT. By NJ de Maui
pas Former Minister. Translated BY A. d.
Nandain New York: D. Appleton & Co.
This is an apologize recital 1t is not,
therefore, the story of the event it pur-
poses to truly represent. The world long
since formed true estimate of the charac-
ter of the man, and the schemes by which
Louis Napoleon sprang upon the shoulders
of the people of France: from the dead
level of equality to the topmost round of
monarchical impudence. 1t does not need
to be explained at this day how a President
became an Emperor, or how he subverted
law and violated pledge, honor and manli- |
ness for an unholy ambition for absolute
power. De Maupas' whole aim is to estab
lish the necessity claimed to exist by
which Napoleon put France through
the blood-atOnement process to save
its precious soul. AS De Maupas was
one of those who took part in the con-
spiracy to throttle infant liberty in its cradle
and eXalt vulgar pretensiOn, the Story OF
the Coup d Etat," as told by him, must be
taken with some grains of allowance He |
knew very well that his book would invite |
not only criticism, but successful assault, |
if, indeed, the matter should at this late |
day be deemed worthy Of attention. 1t is |
not surprising, therefore, that at the outset |
De Maupas' should defy those who disagree |
with him as TO the honorable part he |
played in the conspiracy to cow France and |
rob her of new raiment He says There |
is no need TO provide our own security; we |
fearlessly await from this day the judgment |
of the honest. They will say that we have |
written in good faith, and without par
TALLY" Indeed then will the honest |
cease to be honest, and the false be exalted |
for their virtues.
The Popular Science Monthly" for
September is at hand from the publishers, |
mans have made this number one of spe-
cial value and interest. Among the leading |
papers we take note of these: Scientific |
Culture" by Professor Josiah p Cooke |
/" The Upper Missouri River System" by |
Lester f. Ward THE Study of AnthrO- |
pology." by VIM. II. Flower, f. r. s.; |
Where and How We Remember" by DR.. |
Allen NJ. Starr; The Astronomy of PRINT |
tive Peoples" by G. NJ. Frauenstein
- Sorghum as a Source of Sugar, by Henry |
b. Parsons " The Chemistry of Cookery"
by Mattieu Williams Hygiene for
Smokers" by DR.. Felix Fremont; How
E. James Sun-kinks," by T. OConor
Sloane PHI. D.; National Health and
Work, by Sir James Paget, F. R. S; "The
Morality of Happiness" by Thos. Foster
The Problem of Population" by Charles
Morris; Protection against Lightning"
Chinese CorOner's nquests, Sketch of
Professor J. p Lesly" The editorial de-
partments are full and varied.
The american Monthly" q. Thompson
Gill; Chicago is at hand for the month of
August 1t shows improvement upon the
July number, and q steady progress toward
the better possibility in review and maya
zine journalism. 1t is a monthly of which
we predict an enviable future. Among the
leading articles are: THE East and West,
by Thomas B. Gardner; Voices of Song"
and Republican Parties Should be Retired
from Power" by John Davis; George |
Herbert by Alban Wye; Within and (
Without" by Appleby; The Spirit of the
Age" by Lyman E. De Wolfe; The
Story of Dolores" by Eva V. Carlin THE
Punishment Of Crime" by Charles f. Rus
sell; The History of the Shakespeare