New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-21
SOME NEW MAGAZINES.
NOTES ON THE FEBRUARY NUMBERS.

Maoazine the mos entertaining perhaps, is Mrs. j.
T. Fields's "Glimpses of Emerson" While It Is
written in evident spirit of loyal affection ana
reverence il reveals some odd little imperiectohs
in the hero of Boston aud Concord, impertections
which are to be easily forgiven. In spite of his Sc
rene aud equable temper. he had not a lew pIeJu
dices, and showed now and again queer want OF
comprehension and appreciation. He had no real
understanding il we may credit Mrs. Fields, either
of Hawthorne or of Dickens; aud was,
indeed So careless of the function ana
license of the novel as to propose upon one
occasion to give lecture about Brook Farm III or
der to correct Hawthornes misstatements, for"
he said "ever since Hawthorne's CHASTITY and un-
frue account of that community In his Bhthedale
Romance have desired TO give what think the
trae account of it," This was breaking butterfly
with a vengeance, and betTays the same curious
lack which found expression in his " Parnassus"
His enthusiasm for beginners in literature who
seemed to be inclined toward serious thought led
him into some udicrous and unpleasant positions
as in the case of Walt Whitman. His genial but
not always reasonable praise of the youth
full efforts sent to HIM became sometimes
joke TO his friends, who could not snare
his faith in and hope for the temporary asprann
whom they dubbed "Emersons young man.
"Giye me leave to make you acquainted Win -,
he once wrote to his publisher, "who has written
INV Judgment a serious and original work OF great
and various merit with high intellectual power IN
accostinq the questions Of modern thong t. full OF
noble sentiment, aud especially rich in fancy,
and in sensbity TO natural beauty. re-
member that while reading it l thought IL
welcome proof, and still more apredicion, OF Amer
lean culture. / need not trouble you with any
cayIls made on the manuscript read. Us - as
sures me that he has lately revised and improved
\ how will
as heartily as did" This very high praise is still
unustifed for Blank remains to this dav unknow
TO fame The unimpassioned and contemplative In
poetry was dear to Emerson. Faust" he SAID,
ais unpleasant to me. The very flavor of the poem
repels me and makes wish to turn away" AS
for the "Dvina COmmedia," it was poem he de-
clared, " too terrible to him TO read"
This number of Harper fully sustains its standard
both in text and illusrations these last are rich in
beauty and delicacy.
Mr.. Car Schurz's article in The North american on
Corporations, their Employees and the Public" de-
yelops the differences between himself and Mr.
Godkin which led to his retirement from TIE Ecen-
inn Post That a corporation should govern Its en-
Moves as an army is goveTned-on the ground that
those employees positive duty to society which
no strike should be suffered to Affects doctrine
which Mr. Schurz vigorously attacks 1t is true, he
services they render to society, railroad and tee-
praph employees are somewhat like soldiers. But he
who permits himself to be carried away by this an
alocy TO the conclusion that therefore those en-
ployes must be governed on army principles forgets
that the analogy fails in every other essential
point
The soldier is not only rendering certain services
TO the public but he is also dnder the care of the
public or Of the political organization OF the pup
lie the State-using the word state in its philo-
sophcal sense. The State assigns TO him ms duties
keeps him under strict discipline and Furnishes him
for disobedience of orders and for desertiOn. But
the State also sees to his pay, sustenance and com
fort ii protects him against maltrcatmen' by
When he is sick and q pension when he
is disabled In one word, the soldier is in all
respects under the government and protection OF
the same power to which he owes his duties and to
which he renders his service, and his pay an
ments and interests Of that service, On the other
hand. the telegraph operator and the railroad
emplOye, while they are to consider themselves IN
the service of the public and are eXpected to re;
Cognize themselves as in duty ~ the public bound
TO perform certain functions without interruption,
so that the public may not suffer are in other re-
spects not under the protecting care OF the pubic
Assuming the performance of a certain service to
be necessary for the public convenience.
and that those who undertake that service
are In duty to the public bound not 10
cause or to permit that service TO be inter
rupted, Mr.. Schurz holds that we must admit at
the same time that the public becomes In duty
bound 10 afford them corresponding measure
OF protection in the performance of that
service" The possible Government control
OF the railroads and telegraphs. while II would rem
der the position logical and plain, will not, he
thinks. solve the problem. at is very certain" he
saws that such a thing at least regards the
railroads cannot be- undertaken here without great
danger to the character and working Of our nsti-
tutiOus as long AS the purely administrative func-
lions of government are not so entirely divorced
from party politics that an enlargement OF ITS adj
ministrative machinery will cease to mean an in
crease Of the patronage and political power of the
ruling party, and as long as this dive ce has not
grown SO completely into the general waysofthink
ing and the political habits oi the people as to DO
looked upon as a finally settled thing"
In the establishment by law of tribunals Of arbi-
tration MI Schurz sees the remedy for the evils of
strikes. Business men who arc the first and the
LARGEST sufferers from extensive railroad and tee-
prauh strikes would, he believes welcome any
effective method by which such strikes might be
prevented. And he adds that 1t Is not unlikely at
all that good many other employers, instead of
ouakng in their boots, would be found inclined 10
apply the same plan to their own concerns, for the
simple reason that ii would be apt TO relieve them
of many of their troubles. These boards OF arbtra-
ton so constituted as to command the confidence
Of the working people, would, Mr.. schurz believes,
produce very wholesome effect sincs, as he de-
clares. 1.-THE first thing the demagogues aim at
always is to ALLEVIATE the working-people as much
as possible from the other classes of society aud
thus 10 shut out what influence the latter might
exercise upon them. Nothing could be better cal
culated to play into the hands of the demagogues
in this respect than an impression created among
the working people that the capitalists are deter
mined to treat all matters of difference between
employers and wage-woIkers as a mere question of
power"
Ihc atlantic is varied in it's contents, pleasantly
sustaining it's theories TO the combination of
papers hight and less light. Mr. rockingham in