Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-12-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

great work, Six Centuries OF Work anC
Wages" has either been read by or hearC
of by all thoughtful readers of America
quotations from it in most recent works or
political economy being very frequent
We cannot resist the temptation to quote
few paragraphs from the present work
which illustrate its general tone:
You have a number of social or economical
facts, many of them containing problems of g
serious and urgent character So serious are
they that many persons-an increasingly large
number OF persons-demand, ii no other solu
tion is to be given, that society must be recon
structed on new lines, as Frank enstein made
his man, or monster. To meet these people
with the law o. supply and demand, to point
out to them the bliss of unrestricted competi
ton, and to rebuke them with the Malthusian
law of population, the Ricardian theory of rent
and the margin of unproductive cultivation, is
to present them with logomachies which they
resent. They believe that economists are utter
ing optimism to order. In a vague way, they
are under the impression that the greater part
o! the misery which they see is the direct pro.
duct of laws, enacted and maintained in the
interest of particular classes. And, on the
whole, they are in the right. Most OF the
problems which yex society have an historical
origin, sometimes present cause, though more
rarely.
Now I made it my business in these lectures
to examine into and expound the history OF
social facts. Political economy, rightly
taken, is the Interpretation of all social con-
of being defense of abuses. In the theory as
TO how wealth is distributed, the true eehter of
all economical inquiries the suspicion that ii
deliberately advocates an unjust distribution
hopelesSly discredits it. And when men despair
of equity the just rights of those who have
strained those rights are in danger. l cannot
agree with Mr.. George, but am amazed to find
how popular his theory is. II is entirely the
outcome of economical fallacies, hitherto
treated as indisputable truths. The unearned,
and, according to Mr. George, the entirely I'M
deserved increment is the key 10 the passionate
and seductive proposals of " Progress and Pow
erty." Now the impulses bred by this remark
able book are not met by definitions and logo
machies They may be explained away in
great part by historical facts and by the accu.
rate analysis of present conditions. But they
never will be as long as PEOPLE cling to Ricardo,
and 10 obsolete theories of an analogous kind.
Ihe instincts of men revolt against doctrine
which teaches that a limited class OF pr .perty-
holders is to take an increased toll on the earn
lngs of capital and labor; that there is no escape
from this bondage; and that the more intelligent
and acute labor becomes the more heavy will
be the tribute which the idle and worthless can
exact from society, There is no more mis-
chievous person living than a rapacious land
lord, VINO uses to the full all the powers which
existing law gives him. But on the other hand,
there is no more useful and deserving person
than wise and Just landlord, who respects his
S true rights, while he preserves his
own. Unluckily the former are common, the
latter are rare.
In opening the December Magazine of
American History" (743 Broadway, New
York;, the eye rests first upon the Rem
brandt Pesle portraits of George and Martha
Washington, contributed by Miss Stokes,
superblv engraved, and of surprising in
terest now that it is so unusual TO discover
portraits of our first Presi-
dent. The Inauguration of Washington
in 1879" by Mrs. Lamb, is 6 timely as well
as a notable paper. This magazine, while
giving us a readable i" Washington mum.
ber," has not overlooked Christmas. The
second paper is by DR.. Prosper Bender, on
." Holidays of the French Canadians Fol
lowing, Shirley Carter Hughson writes of
" Francis Marion's Crave" Professor E.
w. Gillian of :" The French Colony in San
Domingo" paper on The Declaration
of Independence" by M. NJ Baldwin :;
" Washington Portraits by Rembrandt
Peale," by the editor; Colonel Stones
: Trip from New York to Niagara in 1922
Part III; Moncure D. Conway on the origin
of the epithet, Father of His Country"
and among short contributions is one from
Katharine Armstrong, of London, on
" The eAnglo-Americans;" ;" an unpublished
letter by s. r. Mallory, Secretary OF the
Confederate Navy; letter from Richard
Henry Lee in 1882; two unpublished letters
of Washington.
G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and
London, have issued a volume entitled
Omitted Chapter in History Diclosed in
the Life and Papers OF Edmund Randolph,
Governor of Virginia and First Attorney
General of the United States and Secretary
of State" by Moncure D. Conway, the
noted writer 1t is book of high value,
and to all students of our constitutional
history will prove invaluable. Randolph
was member of the Convention that gave
US the Federal Constitution, and in its delib-
Grafton took q prominent part. L )ng prior
to the sitting of that body he gave the sub
ject deep thought, and prepared drafts and
outlines, presented in this volume, that
throw strong lights upon the immortal in
strumeut. The letters and papers in the
book illuminate also some of the most
momentuous and interesting periods of our
political history. There is one painful
chapter, the thirty fourth, which relates to
the charge that Randolph was q defaulter
to the Government. This Fictitious de-
fault" Mr.. Conway explores and exposes
and clears. .Randolph's memory, though 10
this day official records stand against him
as libels. The work is for sale at 50, by
Samuel Carson & Co., San Francisco.
The North American Review" for De.
cember q East Fourteenth street, New
York; contains twenty one articles, all ot
interest to review readers and to the gen.
eral public. Among the leading papers are
these: On James G. Blaine by General
Sherman; on Madness and Murder" by
DR.. W. A Hammond; on High License, y
by Senator Warner Miller; on THE Fast
Set at Harvard" by One of Them" on
-" Lord Beaconsfield and the lrish,n by Hon
Edwards Pierrepont: on Shakespeare In
fuence on the Drama" by Dion Bouci.
cault; on "Harrison's Election by Walker
Blaine; on THE Evolution of Discovery,
by Charles Barnard; on the question
as to whether Stanley is dead. by Gen.
eral Wolse'ey, Charles P. Daily, James NJ
Hubbard, and DR.. Franz Boas; on " Dia.
lects," by Norton V. Johnson; on The
Spirit of the Pioneers" by Edmund Kirke
on Typographical Eccentricities, by G
B. Gillette; on Lester Wallack's Sue.
cessor," by Horace Townsend; on "0ul
Postal Service" by T. P Hughes; OIL The
Home in France" by Joel Benton, anG
several other papers by capable essayists.
"The American Girls Home Book o
Work and Play" by Helen Campbell, is &
profusely illustrated quarto volume, richly
embellished, that tells the girls of to-day
how to work and play; how to make anc
ing games in the home; how to learn vel
at archery; how to swim, to row and tC
prepare tablesux vivants and frame
pictures. 1t teaches the uses OF card
board, leather, wax, tissue paper. etc., il
ornamentation and decoration. 1t teache:
them of the garden, the kitchen
the pantry and the dairy. 1t tells them the
secret of silk-culture, Horticulture, poultry
raising, etc. 1t introduces them to free
hand drawing, cabinet-collecting, wood
carving and a host of other arts, amuse
ments and useful vocations. 1t is al
enlarged, improved and new form of
work issued five years ago. A handsome
holiday gift book for girl could scarcely
be selected. New York and London G
P. Putnam's Sons; San Francisco; TIL,
Bancroft Company.
Religious Duty" an essay by Franci
Power Cobbe, and Broken Lights" b,
the same author, are two volumes from
the press of Lee & Shepard, Boston, ant
for sale by Samuel Carson & Co., Sar
Francisco, at 50 cents each. These new
editions of essays that are of world wild,
repute are very handsomely presented il
clear, large type, and in strong muslin an,
I