New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

PROBLEMS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY. by ; 3osepn
Henry Crookcr. l6mo PIP. 2s"' boS'o" "'o'90
H. Ellis. ar,.
Thee ESSAYS treat Of the following subjects "The
student In American Life" scientific Charity inc
poo, NJ the Temperance Problem" 1.-The Pohtlcal
Conscience Moral and Religious Instruction IN our
Public schools and The Religious Desu'u,oh VI
Villages" The papers arc not equal III MERIT o"V
they are all written with thought, earhesthcss anu
. high ethical standard and purpose. The first Ia IL
we'll reasoned plea for fuller recognition OF the Dehe
cent influence of culture in American me- ana
nroost against that tendency to regard material sue
cesses and achievements the only ones deserving
respect which Is one OF the errors OF inc "'c
Nothing can have effect npon CIVILIZATION IMAM
the establishment Of popular contempt or Tie "orN
Of the intellect Nothing Is more distinctly lowering
and biutalizing than the worship of the material
IN warn and protest against such a tendency must
however always be ore of the duties OF thinkers
in A democracy inasmuch a. the more vigorous wi"
aourishng the commonwealth the greater VIII De '''
macrialist bent and it, impotence of the spri,u''
elements in life. Mr.. CrookcrS observations Oh '"'
subject are sound and wholesome
Ills cssay ON scientific Charity Is characterize"
NV clear and often strong thought. hut he doeN n"'
make II altogether apparent that he mas Ho"o W '
bottom 81 ths weighty and troublesome p,ooi'"'
TO .av that the methods of charity organization 'O
present favored good but that 50 ia' wy -"
failed Ia produce the best effects because OF 'ie ~
eanacity Of their administrators. may be true pn.
il j. not encouracng for the position involved III
is that nothing les than entire iccohs""''o" VI
politicaI system can afford hope ioi i"Pio'
lint we arc inclined to suspect that MI 'oo".' 10Y
too much stress upon the special htneNS oi '"o a."
minl,trators and perhaps not enough upon the ho'"
influence of ,uv and every kind OF patein"ll>ih "po"
.,.r,cc h,,oau uatrrc I'm theory the German P'i"'
.iplc that not a cent shall he gwen "ill0h - ~"
earned is perfectly sufficient but 1t 100 oi'en o.e'%
doun in practice and even when it does no' prc"N
down. the assumption that its StTc' app'''''"
eliminates The numbing effects of paternaism Is "o'
,,o,ised For IL the popular saying that corpo'"
,iore are soullcss be true. il j. equally uue' IL ics'
generally perceived that those VINO nave 10 uo'' WIN
corpo,a;ions and particularly puDhc corpo''''0'9
are liable TO atrophy Of conscience NDsc"0o vi f.
sonality IN the party of the hrS' part " ,''e". "
TIA in legal phrascology, tends 10 absence OF sor"p"
It, T., the nartv of the second part. mus men
,,hose condolences would instantly revolt against 'no
thoucht Of committing dishonesty against SUNNI "
div,dral frequently find that monitor u'"'" ""',
the oreson j. oi fleeing the government ""'i'' p'
,onnty state or National. To expect 'ha' u'"so "'o
arc unfortunate enough to require pnbIlc a'sis'""oo
shonld rise superior TO tins common ldi'no "o''''
,co,,v ,e unreasonable. IL is. however. quite I'M
practicable 80 10 arrange charity organization '"''
rs bcneicarie~ shall only come III contact WIN "
,odv of select veteran phanthropiSS whose PERSONA
fitness may put out Of sight the public treasury oeiu
,h.ro and % The question remains open whe'hcF' d.
,u.r ,ature and human society arc at present.
constituted ANYTHING decidedly better than the eN
listing method, can be seriously hoped iol.
/, HE discussion Of The Foot OF the Temperance
Problem Mr.. Crcoker seems 10 H. 10 nave d'ic" 'o
tho prcvslcnt error Of expecting too mh'h No" io-'
,.,o, Ills attitude upon tie irfaonality ana uh
,,actcality of prohibition J. indeed thoi""S"N "e''
"a sourd but he advocates heavy penal'cs j"
drunkenness after fashion which J"stiie> our cru
cism thinker who has 50 clearly SHOWN '""' ~
,,a,ion can effect cure Of any evil which does not
rest upon public conviction or when i III ao'""'o
n nuhc morality should not have allowed himself 20
arrIc that drunkenness can be stopped 10y hdrSh laws
The world thrashed out such allaclcs as tS century
ago. &c.,. t . II,
f.rooker tells many plain truths IN uucuirhN way =
Indeed he i sometimes too tru'uicn' ioE nc P'''''
49,, indignation 70 get the better Of him and descends
10 scolding which is not effective means Oh ieiori
The notcal conscience j. obviously result OF cvoiu
,ion like most other things and if il onends the way
% a remedy is through analysis of the causes ana
tendencies which have made j what 1t Is me i"Ho"
ING essay on Moral aud Religions INSTRUCTION III '"
r,uh,ic schools is strong argument for the Thorough
sccularizaton Of state education based on thc
t.s,sble fact that the state itself is secular Inc maj
eseav In the volume Will lie specially interesting y"
yuacer. and the inhabitants of small towns Tor IL Is
MI examination of tie causes which nave uea"eho"
religious life IN such places The u'eIe7' hu''p"'"
ZION of s.caran churches. the growth oi hdIoNhes9
which this practice fosters. the dissipation oil energy
and of means whereby the Intellectual condition Of
the country pulpit Is lowered and the pay Of 'he
preacher % kept down as 10 exclude the best mhds
from the Churoh-tlese some OF the questions diS
cus.ed by Mr. Croker with csndor Information anu
esrnestncss The spirit which informs all these papers
q .or,irsble They are unone,; onably inspired by
genuine public spirit and they are not hippant OF
shallow but the prciuct Of conscientious study ana
research as the blioaraihics which precede each one
a. them sufficiently demonstrate