New-York tribune., 1890-06-27
BELLAMY REVERSED.
A LONG LOOK AHEAD.


This story may be said occupy the nadir of that
pole Of speculation upon which Mr. Beilafny 5 LOOK
ing Backward represents the zenith. AS the latter
expresses the optimism of the period so TINS expresses
its pessimsm. There always Will be Two iaoicaN
antaeonistc schools Of thought in respect OF human
affairs The one looks without disquiet upon the
most ominous phenomena and is satisfied that reforms
and mitgations and solutions will be found ana ap-
Piled in good time to all evils. abuses and causes OF
discomfort. The other argues that the tendency OF
the gravest existing evils is TO spread ana lhreSso'
that they have already been allowed too much mead
way TO be restrained that the vices and weaAhesSos
which have produced must perpetuae and extend
them: and that as mischief will thus grow III
ueometrical progression the only possible end can be
cataclysm 1t is TO the exposition OF this gloomy
view that DR.. BOisglbert has addressed MS
literary gift, II must in fairness be SAID for MIN
that what he has written is put forward as an eaos'
and sincere expression of clearly defined appre
honsion. When an author, indeed, writes preface
TO work Of fiction, the mere fact demonstrates tnat
he has purpose beyond simple of amusing his
rcadars and the purpose underlying DR.. Boisglberts
book is very serious indeed.
In the year 1855, according to this ingenious rore
cast civilization Will he thoroughly rotten that us
destruction can no longer be delayed The grea EN-
nire Of the West fell under the attacks OF ex'erh"
harbarism but the modern civilization is 10 succiho
m the forces itself has generated, upon the eNpo"
tion ~ which IL has established a colossal Pluocracy'
and which II has gradually alienated and educated 10
desperate enmy. In the century h'er' eii'ns
between the present and that of the story ma'el
civilization has made enormous advances The haVie@
ton of the air has been accomplished and this truhpn
has really given to the Oigarchy ruling the Unnea
state. its stability fol- it has put in their unscrupulos
hands a force against which numbers ana despair
struggle In vain. For while it is always possioe loi
the Proletariat to rise, build barrcaoeS' ahu ns'
behind them, what be effected against airShPS
which, floating out of cannon range drop uyila'ii'e
and poison bombs perpendiculary into thc ,hcheSV
masses of the insurgents and so slaugmcr ''elh "o
wholesale with absolute mpunjty7 These dreadi'u
air.sbips are called Demons" by the people INC
Olgarchy have been careful to retain the ao'o'uV
control of them and to isolate them and ther crews
in a fortified armory As to the Ohgarchy nScl'' u'o
author believes it is the natural outcome Oh ,he
present situation; century has deVelopoo dl ''io
agencies which cause him doubt and anxiety To-
aav The concentration of wealth in a few hands
has gone on with ever accelerating rapdity. In
the great cities the advance OF Invention ana 'e ao
normal growth Of population through Immigration nave
nv degrees sunk the working classes INTO peoh"sc
Wages have been depressed to starva'ioh poin'' iu
for tbe toilnQ millions there is no longer any nope.
Tho prosessjonal and so-cailed middle classes nave
IN the meantime lost all political power and are Du'
the creatures of satrsps. Who, tiroush ei'oiino
wealth. have acquired despottc control OF the country
Republican forms are still adhered to for 'he saNo
Of
exists only to register the DEGREES OF the OgarchS ann
n cxpress their views of events and policies foi-
tcians and officials are all corupt-nooouy cacs ~"
ANYTHING but money and luxury. Pa'rloushi' ''no''
religion conscience, duty, are all dead phrases 0'
ciety believes nothing to the future ana concerns
itself about nothing beyond the hour' Suo" Is '''
gloomy forecast of this book.
Relow al, the glow and glitter and external beauty
NJ this rnparalleled opulence and luxury Is worRhg
A tremendous volcanic force. The ProetaHa' Has III
its agony evolved grim and great machlnery' ot vi
rescue and reform. but of revenge secret orsaiNt
ton-a new International fitted to the enlarged scope
Of thnas-has been established. lis ramcaons cover
all Enrope and the two Americas; it has 1OOoOO'ooo
members and Is called the Brotherhood oi Dee'Nc-
ton. At its head are three men OF reiharhpic -"
pacity By the craftiest means they nave succeeueo
in armlng this immense multitude with the latest
magazine l1fes and ample supplies OF nAea ainh"h-
ton Their plans complete. but for one serious
pont They have not yet been able TO buy over the
Demons without whose aid or against whose opposi'
ton, they hope 10 effect nothing
Bnt a. such a time the stars in their courses fight
against the doomed civilization. and so it is quite
atur. that the Ohgarchs should the support Of
the Demons AT the critical moment. They know what
the brotherhood has been doing They have Their own
military preparations made. They mean 10 iet uie
masses rise and barrcade themselves, aid when they
are shut up as in rattrap the troops are to hen te
in while the Demons from above drop poison and dyna
DESTROYED Unfortunately for the carrying out of this
programme the Demone-the Mamelukes of the Air. as
DR.. Bosgilbert very picturesqueIy calls uem-'ulh
traitor to the Ogarchy and when they at last sally
forth from their armory and take position above "e
CITY, il is into the ranks of the militia, and not into
those of the insurgents that their deadly missiles
nlunpe The result, Of course, is foregone con-
.uson for In the night Brotherhood has canscd
new line of barbados TO be erected behind the troops
cutting of their There IS then no evasion iof
the and they die the last man, while the revoi-
ton after few hours of organized and ferocioS
xengcapce escapes the control of the leaders as all
revolutions have done, and resolves itself into
blind indiscriminate carnage and anarchy. We have
not told the story but merely indicated in outline It's
character and motive.
Tho story contains a number of dramatic tableaus,
such as the secret meeting Of the Brotherhood Of
Destruction the Council Of the Oligarchy in the palace
NJ Prince Cabano the rescue Of Fste1la Washington,
the scene Of the outbreak the erection Of Caesars
Column Ia particularly ghasty conceptonl and the
dight Of MaA, his friend Gabriel and their wives, In
the DR.. Eoisgbert, in the description of the
worhingnens meeting cleverly introduces variety OF
arguments indicating the direction and progress OF
popular thought In other places he exploits his OWL
theories to the means Of preventing such a general
overthrow Of civilization the story supposes; bn
here he is not at his BEST for his economic and financial
ideas are crude and defective. lie appears TO be
believer In the power Of Government to maintain a
paper curretcy at par without any specie basis Ht
can think of remedy for monopoly in land
and concentration Of capital than statutory restraints
upon the area of land and the amount of money helc
by the Individual. In short. his ideas distinctly
toward socialism and patcInalsm and at the clost
he gives a sketch of colony in Africa which, savcC
by It's pemotsness and primitive condition from .lr
general rrnn establishes itself firmly as the nucleus
Of new and Better civilization, upon one of thos
vsmi-patrfarchal plans the mapplicabiy Of which u
great populations is apparent on the face of It,
Caesars Column" will appeal TO that considerably
class Of thinkers which, from temperament tends al
Ways toward pessimstic views and is therefore pre-
usrd to concur in the broadcast and darkest inference
and expansions, based upon existing difficulties an'
prospective dangers. The book moreover, may be rea
with interest as an emphatic Offset to Mr.. Bellamy'