The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-02-03

MURvALT EASTMAN, CHRISTIAN socialist
By Albion ". lou-gee FOrds Howard (
/ Hubert New York. publishers. For sale
/ ~ West. Johnston co.
This is a book on the order Of the famou.
| Fools Errand." by the same author. which
/ created 80 much discussion several year.
/ ago. He naturally is not popular in the
I South. because OF his unsay0ry connection
with the s0-called reconstruction period
/ bat the book Is no attack upon the South
/ bat upon the social abuses more especially
confined to the plutOcrats Of the North.
10 opens with graphic description Of .
I poor street-c?r driver who had been terribly
injured by a mob because re had taken tbe
place = one Of ibe drivers out on "A strike
/ lie was an ext Mon soldier, who had been
wounded in The war. but denied pension
on the ground that his claim was frsudu-
lent. The claim was the only means by
which be could hope 10 live lie had been
an honest, bard worker all his life, but I'M
successful ~ everything powerful
young fellow had rescued him and taken
the car back 10 the compaTy's stables.
During his sickness this same fellow.
known as "No. Fortv-SiX." drove Tor him
and turned over the entire weekly earnings
90 him. This saved him and his wife from
actual starvation.
The excl niOn soldier is Jonas I Underwood.
and the "NO. F0rty-sixn Is finally discover
ca 10 De- Murvslo Eastman. the pastor of
the Golden Lilies, "a fashionable church.
He used his summer vacation 10 study the
strike ln this way, and while be il believed
Oh Doe absent on the seashOre he
is driving the street cars for the
injured man. and is forming what bis
congregation are destined 10 think danger
Gus sOcialistic ideas. On his first appear
ance IN the church after this experience be
was about 20 preach "a routine sermon
which he had carefully prepared. when bis
eyes fell upon the text in Greek over his
study door: "Grant INTO Thy servants, that
with all b0ldneSs they may speak Thy
word 50 throwing away bis manuscript
he dashed into the troublesome questions of
modern life. II wa, almost as startling NJ
The celebrated sermon which was an expose
Of bic life, preached by Dean Maitland.
In fact, i'm spite u Yourself in peruslng
the book YOU cannot help thinking that
IOurgee drew his inspiration from the IA
nous English novel, The silence Of Dean
Maitland. He wants tO apply some Of the
evolution theories 10 Christianity so as 90
make the Church respond 10 the demands of
modern life and thought Finally the view
eliminates IN the foundation Of a society
oi Christian Socialists one cannot help
sympathizing with any honest effort 90 bet
ter the condition OF humanity. though the
conclusions reached are not exactly iheal-
thy. a, literary production 1t is mot
equal 20 Bcllimv'- Looking Backward
The love scenes are fairly good. though tine
women would not do for models
There is great law suitiu which poverty
has 90 fight in the courts against wealth
ana influence. The millionaire defendant
counted ON the chances "a beggar would
IH d IH b
cause was just, Doe knew that justice is "a
costly article % buy in the market cart Of
an American court. though honestly dis
pen-od. and given without money. ami
Withhold price, Justice under our
~ stem ircsupposc- in The poor when
matched against the rich. the power 10 OUT
live delay and conquer both genius and
corruption.
inere is certainly am unnecessary amount
of delay, but when Dee charges corruption
perhaps his mind is fun of the memories of
the reconstruction days when be himself
sat on the bench. But Iourgee's book. ou
the whole. is clever. and when he warns u-
to hN our Ideals ln the aspirations of to-day
AID the future, and not ln the nadir of tine
past. his warning should be needed. Ie
thinks that modern thinkers rely upon the
encl clOpedla for information. and that bee
tore entering the lists they don 10 like steel
helmet
His book is "a strong effort 10 broaden the
field of opportunity for the individual. 10 |
I- mot an attack 0n capital, and is not boz |
favor OF labor, except in 80 far as he tries |
% aid iudlNldusllsm. The accumulation OF |
immense wealth in a few hands bee con- |
zlders the great danger of our civilization. |
II j, "a book which can De read with inter |
-st and profit Dos almost any one. for It is |
highly speculative and suggestive.