New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-30
SOCIALISM IDEA LIKED.
SOME PHASES OF CURRENT Discomfort
WITH AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS.
TRAVELLER FROM ALTRuRiA: hWohnYnrk:
" Nv " u Howe.s l2mo. PIP. 3ls Ne"-forH


ward Belamy-cor1es Mr. Howels. with an ideai-
lied picture OF a new social order; together WV"
budget OF cartoons depicting real or iahc'e" iau''
In the existing order. No ntmatioh appears '
Altruria Is his personal ideal OF what ''a'e
.hould be but merely OF what State might
could or would be, Socialism to nave ire
course and be glorihed' and the reader Is leit
free 10 assume that that wonderful country Is noun
ing but the product OF another phase OF the ""-
thors versatile and fruitful fancy and Is no more
TO he taken as n civic model than silas laphaih Is
TO be regarded as the ideal Of the world or the
amusing incidents Of THE Elevator as the 'i'oSt
desIrable programme for an evenings entertain
ment Mr. Howells has. indeed himself iape'ien t',c
volume Romance" and that. according u MS
previous teaching, is something that Is not "' al
10 be taken seriously. but IL best suited 10 ''e
amusement Of children. or Of insular barbarlahS'
From 40 unworthy use. however, the literary H'eS
defend this delightful book; and defend IT, too'
from the ungratefulness OF questioning or carPihs
at Its motive, For. after all, the DOCK 'na' j.
worth reading must be all things TO all us readers
To one II must give entertainment. to another III
s,rrction to a third Inspiration while fourth may
be aroused to hostile criticism But on one point
concerning this as all other OF Mr. Howellss BOOKS
all will have accord and that Is. the unia'''rs
charm OF style with which every line IN "'u'"'"
atcd: SO that whether agree with the author VI
not We are irresistibly constrained 10 oher MIN d
tribute OF admiration and Of love
bourne as yet only one traveller has come 10 our
benIrhted shores II lies somewhere In the South
Pacific Is big as Australia. and az thicKly popu-
lated Its civilization dates from early in the
Christian era and it, progress In the SOCIAL ar'S
has been far more rapid than that Of any other
country. or perhaps 1t has been merely d!lereh'
lust as the fora and fauna OF Australasia are or
ganized in fashion contrary to that Of other LANDS
The Traveller oddly calls this progress Evolution
which Of cours. It could no: be in any sense known
20 the parwinian school. the fundamental princi-
ules OF the two systems being exactly opposite
That however is q mere detail What IL important
f. that \lirura has experienced various phases or
POLITICAL social AMI Industrial lie Identical win
those America is supposed by some TO nave passed
and TO b. passing through. and finally II mas sete'
down into an absolute Socialism surprising any
dream OF owen. Las.alle Marx. For not only
is II colleciivlst by law hui In universal spirit also
Competition in business is forbidden by statute Du'
then nobody has any amb.uon or desire thhS 10
compete Human nature i;self has been rAdlcAHy
Transformed. IN advance II IN" Millennium. -Nhu
ilst is % the pletshni"st features OF 'ne
book II {. evident that such transformation
must hay. been effected by some specinc means
II may have been 10y universal inoculation with
,,m. subtle antl-egoistc lymph by skful
trrpannlug and lncison of thos" cerebral in'oiH-
lions IN which the spirit Of self ABIDE or yet by
some still more Ingenious and occult OPERATION
Bu, Mr. Howells does not make The commonplace"
view ~ Br,ckI-n Brown exposed m" ven'rlio-
oust in "Wicland" VITA the instinct OF the true
literary artist ~. ,eiyes mat - The Imagination ~
The reader And II the hypercritical complain that
In a realistic work nothing should thus be leit'
there Is that saving label Romance TO justify
ihe author
Neither ,Ioes Mr. Hcw4lls fall into the error,
which has fatal to other writer's essay Ing sim
liar schemes 81 making his hero-if We may use
that worl-a travelling agent or tout for colon
izatlon company and the book. therefore. mere
guide To- Atrur.a and CODES - iis resources laws
and customs The obi"ci II travel AZ least OF the
travels OF 90 scholarly AM un-'lhsh a gentleman
f. 10 observe rather than 10 advertise, II study
a;hcr than instruct. Wherefore the book Is not
50 much a revelation OF Mtruria a. a criticism OF
America from the Altruriln point Of vi Altihra
H. 81 course largely set forth by indirection In IN"
manner and spirit u It's accomplished representa-
tive. and In the closing chapters he speaks AT
length but with not too much "Xpicltn"Ss. 81 MS
country and It's social system. But the bulk OF the
book j. devoted 10 the American system. lts VIZ
tues Ioub,fuily defended by various natives. and
It's faults AMI falinss pllorlel by the visitor In
style that would be ptiess were 1t not so evidently
gracious benevolent and. In word. Atrurian
Amid mis- most delightful fancies. however. MT
Uowels never forge,s his loyalty 10 truth-that
,rufhfulness which should b, the foundation OF all
u.,r,hv literature Accordingly he makes his
American characters talk. not as the artificial
s,ltel lnfallbie oracles Of out-of-date romances
but with the simple drectness Of average. every
day men and women, and even with the looseness
and inaccuracy OF statement too often. unhappiy
I Characteristic them. Thus the Banker, who some
times talks sound sense. and then lapses Into
those curious alterations 81 thought and speech
from which even the mos, julic0us are not always
EXEMPT; as for example. when he makes the as
founding statement that:
I'm any average assembly Of Anieric' ms the the
greatest millionaire would take the eyes OF all from
tine greatest statesman. the creates poet OF the
greatest soldier we ever had.
II is scarcely creuibc that even the Mtrurian be
lleved that Yet just such absurd things are actu-
ally said in real life every day In another place
the LAWYER relates "A conversation he had heard
between some young co"rge men:
a. nearly AZ could fra ont n most ST. c@ co%iI
hrlp IT, They seemed to feel sort OF ncongrui;y
between their education and the business life"
Whcreupon the Banker again takes the burden
Of his prophecy In this wise
80 far as business IL concerned they were right
II is no to pretend that there Is any relation
is no business man who Will pretend that there is
not often an actual incompatihty II ne IS honest,
. With business az business. the education or
a gentleman has nohn! to do The Cniver-
sl,y nuriures all sorts OF lofty ideals. which bust
80 You admit then" said the Professor that
the. higher. education elevates business mans
nGouhissdyi Tia, is one Of ,nns chief draw
Is more Of failure, "a provision for bushes.
career man me lover eIncaoh i lot me .te .,
! we'll whether We do or not that the three RS will
not make their children better mechanics or labor
ers'
The Banker having thus branded business men
| as knaves ami wcrkngmen MS beasts. the Professor
must have his inning in which he sweeplngy
charges the rural electorate with being bought and
sold like cattle:
"Dd your agricultural friends tell You anything
OF the little rural traffic in votes that they carry
on about election time"
don't unie "a ~
"Why. know that you buy votes among
our viriucus women. from two dollars up, at the
ordinary elections. When party feeling high.
and there are vital questions at stake the votes
more
The Atrurian looked around at us all aghast
30 YOU mean that Americans buy votes?'
! The Professor smiled again. ',Oh. no. | only