The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-02


your profession or business, your local
public duties" Whereas. to live in
London or in Paris is to be saved as it
We're from mental and social stagna-
ton. Another cause is that there is no
class in the United States to which
public political life comes naturally, by
reason of hereditary right ana intlu-
ences. All Americans have to begin,
well-nlgh on equal terms. at the lad
der's bottom. In Britain or France.
again, one may stand, one after AN
other, for 500 parliamentary seats
whereas In America one Knockout
often settles the man who goes into
politics from a sense Of duty. Another
cause is the dullness of American poll
ties To the educated man. If we had to
deal with exciting policies of foreign
diplomacy or of domestic constitutional
change, instead of dealing, for the most
part. with routine questions of revenue
and currency, Professor Bryce thinks
the best men would be attracted TO pub
lie life in much larger number The
socialistic ferment in Europe supplies
grim reason why the upper classes
are impelled to keep their hand on the
helm of state. for purposes largely of
self-protection. That ferment Is less
marked in America. our several divi-
sions of political authority also have
Il tendency. he thinks. to keep good
men out of office. inasmuch as they
tend to confuse the choice of public
careers. Another explanation offered is
the superiority of non-political careers
in this country to corresponding ca
reers in the Old World. Finally our
politics. although gaining in this re-
spect, still lacks the social fascinations
and opportunities inseparable from
public preferment In Great Britain. EX-
cepting certain wealthy senator's at
Washington, our governing element do
not. AZ 4 rule. frequent drawing rooms.
The professor cOurteOusly does not say
SO. but he could with entire truth have
said that they are more at home in the
atmosphere of the corner grocery or
the whisky and beer saloon. To the
possible assertion that he had omitted
to place among the foregoing causes.
the bad company, vulgar associations
and ribald publicity incident to public
| station he replies that sin every country
| a politician has to associate with men
| whom he despises and dstrusts: in
every country he is exposed to misrep-
| sentation and abuse" Professor Bryce
| does not take stock in the argument
| that reckless newspaper criticism is the
| deterrent influence which prevents
American government from enlisting
| the character and labors of its finest
| citizens. mo more in America" he
says, than in Europe has any upright
man been written down, for though
the American press is unsparing, the
American people are shrewd, and some
| times believe too little rather than too
much evil of a man whom the press
assails" However as an offset TO this
| undeniable nOnparticipation of what
| are sometimes rudely called the kid
| glove element in politics as hereto
| fore explained, it is encouraging to note
| that ''the last few years have brought
revival of interest in public affairs,
and especially in the management of
citieS There is more speaking and
writing and thinking, practical and
definite thinking. upon the principles Of
| government than at any previous
| epoch. Good citizens are beginning to
| put their hands to the machinery of
| government; and 1t is noticed that those
| who do so are. more largely than form
erly, young men, who have not con-
tracted the bad habits which the prac-
| tce of politics has engendered among
| their elders, and who will, in a few
years, have become an even more po-
tent force than they are now"
We shall have more to say concerning
| this book at a later time.
| Halle Ermine Rivers distantly relat-
ed. we are told, to the more celebrated
Amelie, Of identical surname, has con-
flded her first book--a novel-to the
merciless world, through the medium
OF the Woodward and Tiernan cOmpa-
n.y. St. Louis 1t is entitled "A Fool in
| Spots" One of the fools" described
on page as "medlum-siZed, delicately
featured and with look Of halliday
enthusiasm is identified on page as
an artist, unmarried. Talking to a
stately, athletic friend" apropos of the
aforementioned fact, the "fool' is told:
| Admitting there is warmth and color
In some OF your artistic creations, old
fellow I should think you would find
these scarcely available of winter
nights. eh?''
| This apparently causes the fool" to
reflect; and by the time we have
reached page II, he Is known to be in
love with a Southern girl of "indescrib-
able lissomeness and grace" "yclept
Cherokee Bell, who, Furthermore. for
the purpose of identification. has a fern
| al ,i,
| to propose. the fool, whom we may as
well call Robert Millburn. banters his
cynical friend, otherwise known as Will
lard Frost, to play the rival, which he
proceeds to do with so much energy
that on page q he proposes to Cherokee
what a name.-and, on page 2S, is re-
jected And the pages in this book are
not big ones, either.
on page 80, Frost, who is cute one,
buncoes Cherokee out of 81 900. on
page 80 Millburn himself proposes, and
Is partially accepted. The remainder
of the plot may be bulletined somewhat
as follows:
on page 43, Millburn gets as drunk
as n duchess"
| VII page b', NItlOh't sur u w IDSt
for portrait. to be painted by Frost Is
insulted by him and Indignantly sweeps
from the room.
on page Sc Millburn says goodbye,
determined to leave Cherokee free to
marry u wealthy husband.
on page 80 Millburn and Cherokee
meet again, in Kentucky; on page III
they are married; on page 1l3 he gets
drunk again and Is sent home to his
newly-wedded wife in cab.
On page 1873, Millburn again gets dead
drunk.
From page 1S4 to 223 he behaves like
a cad, a cur and general scoundrel,
subjecting Mrs. Millburn to inestimable
grief and humiliation and naln