The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-13


UNITED sTATEs-By William Howe Toll
man, ph. d., secretary OF the City Vigi-
lance League, New York; with an intro
duction by Rev. Charles III. Parkhurst. ID.
d., president of the City Vigilance League
Fleming II. Revell co.
DR.. Parkhurst's introduction to this
book Is periunctory. The book Is purely
New York product, for New York su-
dience, tuned to the New York popular
fad OF reform that is now raging In
that metropolis. So 1t is not necessary
TO expect that IL will be OF
very great value or interest elsewhere
than in New York. IL Is not based upon
bottom principles, and is therefore handi-
capped for general circulation, and Is
scarcely as valuable elsewhere as In New
York.
In his first chapter, on "the civic
Renaissance" DIR. 1olman lays down this
proposition, which prevents basic con-
alteration Of the constitution and man.
agement of cities: "Our city Is not .
business corporation, but Is body
polite" Now this is a view, that, while
1t Is specifically applied to New York may
be understood to embody the ideas
of the Civic League, that forms the con-
venient background for the knight
errantry of DIR. Parkhurst. 1t 10 errone-
Gus. A city Is essentially business COR
poration, and nothing else. The func-
tions of a business corporation may in
clude the whole range OF civic ethics, but
ii remains business corporation. The city
is nothing whatever but q collection OF
individuals who agree to transact certain
affairs needful to all through a common
agency. When DR.. Tolman asserts, there
fore, that sour city 10 not q business cor
porstion" it must be assumed that he
means the functions OF city
corporation are not entirely confined
to those matters that pertain to
what may be called the physical we'll
being of the city, or that he means to
force o construction upon the citys con-
stitution and fundamental purposes en-
tirely out OF harmony with the views held
by substantially all the writer's and think
ers upon the problems connected with
city life. The trend Of DIR. Tolman's dis
iointed remarks in this chapter, which Is
the pith of the book so far as he Is
concerned, shows that his sense of mu-
nicipal necessities is superficial and un-
certain, with O weak leaning toward
socialistic doctrines to relieve his mind OF
the strain the contemplation Of evident
ills subjects 1t to. He seems TO fail to
grasp the permanent aspects OF the
new life manifested by cities every
where, though the depressing evil
dences of selfishness and greed bear with
great weight upon him. II the tone and
perverted-or ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
of this book, by it's secretary, indicates
the ground upon which the hopes OF the
league back of DR.. Parkhurst is founded,
it serves TO mark the limits OF the work
it has undertaken as well as TO dampen
hope respecting its performances.
The whole of he remainder OF the book Is
devoted to brief statements OF the princi-
piles and objects OF various municipal re-
form bodies in various cities, of W hich
our own Advance Club Of Providence is
the Abou Ben Adem-it leads all the rest.
To Providence people this will
prove gratifying as well as in
structive. The thought that We have
in our midst the Advance Club Is rem
iniscence OF nearly the value of state
ment OF a new fact, SO quiescent and
somnolent has it become. Yet even this
accidental circumstance OF leading the
list with the Advance Club serves to
point the moral conveyed by the
book-that the multiplication OF
instruments clogs execution, and
that reform is not contingent upon re-
solves and well-furnished club rooms.
The book may have useful influence.
1t shows, at least, that persons who do
not understand the real municipal prob
lem OF the day are anxious to strike a
blow in aid of its solution, evan II they
do hit out rather blindly.
"Brother OF the Third Degree" is one
ofthose maundering stories about imagin-
ary occult matters that the Arena Com
pany delights to issue, and suppose
some people delight to read. How much
better their time would be employed in
reading Mother Goose melodies!
zone Thousand Dollars q Day." by Ad-
cline Knapp, the author calls "studies in
practical economies" should prefer to
describe 1t as the troubled dreams OF
weak mind. The introduction says that
"it must be stated that the individual
laborer is worse of today, in this free
country, than he was 20, or even 10,
years ago." II is but fair to state
that the author lives in California, but
California is not as far removed from us
physically as is this statement about
wages removed from the truth. 1t Is fol-
lowed by some figures, whether correct or
not do not know, respecting the aver
nge wage of individuals. Not a
word is said about the other side
OF the problem the purchasing
power of money. A cons nsideration OF all
the facts bearing upon the labor uues-
tion shows that never has labor profited
by its exertions as 1t is profiting today.
The average wage now paid buys more OF
the necessities aud luxuries Of life
than any average wage paid at any
time, within the range Of compare
tive statistics. The good that such BOOKS
as this do is not at all commensurate
with the evil they do. Never will the
general cause OF labor be bettered by surly
and defiant statement of half OF truth
and sullen demand upon capital as to
what it intends to do. While IL Is true
that labor has never been better of than
now, Ii is also rs true now as ever that
the further Advancement OF each indi-
vfJuaI trnrkar HonanAa .lo...x