Evening star., 1896-07-25

It is rather remarkable that until this
time the world has been without such q
work as this which Mr.. Conant has just
presented 1t with. Legislators and flnan-
ciers have discussed currency questions
from all standpoints through all the ages
since man first inhabited the earth, but not
until now have there been consolidated in
one volume those facts the knowledge OF
which is essential to anything like COM
prehe1 sive understanding Of subject now
especially interesting. The purpose of Mr..
Conant's excellent product is, as he an
nounces, historical rather than contro-
versial; he has even "refrained from dis
cussing the problem of the single or dou-
BILE standard, because the rules which gov
ern banking currency apply with equal
force, whatever metal constitutes the stan
dard money Of redemption" Mr.. Conant
has been most conscientious in the compile
ton of his self-imposed task He has been
thorough He will surely reap the reward
that Is invariably the harvest Of the care
full and fortunate husbandman. After deep
study. Mr.. Conant has reached conclu-
sion that will not be assailed by brainy
men of experience; a conclusion that logi-
cally succeeds the historical truths he
makes plain: 1.-The currency of COM
| mercal country should be regulated by
commercial conditions. and not by the
whims of politicians" No real library can
be complete SO long 1t has not "A His
tory of Modern Banks Of Issue"
THE PEOPLES AND POLITICS OF THE FAR
a EASI Travels Travels and md Studies in the British,
IBERIA, China, Japan Korea, Siam and Malaga.
By Henry Norman author of The Real Japan. -
With Sixty Illustrations and four maps. New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons. Washington:
Brentano's
There is no better written or more valu-
able volume on the far east than this.
Many travellers have given the benefit
| Of their Investigations and ideas, but none
has yet reached that degree of excellence
achieved by Henry Norman. In the prefac re
Mr.. Norman Says: This book Is the result
of nearly four years of travel and study in
the countries and colonies of which it
treats l have described and discussed no
place that l did not visit, and in every one
1 remained long enough, and was fortunate
enough in learning the views and expert
ences of the local authorities and best-in-
formed residents. to make sure at any rate
that l was not misled into mere hasty i'm
pres sions." No careful reader of the book
but will declare that Mr.. Norman is con-
sc,entcus historian. and clever. From the
moment he commences to describe Shang-
hal until-some six hundred pages later
he casts the horoscope of the far east, he
is interesting, instructive, thrilling and
amusing. He sketches people and places
with wonderful fidelity to nature, he dis
government with tremendous force, he has
commercial, military and naval details at
his pens point, he reveals the social life OF
strange lands without d!Sregarding the hos
pitality of his entertainers he prophesies
with power. and SO clearly that his rea-
sons for forecasting are all visible to the
average mind: and all these things are
done admirably vast quantity of whole
some truth is attractively set forth with
out fear or favor-even the statistical state
ments compel attention-and there is lib
eral display of illustrations, most of them
| the result of photographs taken by Mr..
Norman. If Mr.. Norman had never ren-
dered the reading public any other service
than the writing of this book. he would be
creditor whose claims could not easily be
satisfied There is however, other indebt-
edneSs. so the possibility of Mr.. Norman
ever being anything but a creditor is not
| apparent.
Speeches BY Edward Mayes, LID Nashville,
Tenn Publishing House of the Methodist
Episcopal Church South
In Washington, where a close, personal
perspective of the man was possible, no
book Of the day has richer biographi-
| cal interest than the life of the late Jus
tice Lamar. The work has been done by
his son-in-law, Chancellor Mayes Of the
University of Mississippi. not merely as
| tribute of affection, but with a literary
strength and earnestness which has pro-
| duced not only an adequate portrayal of
one of the most picturesque public char
acters of the times, but also a most in
teresting panorama of the events of which
he was part. Naturally a great portion
| of the book is given to the reconstruction
period. during which Mr. Lamars special
errand in public life as counsellor OF
peace brought him forth into dhe light
of fame. His eulogy of Charles Sum-
ner. as well his defense of the name
| of Jefferson Davis, and the many speeches
which he made In Congress and out. in
the effort and hope Of promoting the good
will between the sections and a reunited
devotion to the flag of a common country.
have been edited and appear in full. An
appendix. embracing perhaps one-fourth of
the volume, presents all the more i'm
portant speeches of his life. including his
famous forensic duels with Mr.. Blaine
and Mr.. Conkling.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Complete Works. conpris-
ing his Speeches. Letters State Papers and
Sicolay ard John S Hay New E York: Ky The H, Cen: ~
tury Company. Washington: Charles L. Conlt.
These two volumes are logically supple
mental to the Lincoln biography written
by Nicolay and Hay. Herein will be
found every speech and letter of import
ance ever delivered or written by the mar
tyr President, whose greatness grows ap-
preciably time rolls on. The student
of American history who has not read
| this collection of documents will be fatally
defective as to information until the lack
has been supplied.
AT HAwARDEN WITH MIR. GLADSTONE and
Other Transatlantic Experiences. BY William
H. Rideng. New York: Thomas i. Crowell
& Co.
Mr.. William H. Rideing. the associate
editor of the North American Review and
of the Youths Companion, whose charming
little volume of English sketches. entitled
I'm the Land of Lorna Doone," was so
favorably received by the press last year,
has followed it up with a similar sheaf
Of papers. the outcome of his experiences
Of travel and observation in the British
Islands The Gladstone sketch is ex-
tremcly pleasing. but it is by no means
all of the volume. The chapters on "A
Run Ashore at Queenstown" The Route
of the Wild Irishman," QUAINT cd Var
mouth Law, Lawyers and Law Courts"
"The House of Commons and "Old and
New on the Atlantic are all very inter
esting.
THE MYSTERY OF HANDWRITING A Hand
book of Graphoiogy. BY J. Harrington Keene
('Grapho"p Illustrated Boston: Lee &
Shepard.