The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-03
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

S2.5O.
Among the purely literary problems
of our age the question of the author
ship of Shakespeare occupies the high
est rank. Initiated by Lord Byron in
1921, renewed by Earl Beaconsfeld in
1885. learnedly and eloquently discussed
by our own countrywoman, Miss Della
Bacon, 1856, it has been forcing itself
with constantly increasing momentum
to the present time upon the attention
of the public. The works of Shakes
peare and Bacon are, respectively, the
grandest productions of human genius.
They are easily accessible to all. In
critical comparison of the works and of
the lives of the two men, the key to I'M
lock the acknowledged mystery connec-
ted with one of them may yet be dis
covered.
To show that such an investigation is
demanded, we have only to point to q
few of the many scholars and publicists
who have thus far either rejected alto
gether the traditional Shakespeare or
expressed serious doubts concerning
him; men and women pre- eminent, now,
or recently, in various walks OF life, in-
Guiding Lord Palmerston, Prime Minis
| ter of England, John Bright, John g..
| Whittier, Prof. E. A. Dolbear, Rev. o. B..
rockingham, Gen. B. F. Butler, Prof.
David Swing, Mrs. Mary A. Livermore,
Prof. Edward S. Morse, Frances e. Will
lard, and Oliver Wendell Holmes.
The work now offered to the public,
| under the title Of Bacon vs., Shakes
PEREZ" by Edwin Reed, is one that we
| can heartily commend as FULL exhaus
tive compendium on this interesting
question. 1t is not controversial. Mr..
Reed approaches his subject judicially,
and the spirit OF an advocate arguing
one side of the case only is nowhere Wis
ible. Both views are stated, and with
equal clearness. impartiality. and force.
Mr.. Reeds own convictions. to be sure.
are not concealed; he is well known as
book without possessing himself OF every
important point involved in the contro-
versy, as the controversy now stands.
| The Monetary and Banking Problem. BY
Logan G. Mcpherson. New York; d. Apple
ton & Co. For sale in Chicago by A. c. Nc
Clurg & Co.
This work seems to have grown out of
some articles published in the Popular
Science Monthly, which articles make
up the body of the work. By enlargipg
these, and adding something more, the
volume was made. 1t purports to be
and is a scientific treatment of the mon
ey question. After brief introduction
in which the nature of human welfare
is clearly defined and the source of that
welfare discovered in the INTERVIEWING
of human effort, the author proceeds to
trace The Development Of the Monetary
Problem" Then he gives US chapter
on "The Monetary Problem" in which
this problem is clearly set forth and it's
Il
on "Bi-metallism" follows this. In this
| he makes clear that no constant and
invariable ratio can be maintained be.
tween gold and silver; that nature has
not fixed such ratio and man cannot
establish one. The increase OF one fast
or than the other will vary the ratio and
there is no regulating it by law, in any
absolute sense. Still, if the great COM
mercial nations would fix upon ratio
it would give to that ratio very great
stability, at least for a time, perhaps
sufficient for all practical purposes. In
dependent free coinage by this country
| the author feels sure could only result
in reducing us to silver basis. We
then have a chapter on our Banking
System" and another on THE Standard
of Value" which with brief Summary"
closes the volume. 1t is book well
strong and it's spirit severely scientific.
lt seeks to reach first principles and
sound conclusions, and is healthy con-
tribution to the financial discussions Of
the hour. price Sl.00.)
professionalism: A Study In the Direction OF
Religious Truth and Church Unity. By Ed
ward P. Usher. Boston, Lee & Shepard.
This volume is an attempt to show
that "under the constitution of the En-
glish Church and of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the United States"
member may hold to the most liberal
opinions, and accept any form of sim
pie creed. without rightly being ex-
posed to the danger of expulsion from
the church as hereto" The theory of
| the Episcopal Church as set forth by Mr..
Usher is democratic and inclusive; he is
free to acknowledge that in practice it
is aristocratic and exclusive. The VOL
ume is valuable for the ample citations
which are given from ancient and mod
ern writer's of the church in favor of the
broadcast liberty of thought and expires
sion. The author is broad churchman
aud contends that the Episcopal COM
munion is better than it's members
broader, freer. and nobler; that there is
nothing in the laws or formularies of the
church to make it what it is today in
fact. one OF the narrowest and most IL