The herald., 1897-04-25

people are poor, and the population is
growing; therefore, poverty is increasing.
| 1t is true, too, all the while that plutocracy
| is growing more offensive and more threat
ening. Power is constantly passing from
| the great bulk of the people into the hands
| of the few. which is only another way Of
saying that power is getting into fewer and
| fewer hands by comparison The inevi-
| table result is that the civilized world is
| gradually drifting into two camps-the few
with their opulence on the one side; the
many. with their poverty on the other.
Tests of strength are becoming more fire.
quent; skirmishes have ceased to cause
wonder"
The aim of the book is to urge restriction.
upon wealth and the power 1t gives. "A
| score of men have a thousand million dol
| lars, while a million souls cannot claim a
| thousand apiece. These score of men en-
| joy privileges and WELD power greater than
| those of the million souls combined Call
this what you will, but call it not de-
mocracy.
The conclusion OF the author is that one
kind of power, if 1t really becomes hateful
| TO the people. is just as deplorable and
| dangerous as another. Inheritance of a
crown may not make one more distrusted
| than the inheritance and accumulation of
wealth. II the masses feel thmselves OPP
pressed and wronged it matters little
what the origin or the manifestation Of
the power may be. Napoleon could have
possessed and governed France, but ne
wanted to control Europe and the earth.
do you, o, Money King! claim a genius
more commanding than that OF the
naughty conqueror of Europe? Face to
face with the superior forces. the para
mount righs of others to what star will
you turn, to what power appeal for ex-
emption from a fate which attended the
greatest of mortals? Pause and reflect, The
choice Is yours: Elba or St. Helena?"
AS we said. this is striking book. 1t
stops short OF telling us what to do. or
| rather how to do the needed thing. Nor is
| the logic always perfect. But it is vol
ume alive with bright and stirring words,
ana 1t is timely and wholesome.
THE MASTER BEGGARS. By L. Cope
Cornford, author of Captain Jacobus."
illustrated by w. Cubitt Cooke. j. 3.
Lippincott company.
Here is fine volume, generously Illus
trated, and it is as rich in plot and action
as 1t is promising in appearance. 1t is
story of the brave days of old, and told
with great spirit and grace It Is the
story of land of rich plains and shining
waters, usurped from the waste Kingdom
of the sea and sown now with monumental
cities. 1t is a story of the Netherlands at
the time when the Duke of AVa was It's
governor and held it by the throat-that
wonderful time of strife in the latter half
OF the sixteenth century.
There is scarcely more heroic epoch
in the worlds history than the one which
spans the period of strife waged between
the forces of Spain and the Prince of
Orange, and accentuated by the intrigues
VI Ni4C lti4Cu COURT. anu
Queen Elizabeth. "The Master Beggars,"
as they We're called played one of the
very strangest parts in this tremendous
conflict, and the most vivid scenes of the
story are concerned with the leaders of
these. THE Wild Cat" is character of
SURPRISING interest. Facing his assailants
at the last and knowing it was to be
fight to the death, single-handed, he cries
out to them: Gentlemen of Spain, 1 do re-
quire of your courtesy fifteen proper men
10 furnish the Master Beggar with a
of the King of Heaven" And he made the
request good by Staying fifteen of the
foremost before he fell, back-pierced by
five swords.
1t is a story of real merit, and with a
background rich in historic interest.
LADY KILPATRICK. By Robert
Buchanan. Rand, McNally &Co.
This is No. 254 of The Globe Library"
series. A tale of Ireland of today lit ap-