The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-20
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Mr.. BelIamy's Collection OF Cranky
and ImprncticabIe Theories.

large sale the book would have. or that ii
would bring him immediate fame as
prophet of the socialistic reform school IT
had sale. of 100000 copies and was read
by much greater number than that, and
made its author famous. Looking Back
ward" had considerable interest as story,
and the social and economic theories on
which ii was based was presented in way
that caught and held public attention.
Without being a great or remarkable book
it was distinct hit. Since its publication
Mr.. Bellamy has taken himself very seri-
ously as an advanced thinker and social
reformer and prophet. He is all of these,
on paper, yet all his theories and projects
are of the most visionary character and
show that he is mere dreamer of dreams.
His latest work, Equality is a sequel to
Looking Backward" and an application
of the ideas and theories advanced in that
book In this respect it is somewhat sug-
gestive of firing the same powder over
again; yet the author shows much ingenuity
in shaping his theories and speculations so
as to give them the effect of new presenta-
ton. In the former story Julian West,
rich young man, was soon to marry
beautiful girl, Edith Bartlett. He was
sufferer from insomnia and had built
he retired and called in mesmerizer to
produce sleep by the art of the hypnotist-
In the year 1887 he was put to sleep in his
subterranean vault, and at night his house
burned, and every one supposed the charred
remains found were his. In A ID. 2OOO, llS
years later, a Boston doctor was excavat-
ing the ruins and discovered the vault and
found the young man sleeping placidly, re-
moved him to his home, and walked him
from his long trance. he was taken INTO
the family and nurSed tenderly, LOT lhey
all knew the history of the young man.
Edith Leete the beautiful daughter OF the
reScuer, proved to be the Sreat-sranu-
daughter of Edith Bartleti, ms f,,r ol;eS re
foundations for Equality. Ihe author
takes the conclusion of the other DOCK as
the starting point for THIS one, III WHICH
what might have been made good story
is burdened to death with fantaStlc soclal-
list theories, and the theories themselves are
of the most visionary character. Inc plot
of the story is very thln; Julian West,
who it will be remembered, woke from d
trance after a hundred-odd years, III tnS
underground chamber where the nlest l
izer had left him, is enabled by the nine
teenth-century nightmares 10 see every
thing in his new SURROUNDINGS M I'LL A nr
Leete, and the latterDS daughter Euion'
whom he loves now in lieu OF her SIedts
mis- dream and they, IN turn, tell MN lile
meaning of the puzzllng, ShalneIui is'caS go, ~
his former existence. Aside from ms GUMS
to the bank and unlocking ms ,uSS t Hau
safe. and making little excursions"wlth the
family to view the nineteenth century s Zen
ement house, and other relics OF an eneSe
civilization, and the rides they take toSetth
er in a motor carriage or pdlio t ~ -
ing in particular happens. Inc s'oly, Il Iie -
should be so called, is not one vi leal ~.
and therefore is devoid of incidents 1872 up
such as are fantastic or improDaple- me
bulk of it is made up of conVersaIloh' sup
nosed to be very instructive, and laooreo
Of the author S theories lS-
garding what ought to be ana WHAT Alay De
in the future. These theories cohslst M Hts
ly in revolutionizing existing conultIioAls
and establishing new ones which imply
new kind of human nature anu tne Leu 1919
ton of life to dead levei OF th thera
and monotonouS existence IN Wnlch theIe
is no individuality. The author s economic
theories are as radical as tn9se OF Deps.
The argument of the book is Vaseq on tue
assI,mn1ion that all the wealth and all the
land are rapidly going into the hanos Oh
smaller and smaller number or mllnonalreS
and that the time will soon come When
family or a single individual Will own the
whole globe. The owner of the earth Woulo
then have the legal right, as the author
SAYS Ito give the human race nouce 70
get off the earth, and in case or their Iail-
lre to comply, to call upon them IN the
name Of the law to form from
the earths surface. Some persons may
call this witty, but in reality 1t is DaloeI-
dash. AS a picture of things at their worst,
before the revolution and great change
come, take the authors story OF Inc Mas
tiers of the Bread; 1.,s
stood in the market place crying TO the
masters of the bread to take them 10 tnslr
servants. that they might have Dread. Inc
strong men said: o lords of the bread,
feel our thews and sinews, our arms and
legs see how strong we are. rake us anu
use US. Let us dig for you. DO what you
will with us, but let us serve you that We
may eat and not die
Then spoke up the iearned men, the
scribes and the lawyers, whose strength
was in their brains and not in their bodies:
% masters of the bread, they said, take
us to be your servants ana 90 your Will VIII
knowledge. But the people whom we
should serve have no bread to give US.
Therefore masters of the bread, give US 10
eat, and we will betray the people to you,
for we must live.
And the priests and the Levites cried:
we are the guardians of the sacred
oracles and the people hearken unto us
and reply not for our voice to them is as
the voice of God But we must have bread
plentifully of your bread and we will speak
to the people, that they will be still and
trouble you not with their murmurings be-
cause of their hunger.
'And above all the clamor of the men
were heard the voices OF multitude OF
women crying to the masters of the bread:
Pass us not by. for we must also eat. If
you will not take us for our Iabors sake,
yet look upon us, for we are women and
should be fair in your eyes. Take us ana
do with us according to your pleasure, for
we must eat
And the masters OF the DreaQ, having
taken for their use or pleasure such of the
men, the women and the little ones as they
saw fit, passed by. And there was left d
great multitude in the market place for
whom there was no bread.
Finally the author brings about a great
revolution through peaceable methods by
which mems eyes are opened, their hearts
changed and a new order of things estab-
Hshed 1t represents Mr.. Bellamys idea of
a political millennium; sort Of social
heaven on earth The first step in the great
reform is TO municipalize and nationaliZe
the railroads, telegraphs, telephones, light
leun manufactures and the traffic in in
toxicating liquors. The next step is to es-
tablish public-service stores, where all pub
lie employees can get everything at cost
Then gradually all other citizens are adj
mitted to purchase their provisions in these
stores and the result is that before long
private capial is driven out of business. All
purchases are made by credit certificates
and money goes out of use Each man and
share of the nations work, and each pur-
chase is charged up against the individual
making it. Nobody can spend more than
81 900 a year, and If he spend less the bal
ance is Cancelled. Everybody likes this plan
so well that the mllionaireS are left with
out servants or employees, and When they
finally get tired of doing their own drudg-
cry they join the reform movement and
promptly do their share of the work In
this state of perfection clothes, even to
shoes and waterproofs. are Of paper, and
are no laundry bills. When a garment is
soied ii goes back to the mills to be made
into something else-perhaps another gar
ment or dinner plate. For rooms only