The times., 1898-10-23

UTSI, fdSl, anu dit tuc tiIut d6dtiSk ally
thing which will disturb values. He then
describes, with touch of humor. the
outsider who comes to live in the town.
and proceeds to start a reform move
ment. 1t is pointed out that 1t is hope
less for this man to seek aid from any
one who has anything to gain from the
railroad; that is. from the men connect
ed with the local bank; from the business
men. who depend on the bank to carry
on their business: from the men who have
to do with sidewalk privileges and town
ordinances: from those who have rela-
tives employed by the railroad. In short,
the reformer finds five people who are on
his side-a young DOCTOR of good educa
ton and small practice; young lawyer.
who thinks he can make use of the move
ment by betraying it: retired anti-slav-
cry preacher, maiden lady and piano
tuner. The election, needless to remark
does not come his way. When things be-
come very bad. and a change is inevita-
BILE. the railroad makes terms with the
party out of power. and the change of
administration still fayors the corpora
tion. This Is exactly the sort of thing
which has been going on In one or two
Western States for several years, and
Mr.. Chapmans illustration is extremely
apt. railroad. from it's immense in
fuence. cxerted directly over the people
Il
by giving him privileges. is one of the
most powerful engines for good or evil
in our nation today, and the marvellous
swiftness with which this power has been
developed has created the commercial
domination of which Mr. Chapman talks.
Perhaps the most striking thing about
the book, next to the clearness of its
argument and the independence of its
thought. is the number of epigrams which
ll ito m,
page one finds expressions which stick in
the memory-trenchant as steel, pungent
as hartshorn. Here are few of them
| and they give better idea of the book
than any synopsis:
The growth and concentration of capital which
the railroad and the telegraph made possible is
the salient fact in the history Of the last quarter
century. That fact is at the bottom Of our po-
littcal troubles.
| Whatever form OF government had been in forcs
| in America during this would have run the
risk of being controlled by capital. Of being
bought and for revenue
We have not as yet had any national boss, be
cause the necessity for owning Congress has not
as yet become continuous; and the interests
which have bought the national legislature at
one time or another have done 1t by bribing in
! diyiduals, in the old-iashioned way
1t is not selfishness and treason that mainly
4 responsible for The discrsdit that dogs 'refoiR." "
II is the neficiency of upright and patriotic men.
7
I moral degradation.
That weakness OF intellect which makes reform
eFs love quick returns is twin brother To certain
| defect OF character.
| The war did no more than intensity existing
conditions. both commercial and Political.
| In the last paragraph the war referred
| to is of course the civil war, but 1t Is
quite as applicable for that OF 1898. All
/ these paragraphs are taken from the es-
| say on Politics" Other semi-proverbs
| are to be found in the remainder Of the
/ book.
| The touclstone for any civilization is what one
man says TO another man in the street
Anything that makes the artist tme-servlns OF
/ tru;hless ought TO show in his work, and it al
ways has done
| Nothing but life teaches. II You want to un'
! derstand the Greek civilization you have got &c
be Sophocles II you want TO understand the
New Testament you have got to be Christ
Perhaps 1t is as well to leave off quot
| ing here. The wisdom contained in the
three sentences last quoted is bit OF
| wisdom which the American nation needs
very badly. For the last generation we
have been book-mad and college-mad
| We must come back to the old thought
that a man must live and think for him
self he cannot have the knowledge pour
ed into his brain as II his brain were a
bucket. Mr.. Chapman's book is valua-
BILE in this; it is likely to make his read
ers think Those who are accustomed TO
thinking for themselves will be likely to
find much food for thought here, al
though they may not altogether agree
with his conclusions. Those who have
been in the habit of accepting the Opin-
ions of others will find the book a sort
of cushion of thstles. for Il Will contra
dict half their nicely-arranged opinions
and theories, and inspire them with an
uncomfortable consciousness of not hav-
ing heard all that there is to hear yet
Some of the authors arguments are q
little crude. and some of his conclusions
may in time be proved erroneous, but al
any rate the book is the work of al
earnest, sincere, thinking man, who i:
not afraid to hit straight from the shoul
der, and as such, il should command
respect and attention. (New York
Charles Scribners Sons)