New-York tribune., 1900-03-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MR.. GRINNELDs DREAM OF OUR Ma
TToNAL FUTURE

THE Of OF F. THE 1G
ton. BY William Morton Grinnen- Octave,
PIP. " 145- G. Z. Putnams Sons
Describing toward the close OF his book the
condition of things in America which he be-
Iieves may be brought about before many gen.
erations have passed. Mr.. Grinnell says: 1T
became no unusual thing for a man to attain
hundred years Of age. and active and ener-
getic men OF eighty years were by no means
infreouently met with" He then carries his
old man Of the future through some suppositi-
tious scenes, all significant OF peace, prosperity
and happiness. In his manner Of leading up
TO these rosy pictures OF regenerated nation
Mr.. Grinnell makes his strongest claim upon
the sympathy of the reader. Avoiding not only
the facile optimism of the late Edward Bel
lamy and the bitter dubiety Of Mr.. H G. Wells,
but eschewing also the romantic and specula-
tive hypotheses from which the prophecies of
those delineators of the future have started he
lures the imagination on by linking all his
ideas Of the years TO come with familiar ideas
OF the present and the past. The first ten of
his fourteen chapters devoted a straight
forward and generally accurate analysis of the
development Of the United States from the
coming Of the Coonist to the present day.
The individual quality of this analysis lies in
its citation of more than one feature of our
National growth before the bar of the authors
philosophy. All went well with us, he main
tains. until in the first half of the century
money became an unwholesOme power in the
land. The Civil War. benefcent in some OF
its results. gave also according TO his view
Of the matter, a new impetus to the worship
OF Mammon. He then traverses the conflict
Of political parties attributing to the evolution
OF boss rule and kindred abuses a lowering Of
our National standards. which was only facili-
fat bv liuc>
our economic and social life Arriving at the
date of the Spanish-American War. Mr. Grin
nell perceives some encouraging signs upon the
horizon. The episode good for u.s. he ar
gues, not only bringing out the patriotism and
courage Of the people. but opening their eyes
TO defects in their government and civilization
generally, and compelling them acqut them
selves with more wisdom Of their responsible
ties in our new possessions and at home. But
he detects the seeds of disaster in the tendency
toward consolidation in our economic life. and
though side by side with the multiplication of
trusts he recognizes power TO somewhat Off
set their influence in the virtues of the judiciary
and the press. he lands the United States in
an apotheosis of prosperity and power which
IS but the presage of tragic humiliation.
1t is at this point that Mr.. Grinnell proceeds
10 draw upon his imagination. He sees US en-
broiled by our Eastern possessions in entange-
tacent colonies. and the curse of politics at
home and the exigency of party, together with
the pressure Of the great masses" are assumed
TO plunge into with Germany and Rus
sia. We are beaten. Our ships are sunk. Our
seaboard is in the hands of the enemy. New
York, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore only
escape destruction by the payment Of large
sums Of money. Business collapses, and it is
only after three years Of terrible distress that
hlS 10 a-af1Ir OuCn
and set our house in order. We enabled
to secure peace by our military prowess. but
there is a side to Mr.. GrinnelTs conception Of
the situation which might cause a German or
a Russian reader, fear. to smile over what
he would regard the naivete Of the au-
fkhor. THE enemy" he says, tired Of so OBJ
climate a war, Of the sacrifice entailed, and
siolaced by the vast sums Of money which they
c objected, sailed away never to return" A
Y cry mid hammered and simple minded enemy,
st must be confessed.
With the enemy disposed Of, however, Mr..
srinnell proceeds along captivating lines. De-
eat Will have taught us a lesson, he believes,
and after we have relinQuished our colonies,
after trusts monopoiies and corporations have
been shattered into nothingness and fallen like
q pack Of cards in the midst Of the great Ma
tonal disaster" will turn with strength
and enthusiasm to the cultivation of the soil
less socialistic) tinge will be the order Of the
day IN every walk of life, and will be truly
a. ''regenerated nation" with all things making
toward an ever nobler and happier civilization.
1t is an ingenious hypothesis. Mr.. Grinnel is
one Of the most plausible Of Utopians, for every
step in his process of social development is hu-
manly possible. He is careful to exclude mere
ly sentimental and fanciful elements from his
argument. Mechanical contrivances Of miracu-
lous potentialities outside his scope. Nor
does he attempt 10 revolutionize human nature.
But he certainly does assume a great deal touch
ing National character with which are
far from being IN agreement. AS to the great
war Of the future, il is legitimate for Mr..
Grinnell to speculate to his hearts content. A
worldwide conf1agration is always possible.
earthquake and eclipse and amused, or
not by the picture that he draws. But are
sorry that Mr.. Grinnen should fall into the
error which has vitiated the writings Of so
many of his predecessors in the game of reading
our National fortunes in the hand Of the Amer
ican citizen, high low. 1t is anything but a
promising hand according to Mr. Grinnell and
his fellow critics, a hand to be distrusted as
weak and incompetent in any relation Of life
unfamiliar TO the founders OF the Republic
But it is q hand that set to the plough has
not turned back yet and we do not share
Mr. Grinnels fears for his countrymen. Let the
great war come. 1t will not for the
reasons guessed in this book, will pay
tribute to Russia Germany in order to sit
comfortable in New-York Boston, Philadel-