The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-02
Reform Movements.

practical Agitation by John Jay Chap
man, is defined by its author as IAN at
tempt to follow the track OF personal in
fluence across society,"" The first three
chapters contain discussions of political
reform. the fourth concerns contemporary
journalism, and the rest Of the book is
taken up with the results of these discus
sions under the head of principles" The
theory which the author wishes to ex-
pound is summarized in his preface as
follows:
know that there are many ways OF stating
the main idea Of this book as there are minds in
the world. That idea is, that we can Away
DO for mankind by following the good in
straight line than can by making concessions
to evil The illusion that it is wise or necessity
TO suppress instructive love of truth comes
from imperfect understanding OF what that in-
stinctiye love Of truth represents, and of what
damage happens both TO ourselves and to others
when we suppress il The more closely we look
at the facts the more serious does this damage
appear. And on tie other hand, the more close-
~ look at the facts, the more trihing, ia
consequent. and absurd do all those reasons ap-
pcar which strive to make us accept, and thereby
s3rctify and preserve some portions Of the cox
ceded evil in the world.
There is a great deal OF solid. straight
forward good reasoning in these little pa
pers. and the author is very much inclined
TO hit from the shoulder and not to mince
matters. AT the same time, he Is not
sensational or violent and refrains from
being personal in his statements Of fact.
There are epigrams here and there that
stick in the memory. but Mr.. Chapman
is never merely epigrammatic. He is after
the truth. He shows this in the very first
paragraph of his first chapter:
1t IS the ambition of the agitator to use the
selfish. In 80 far as he succeeds in this, he is
creating living church. the only sort of state
church that would be entirely al with
system, because it would be merely representa-
uon IN the formal government OF spirit abroad
among tile pcopis.
This is concise, and it is not hard to
understand II IS also true. Even in the
case OF the crude agitator who is not
sincere, who is in the business to fill his
own pockets. it must still be true that his
ostensible endeavor is to promote general
unselfishness by means Of the machinery of
government
Mr. Chapman does not believe in COM
promise movements. He believes in strik-
ing at the root OF an evil, not in shearing
off superficial eXcrescences. He believes
that the remedy for civic evils lies. not in
fighting a particular party but in fight
ing the machine. He does not believe that
it is worth while to fight Plat for the
purpose OF putting Croker in power. or to
put Tammany Hall out OF power that the
Republican ring may have things its own
way. He believes that there is no more
chance of Justice in one machine than the
other. He does not believe that either ma
tional party stands for an idea today. He
says:
Nor Is there the smallest distinction either in
the evil or its cure, between the case OF Il vii
lage OF a State, OF Of the whole nation. say you
ii can Il a oh eeiIo
board by running men against both the regular
parties. There is no other way Of getting rid oil
Hanna and the Presidential syndicate than by run
ming an Independent candidate for the Presidency.
No form Of Organism viii Dust it-no rump Demo
cracy nor any kind Of Democracy Democracy l.
finished. Republicanism Is finished.
This may be true. but Mr.. Chapman
overIooks the fact that when an indie
pendent party does appear it sometimes
appears as renovated old party. This
was the case with the Republican party.
which was the apostolic successor Of the
Wings. There are few new principles, and
when z person. or a party. starts out with
the announcement that he. or It, has found
something new under the sun, # usually
ends in the repeating of some remarks
which we're made at least as long ago as
Jackson's time and possibly were first
heard at about the time Noah emerged
from the ark
The history OF many reform movements
is briefly and rather scornfully chronicled
in this same first chapter:
One enthusiast calls twenty friends into a room
and organizes club-and the club ties his hands
and sells cut 20 the nearest bidder. Your
muster shows the vague hope Of lot Of men who
utterly Incompetent. undisciplined, ignorant.
They merchants, LAWYERS. doctors professors.
cldEymen, The resPcctability and intelligence II
the town; and 50 far as elfgovornment goes they
the tattered children 81 tyranny. At the first
trumpet they scatter. One sells out, recants,
one disappears They are anywhere aud no.
where, ship Of fools. a barnyard. The execu-
ton Of the idea for which they brought
together LAS scattered them like sheep.
This being the case, what is to be done
about il? Is there 10 be no organization.
II seems 10 be fact as evident as the
rule OF three that organization can only be
reached by some sort of compromise. That
Is, II ten men can unite on one object 1t
must be by consenting to be divided on
other questions which may constitute their
pet hobbies; this, or subordinating their
fayorite objects TO the accomplishment of
the one most desired aim. The trouble is.
according to the present author, the weak