The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-26
WHITES NEW BOOK.
Interesting Review of Latest
Work OF Brilliant Kansan.

The St. Louis Republic says OF Will
liam Allen Whites new book:
Under the title of s'Strategems and
Spoils' with the subtitle of Stories of
Love and Politics, WILLIAM Allen White
has launched into more serious vein
of fiction than has characterized his
forme r tales. Vigorous as ever, he had
dropped some of his buoyant humor for
the sterner things in the conflict of pas
sions.
Mr.. White first came into prominence
through his editorial inquiry, whats
the Matter With Kansas" Whatever
may be thought of the matter in that
will not deny the forcefulness of the
style. Following close on that came a
book of short stories, THE Real Issue"
"a sort of hodgepodge showing his
wonderful versatility in fiction. Then
followed THE Court of Boyville," a col
lection of juvenile incidents that ap-
pealed to the old as well as to the
young.
In this volume of "Strategems and
Spells" there are only five stories. The
love motive is not dominant. Instead
the author observes in his preface that
there are hours and days and long
years in the lives of men and women
wherein strong passions are excited ami
great human interests are at stake. TIE
ambition for power, the greed for mon
ey, the desire to win the game, the hum
ger for fame, parental love, anger,
friendship, revenge, hate-Iha primitive
passions that move men and the world
owerfully-certainly these deserve as
important place in the chronicles of
the human animal as does the mating
instinct, and surely there should be
some romance about the record of these
primitive passions"
So when THE Man on Horseback"
alias Joab T. Barton. railroad manager,
N a nvrar- ha nod
OF his only son, to get the votes of
seven councilmen for a street railway
grab, forces his wife to lean on the
arm of Mrs. Jim Kelley, a blOndined
aspirant for social honors, and when
the broken-hearted mother submits to
the hypocritical insolence of the i'm
possible" woman, the reader realizes
what the author means when he speaks
of the primitive passions that move
men and the world powerfully"
Or 1t may be when following the
course of Tom Wharton, congressman
and senator, that the reader realizes
means For here in the detailed descent
of this faithless tribune of the people,
is shown in all it's nakedness the evo-
luton of q corrupt legislator As Sen
the senate"-he makes profitable in
vestments in real estate, in stocks and
bonds He becomes a millionaire, 'ricn
enough to be honest" but somehow
cannot be.
His undoing of the righteous comes in
his second term. He kcses his money
in wheat speculation. In order to re-
coup his losses he steals school bonds
from his friendly state treasurer. Mis-
fortunes never come singly. He again
gets on the wrong side of the market.
He determines to hold up the old
lighting company of the District of
Columbia Instead he damns himself
by falling into a trap Senator Felt,
an honest man, threatens Wharton
with expulsion from the senate with
the doors of the penitentiary banging
at your heels" On the final night
sitting at poker, drinks him
self to death. APPLY enough the author
has labeled this story 1.-THE Mercy of
Death"
OF the quintette of tales, the last one,
entitled "A Most Lamentable Comedy
will appeal to westerners with the
greatest force. Here he told the psy-
Geological and practical development of
a crank The rise of the Abraham
of the Missouri Valley ls de-
picted with a hand that knows its cum
ming. The man acquainted with Kan
SaS history can pick his characters in
this tale. There is the governor made
out of the town failure. man despised
of his neighbors but borne upward by
his oratorical genius.
Kansas passed through just such n
period as Is set forth by Mr.. White in
this 'Lamentable Comedy" The po-
litical enthusiast proud in his mission
and lusting for power smothers the
scandals in the state institutions. His
literary deficiencies force the private
secretary to write his MESA ges to the
legislature. Indeed, the comedy. Is Ia
but true
Mr.. White has struck a high note in
these stories. He knows men. He
bares the rottenness of conventional
bribery by money, power and love. In |
his accumulation of good and evil he |
has placed in dramatic contrast the two |
opposite forces He has analysed mo- |