New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-28
GOVERNMENT.
A sHEAF OF STUDIES By VARIOUS
WRITERS

milan Company
THE GOVERNMENT BY salter storrs Clark;
I2mo, DID. S0A CThe American Book Company
THE TERRITORIAL GROWTH OF THE
P6 D. e Emo. pp. ". 81 CsveT Burdett7 Coz
THE HEART OF THE EMPIRE. 12mo. pp. xiv.
81 (E p. Dutton & Coz
AMERICAN MUNICIPAL PROGRESS, BY
Charles Zuehn. limo, pp. vi, $50 cine MacInil-
Ian Company
THE AporIN1srR ALTON OF DEPENDENCIES.
By AIpheus 5. Snow. Octave, PIP. vi, GIG. &c. r
Putnam's Sons)
COLONIAL GOVERNMENT; By Paul $. Reinseh.
l2mo DID. X $50. CThe Macmillan Company
DR.. Morey has made an admirable contrtbu-
ton to the series Of ''Handbooks OF American
Government in his volume on New-York- It is
something more than textbook and something
more than guidebook. 1t is uncommon
piece Of condensed philosophical analysis Of the
basis and nature Of government, local. state
and national. Not only the student in his
school but the legislator in his seat, who Is
prone 10 get wofully mixed in tinkering with
government, may profitably study its clear ana
logical pages. One wonders q little. however. II
.be administrative machinery which goes creak-
ing along can really be so scientific IN its struct-
Ire. SO much like that perfect fitting suit OF
clothes to which Matthew Arnold likened Ameri-
can political institutions. But If it is not, II
ought 10 be- DR.. Morey gives a brief survey
Of the history of New-York, and the CROWN OF
SIS government through the Dutch and Ehgllsn
colonial times and in the period Of independence
He particularly notes the important changes III
our constitutions, that of HI, which largely
represented the proprietors Of he great estates
end established the troublesome Council OF Ap-
-ofntrnent to paralyze the Governors power;
that Of 1921, which represented the properly
owning classes: that Of 1916 which really mace
this q democratic State, with universal suffrage
and the amended constitution of 1894. Whlch
edanted the government more perfectly TO oeai
With the new problems Of city administration
and the overwhelming mass Of judicial business
The author then proceeds to study the struct-
IRE OF the government, the character OF inc
state constitution, its relations TO the feoerai
constitution, the making Of constitutional law
citizenship ana suffrage the central govern
rnen+. executive. legislative and judicial: the
local governments. county. town. village anu
civ with special consideration Of the govern
-nent NJ greater New-York The working OF
,4,is machinery is then taken up. Chapters are
5Avoted 10 the administration Of justice, the
protection Of the community by the ponce
power, the support OF public education' Int
s1Jpervison of charities and corrections, the con-
troll OF economic interests, such as lands lofesS'
agriculture labor and commerce, and the man
sgernent Of public finance Included III Ile
zruendiE IS or the ClCdLcSI GilO AiLSSI -
factory tables of the States finances that we
have ever seen. Everybody who has had 10
puzzle over reports Of the Controller ana Treas
,,., IN the effort 70 ind what some function OF
Government costs or some source OF revenue
r,roduced will wish that those oTaclals couiu
rearrange their summaries on similarly CON
sistent basis. We have noticed Few eVloeil'
inadvertencies in the text which should De COT
-A4ted in a subsequent edition The Appellate
Division of the Supreme Court might more nap
,,i,, he described as the successor OF the olo
General Term than new creation as Is ooAe
an mage So Also there are five, and not Jour-
justices in each department of that court out
side Of the first and neither law nor custom
limits service in the Appellate Division to hve
ears as is stated on page 80. The term OF
sppofntnent is for five years. but reappointment
is the rule rather than the exception
DR. NacDonald's Government Of Maine, IN
the same series is less closely analytic and more
devoted to description than the volume on New
York. and gives a comprehensive and compact
account Of the institutions of the common
wealth and their growth Maine is little
state with an annual expenditure Of q little
more than 100000, less than one-tenth that
OF New-York but its government presents some
necuHar and interesting features. Its constltu-
ton was formed in 1919, was strongly demo-
cratic and was a true, brief outline Of govern
rnent and not a voluminous body Of what ought
20 be statute law. such as il has more recently
been the fashion TO incorporate into constitu-
tons This has been amended in several par
ticuIars. and in 1879 the legislature intrusted
20 Chief Justice Appleton the task OF mcor-
oorating the twenty-five amendments then
In force into the text OF the constitution
He rewrote the instrument so far as was
necessary TO do this, and his draft, with
out being submitted TO the people, is now the
supreme law Of Maine, though the provisions
themselves have ali been voted On at one time
or another Maine is one Of the few States
still preserving with its ancient powers coun-
ell which makes the Governor little more than
z hgurehead. It inherited from Massachusetts
4he town meeting system, and it survives in un-
usual perfection The cities are little more than
overgrown towns and their charters contain
many OF the features 10 direct popular govern
nent. No systematic body OF municipal law
has been worked out. The State preserves some
curious and individual local government divi-
sions There is the plantation, which is an
incorporated district containing less than two
hundred inhabitants, and I'm still more primitive
regions besides the unorganized townships,
there are grants. SURPRISES cores and tracts.
each with its distinct political status.
The Government" is an elementary book,
which briefly describes the whole government
machinery of the United States, federal, State
and local. and contains many comparisons with
the systems in operation in other countries.
Mr.. Clarks primary aim is to write interesting
ly for young students and TO stimulate their
patriotism We learn that government by the
people exists three continents. The United
States is it's flower. but the plant sprouted in
England. For several hundred years before