The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-25
THE NEW PUB ICkfIONS.
SOME1OP THE LATEST BOOKS OF
 THE SEASON.

The spoiIsmen, by Elliott FIOWsr-The PhIIadsIphians, by Katherine BImg- hzm-w. R. A. Wilson's 'A Rose of Kormandy"-Ths Traitors. by Mr. oppsnhsina-OIIn L. Lyman's 'Ths TraII of the Grand Ssignsur"-Basket MskiBg, by Mary whits-DasA Estes < Co.'S New List-AppleIon & Co.'S New Stockton Esook-Other Notes
 ''The Spoilsmen, by Elliott Flower, he of the "Policeman Flynn success. Is certainly entitled to high rank among the best of recent novels. In .'Policeman Flynn Mir. Flower dealt in the humorous vein; in The SpOilsmen" he deals with practical politics as man. ifest in the big cities. Every American who wants honest politics should read "The Spoilsmen," and everyone fond of a charming love story will find one of the kind interwoven in his very bright and admirable story. The corrupt politics in the great cities is here apparent even in a contest for minor offices. The sto- " is strong, clean, vigorous and whole some and is a splendid object lesson in behalf of reform, which is worked ill in a the thread of the tale with striking force. The authors own statement is worth quoting as to the actuality or the things he describes. 'No attempt has been made" he says, ito depict exact conditions in any particular locality. In ayword. although the scene, is loca- ted in Chicago. the Eighth and "Twen- ty-fourth' are fictional wards, used to demonstrate conditions that do exist in some wards in nearly all large cities. The political methods employed, how ever, are, in most instances, taken from the actual experiences of men who have served the public in one capacity or another, and the stories told of some of the characters are literally true.
 The story is full of ''go," spirited and thoroughly enjoyable, The Boston Transcript well says of it.
 s'The best one may hear of 'The Spoilsmen" will be none too good. As wfde-awake, snappy, brilliant political story. it has few equals. its title-page being clearly stamped with that elusive mark. success" One should not miss a, word of a book like this ata time nKe this and in a world of politics like this, Every phrase of it looks to be set down with a serious purpose, with ex- perimentaI meanings, and practlcal insight that impresses the reader with the certainty that MT. Flower writes
 
 The New York Commercial Adverti- ser also says:
 es.There can be no question that some how and somewhere he has had noe raI education in the inside workings or ward politics-any more than 1t can De questioned that he has here written story of rather uncommon ability. sa Published by l.. c. Page &~ Company Of Boston; price $1.5o; for sale by the E., P.~ Judd company. ~ .->>'%. aHThe Philadelphians. as seen by New York woman, by Katharine Bing- ham. published by l.. c. Page & Co.,, Boston, in their popular CommonWealth series, is a charming story, with a love interest interwoven, written in a bright, humorous and lightly satirical vein, concerning Philadelphia's smart, blue blooded set, and pertains particularly to the exclusive Bingham circles. The hunaor is spontaneous, and the story abo,1nds in local color. The foibles ot \ the "City of Brotherly Love are de- lightfully touched upon and the story deals with the fascinating Mrs. Bing- hams views of the place in way alto- gether delightful MT. Bingham is SUD- nosed to tell the story and being New York woman, her standpoint Of view of Hse in the Quaker City is credited with unalloyed impartiality. Twice married, both times to Philadelphians < she knows the social situation she SC cleyerly depicts Her first husband wa: from the, "up town district just out side the magic real blue blooded aristo cratic section of the city, but her sec ond was from the very elect. Wlth al the little defects of Philadelphia s( cleyerly satirized the town is pictured as an exceedingly nice place to live ln- south of Market street. Mrs. Blng hann's opinion of Philadelphia .glrls that they "are more animated tnal their southern sisters, more beautitu than New York girls, and, though per 1laps less intellectual than the Bostoni ans. far quicker in wit and entlrel. free from the outer shell Of alootnes that clings to Beacon street. Wh' Atherton Bingham, with his advan fages in knowing so many Philadelphia girls. did not wish to, marry one them she will never understand. In stead he marries the presumptive rela tor of the very fetching little story her in hand-and she is ''one of the Kings of New York"
 :. The many excellent illustrations b Alice; Barber Stephens and Georg Gibbs add to the charm. and the fol lowing inscriptions beneath them ar full of local suggestion: "1n lookin north one sees only the colossal Cit Hall or public buildings" "We wen first to the State House or Indepen dence Hall:" Locust street an irreproachable dwelling-place
 It is a point Of honor to have tn white marble steps immaculatel clean;" "Our way led home across Kit tenhouse Square," q shall never forge N my first Assembly," We drove Fairmount Park and then ou way lay along the river road;" Il Wef