New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-26


IiaTt. professor Of history m Green & Coz
In t,s American Government" Mr. Ashley
-rers a textbook for use in secondary sohool1
IL treats Of local government nfsl 'he- %
c.. go,-e-nrsent and finally 81 the operations
- "a. complicated federal machine The "oIk
se v~au MANNED and executed The eulloI AZ
cents no criticism OF American forms OF gov
..--r,ent and confines himself solely 70 sillp'7
er5 readable description. For a book OF Us
So. II f. oreditably free from errors OF STATE
srent $500 -
4, a few instances. however. Mr. Ashley's re-
,,,,.rse 70 second hand authorities is apparent
on raee 121 discussing the terms Of State Gov
,-ro~s the writer says: In New-Jersey ana
17er-s,lvania the term is three years.
esevy-Jersey and six Of the Southeastern states
n rot hermit their Governors 10 hold Office Two
r,,ccessiye terms" The Governor OF Pennsyl-
wanna IS elected for term OF four Fears-ilo'
sh~ee years Nor. as in "New-Jersey ana 1ne
xix Southeastern states" can he have two terms
On succession Mr.. Ashley seems 10 have
somewhat mistaken idea q the organization OF
sre army effected under recent legislation lie
epaaks on page Dos Of the temporary law OF
T-ebr-9-y . 1901. which placed the maximum
strength ~ the army al 100000 and us MINI
s-5r- strength a. 57.OeJ. There was nothing
.-+erlporary" about that measure il was IN
seuded 10 bring about permanent and lasting
,eo-gsr,zation Of the military establishment.
A~ain. on pages DDS and 800 the author an
,aunces that the General STAFF of the army IS
cor,nosed Of the heads Of the bureaus OF the
war Department" This is not the case at al.
- Al the beginning Of this year there were FORTY
Two officers on the General stan. Only two OF
shern were heads or War Department bureaus.
IN treating Of the Territories Mr. Ashley fails
tnto a common error regarding Hawaii he
saws its government approaches the ORGANIZED
s,-ne very closely" The type. that Is OF Ar
Kona Oklahoma and oew-M Mexico. But IN What
respect is HawaiTs government less 'organized
fhan Arizona's. Nev-MeNiCo's or OklshoIlla ::
As matter Of fact all four Territories stand
m exactl, the same political and constitutional
soorfne on page 21q Porto Rico is said 10 De
represented at Washington by two commission
.~e" Porto Rico has but one offcial representa-
t,ys a. Washington. Mr.. Federico Degetau and
tis proper title is Resident Commissions
on mage 239 it is stated that the Senate a.
WAYS uses the rules OF the preceding session IN
sna new set is adopted" The Senate is q con
sinuous body and its rules are permanent. They
are changed at long intervals. and then only 10
1T srecial situations. New sets are never
edopted after the House fashion. Nor is u true
image $3.50 that the officers o. the houses are
elected al the beginning OF each Congress. aiic
hold Office during the sessions Of that Congress
The officers Of the Senate. except the president
rro +empore. are chosen for indefinite terms, and
are usually displaced only when the political
romplexion OF the body changes.
The author cites page 240) the case OF Brig
ham H. Roberts Of Utah. who. he says. was
expelled from the House Of Representatives IN
1900 that expulsion requiring a tW-o-thirds
vote. hfr. Roberts was not expelled from the
House Objection was made. when he appeared
20 take the oath Of office 20 the acceptance Of
his credentials. and a resolution was adopted.
acquiring only majority vote declaring his
certificate OF election invalid because Of his
confessed infractons Of the law against poyg-
amy. This procedure was more or less irreg-
Ular II should not therefore be cited as an
Exercise Of the Houses unQuestioned power 10
expel any member by a two--hirds vote. on
pace 24l & is said that Senators are allowed
free clerk hire-a privilege not granted 10 Rep
sesentatives' on the contrary. Representatives
have had for several years past a monthly al
lov-ance fer clerical service. Mr.. Ashley IS also
snisinforrned when he asserts. IN discussing SEN
rtorial elections: When a legislature has failed
10 elect Senator and the Governor makes an
appointment for the vacancy, the Senate has
always refused to admit the appointee as
member" There has. as "a matter Of fact. been !
no such uniformity OF practice Some applicants
have been admitted when appointed under the
have been excluded. The Senate IS the sole i'm
teirreter NJ the intent Of the language Of the !
Constitution governing such appointments. and /
a. may dccide-aud has d-cided-now one way. ]
now snother. But recent precedents have been /
more or less strongly against the admission OF
Senators appointed after a legislature has failed
60 elect.
We have felt obliged 90 note IN detail these
Errors Of facl because such errors creep SO
continually and abundantly into current political
writing. They are blemishes- though not very
serious blemlshes-on an otherwise useful and
creditable book
Professor Hart says that his aim ID publish
ing Actual Government" is 10 furnish college
end upper high school textbook. ia which the
federal government is described as one might
undertake 20 describe a great railroad" This
volume is not a study OF constitutional law or
cor stituti0nal development IL is an attempt 20
picture clearly and compactly the workings Of
our governmental machinery as demonstrated IN
actual practice. A useful feature OF the work is
its select photography Of American govern
Ineut.'--a fairly comprehensive list Of available
authorities Il is strange however, tha: the com
pler should have omitted from this list such
STANDARD reference books az NIcPherson's "Po-
iitical History % the Rebellion Political His
cory a Reconstructed" and Political Hand
books Tor the period from 1870 10 1892
Professor Hart adopts the same method rs
Nr. Ashley IN dealing first with local then with
State and finally with national government. The
Huihor. as bis bibliography shows. is more IA
nilier than many rival contemporary histo-
riaus with Tho sources from which political in
Formation. 20 be worth anything must be drawn
de writes, therefore With IN accuracy rather un-
uyual IN an American political textbook maker.
Severtheless. he falls into certain errors and