The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-28
NEW BOOKS.
,.,,,,clan Of uappy Hollow.


"a -, col In the first Of them, The
snsneeoa. we are made acquainted WIN
.te career Of a oolored politician Mr. KIDD
A.bIry. in the growing town Of
p"l',,r. wherever that may be. Mr.
,I,,rv entered politics by way of another
- as the case has been with plenty
b,ioiins more or less white At first
,Ilosed a calling which calls for the
..,ronagc Of every man who does not lee
5;rn.,lf COMPETENT 70 cut his own halr
~ ,o, Sc iu our minds eye the barber
Via n Mr. Asbury beokoning the neces-
~ and the otherwise helpless. IL we
'rS,',h, II worth while, If We believed that
would " any takers, we would ofer
,aUager that he stood ready to redeck with
natural growth the pates OF the bald
I'd that ne would take in his hands taper
PATIENTLY SINCE the ends OF the hair OF
sayrody wiling to pay for that mid pyro-
technical performance.
No ar, 'od that the business OF Asbury
.w HIS shop became a sort of club.
pe kept brilliant line" OF those illustrated
journals that show ia what is going on
IN The green room. the prize ring and
,ba world especially looked after by tho
.,Jca He had one popularity that, by
su that ve have ever learned, should have
bsen fatal TO his career as barber He
did talk How the weather could have
90, IN In the circumstances We cannot see.
yor scalp 10 60 into barber shop and
bsy. nothing said about 1t is slap at the
f,cc Of tradition. But what il monstrous
in n barrier may be altogether becoming
/, politician. We observe certain
cvpicisn in the authors observations
concerning Mr.. Asbury He Is not COM
nended for becoming great as politician.
II is rather CURLY and severely recorded
Of him that he ran a policy shop as well
AZ a barber shop. Tho story says:
.Asbury came to be known as clever
fellow. and his business grew. His shop
really became sort OF club, and. on Satur-
day nights especially, was the gathering
Mace Of the men of the Who'll e negro quar-
fer. He kept the illustrated and race
journals there, and these who cared neither
10 talk nor listen to some one else might
see pictured the doings Of high society in
very short skirts or read in the negro
papers how Miss Boston had entertained
Ms, Blueford to tea on such and such an
afternoon Also, he kept the policy re-
turns which was wise, if not moral.
OF course it was not moral, and we are
rot to be mlslcd by any sarcastic attenua-
ton Of the authors opinion about it. The
story goes on concerning the barber who
was about to merge into the politician:
1T was his wisdom rather more than his
morality that made the party managers
after while cast their glances toward him
AZ man who might be useful to their
interests It would be well to have a man
"a shrewd. powerful man--down in that
part Of the town who could carry his peo-
PIES vote in his vest pocket and who at
any time it's delivery might be needed
could hand Il over withou. hesitation
We submit that this is a sharp and cynical
new Of politics II does not leave us with
the same feeling that we have when we
hear Of the initiative and the referendum.
We would blow the air clear If we could.
hut this story goes on to say Of the barber
who was about to expand the public nature
n his life and calling and who was thought
to own the votes Of his neighbors as he
might own any other chattel:
'Asbury seemed that man and they
settled upon him. They gave him money
and they gave him power and patronage
He took it all silently and he carried out
his bargain faithfully His hands and his
lips alike closed tightly when there was
anything within them"
Here we must pause for one moment
His lips closed when there was anything
within them Would this interfere with
his qualifications a. barber, IL the limit
Ing phrase when there vas anything
within them an eIoneration Of him in any
silence that he may have maintained?
Leaving ont the limitation, when there
was anything within them might he still
have been able TO converse sufficiently
We are inclined to think that he found the
way To he a good barber even while he
vas demonstrating hi- fitness to be a poll
tioian A. any rate the story goes on:
II was not long before he found himself
the big negro Of the district and Of neces-
Siiy II the town. The time came when,
at O critical moment. the managers saw that
they had not reckoned without their host
IN choosing this barber of the black district
a. The leader Of his people. Now. 20 much
Success must have satisfied any other man.
tH in many ways Nh Aehury was unique
io- long time he nmreif han done very
iH'e shaving EXCEPT Of notes, 10 keep
h, hand in
there is the cyniciem again This Mr.
h'hnry dealt in policy and shaved notes
\ ltlIe further along We find old Judge
DAVIS saying TO him -Asbury YOU are
you arc well you ought to be white that's
all When We find black man like you
re send him 10 State prison. If you were
White Won d 90 to the senate
As matter Of fact Mr. Asbury did pres
en''y g. 20 jail He was the soapegoat Of
'heH'I@ he vent for year for the crime
g" corrup'ing voters Others. doubtless.
should have gone in his place He look
l' Inedcins quietly, said nOthinE-like
ro'ae politicians and unlike any recorded
,aroe' he vas immensely popular when
ne odme ont He ran a newsstand. and in
"laed cigars His hand was not exactly
zen hli il was felt in the next election.
AZ MS old enemies we're overwhelmed.
.1'' nov did he do III We regret TO say
,aa' The story does not tell. II il did tell.
- explained With entire lucidity. we feel
~ We should know considerably more
,''' NE ways oi politicians. than we do
Present, even after much reading.
another NJ the stories here tells about
|'''na Maria hixon's husband who was
tJ1G for rufhinr Tor d, ,t...o -.