The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-10

great many newspaper readers Will | recall how MT. Winston Churchill ran for | governor of New Hampshire on the re-
 formers ticket-and was beaten at the last | election MT. Churchill decided to do as i did Hon. Thomas E. Watson of Georgia
 when he took the advice of Hon. Hoke | Smith, namely, .get your reforms in the
 party" during the gubernatorial race or
 1906.
 MT Creye's Career is political ! novel, In it appears the old familiar rail- road "boss" the different servants of the 1 railroad control and the few weak but de- termined advocates for the common peo- ple." .'Mr Humphrey Crewe'' was rich young gentleman who was convinced that anything could be accomplished in this ! world with the use of money backed up by thorough work of personality such as MT. Crewe knew he possessed. The 1 railroad boss of the state was Hilary Vane" Hilary Vane was general counsel fer the state of the Northeastern rail- way system Augustus P. Flint was pres ident of the Northeastern railroad. Mr. Flint had a lovely daughter, Victoria Flint, who is one of the most charming heroines which have been introduced to us in a long time Hilary Vanes son, Austin Vane, after leaving college went west, where he made Q success in business but had to leave that section of the coun- try on account of fight with nelghbor Just as the story of MT. Crewe's Career opens Austin Vane, the hero of the story is returning to his native state to take up his work as attorney at law, and be near his father the general counsel Of the Northeastern railroad. Austin Nane finds out soon upon his return home that he can not conscientiously do the kind of work, pulling of wires, underhanded election methods, etc, pursued by his father so that Austin takes a separate office and the first legal work he has is a damage suit against the Northeastern railroad which his father represents. This brings on a great discussion between father and son. So they agree to dis agree. Austin Vane meets Victoria Flint and both fall in love with each other. Austin Vane was a noble chap-a wee bit too noble to be life-like, but we have to
 accept heroes and heroines in books not true to life but idealzed out of life, with
 just sufficient feet of clay to hold them to earth and be recognizable. Humphrey
 Crewe. the rich young fellow who lived on
 his country place near the Fllnts and the Vanes feels the political call to duty. Backed up by this call of duty and
 liberal expenditure of money, Crewe Is
 elected as a member of the legislature. The descriptions of Crewe's race for office and his stay in the state capital after
 election very true to life. CreWe
 goes to the legislature determined to get
 IeW hundred DlIlS pdSSeu to peiieHt liS
 common people, How Crewe was sup
 pressed, how the railroad counsel, Mir.
 Hilary Vane had his room at the Pelican
 hotel, adjoining the suite of the governor
 and controlled all committee assignments, all legislation, reminds us all of the state
 of-neyer mind which state. But Crewe
 broke aloose after bit and did get one
 bill through the legislature. that is
 through the lower house, which went to
 the senate and then went to sleep But
 CreWe in passing this one bill through
 the house had been recognized as the
 coming man and he decides to and does
 run for governor. In the meantime Aus
 tin Vane is busy declining nominations.
 enormous incomes and so on, for reasons
 which are not very clearly set forth in
 the novel-unless it was that he loved
 Victoria Flint and his father and that
 in running for office he would have to at
 tack the name of Flint and his (Austins 8
 father. At any rate Austin declined to
 run for any office-when 1t was made
 plain in the book that all Austin had
 to do was to reach out and take the gifts
 the people wished him to have There is
 a splendid love story running through
 this novel and while there Is great deal
 of politics in 1t there is one delightful
 thing about it, the novel never al any
 time begins to preach and lay down laws to the readers of 1t. A great thing that is,
 "
 been such pluperfect ass in this story
 one would be ready to believe that In that character Mr. Churchill described himself.
 To an extent he must have given us,
 through the descriptions of Crewe's poli-
 tical fortunes, a series of side lights on
 his own race for governor But MT.
 Churchill is not such a person as MT.
 Humphrey Crewe was made to appear.
 But he did run as a reformer he was
 beaten in the convention and there are many things described happening to
 Crewe that one familiar with MT.
 Churchi1l's career will recognize and point to. Hilary Vane has fight in --s own conscience against what he had for 40 years thought was right as to political methods Austin Vane loves his father, and the old man loved Austin, just as much one of his kind could love any body. It is the leaven working on Hilary Vane, on President Flint of the Northern railroad and the people generally that Is the theme of the book. When Hilary Vane, in charge of the railroad end of the gubernatorial race in which Crewe was defeated, won his fight at the end of the book, he resigns from the railroads employ to live differently and In line with his sons ideas of right and wrong There is one strong influence in this novel which is never in its pages represented by a living person. That was Hilary Vane's wife, Austins mother who died when her son was little child. Her influence her name. her ideals are brought in admirably all through this book and that work alone of the author Is delightful. The memory of Mrs. Hilary Vane with her poetic ideals and love for nature, right living and hor- TOT of hypocrisy and cant, brings its in- fluences unconsciously to bear on all the 1 principle people in the novel, Then Hilary Vane's housekeeper, ''Phasia," is a great character, too. All of the characters in this novel stand out. MT. Crewe Career" is the best novel MT. Churchill has written. It is far ahead of "The Crisis and "Richard Carvel'-and that is saying a great deal Another thing about it is that the time of the story is the present and the people in 1t are ones we will recognize as living in every state in the union, even if MT Churchill evil dently is describing the political conditions in New Hampshire-his own state The book is dedicated to those people who care | for and intend to watch and work for purer political methods. That the leaven is working all over this country no one 1 denies and that the time when railroads l and corporations will dominate politics, as they undoubtedly have in the past, will never be again.
 The book is very interesting and MT. | Churchill could have made it very heavy | political tract and called it a novel-but he | didn't. The love story is charming and Austin Vane and Victoria Flint are as 1 two delightful people as one will rur across in literature of this or any other l