Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-28
BOOK REVIEWS.


Federal. VStRPiTISNS. BE FRANK
lin Pierce of the New York bar. au-
thor of The Tariff and the Trusts"
New York: d. Appleton 81 Co.
The author states. This book is a
plea for the sacredness of the Constitution
Of the United States" He limits the
statement by saying: II do not believe
by this that | consider our Constitution.
framed 10 years ago. well suited To the
needs of our existing government. His
contention is rather that necessary
changes should be made by constitutional
amendment. but never by construction or
lsurpation Following discussion of the
conditions which led To the framing of the
Constitution. Mr.. Pierce passes tn the con
sideration of the periods III the natlonal
history during which uSLrpation of con
stitutional power has been made by the
legislative or judicial functions of the
government He gives brief summary
Of the executive acts which exceeded the
constitutional limitations during the civil
war and the reconstruction periods. These
were more or less necessary because OF
the state of war and were dictated by the
exigencies of the situation The main
part of the book is devoted To the discus
sion of recent acts of the executive anu
judicial functions which the author states
TO be arbitrary and pointing To paoernai-
Ism and imperialism. which are destructive
To the principles which the govern
ment was founded. The author quotes
an alleged statement Of the President
made at Harrisburg in 1906. in when ne
declared that the power of the 1ederal
government should be increased through
executive acton-and through judicial in
depreciation and construction OF Jaw:
state rights" President Roosevelt Is Ss'ld
to have stated. should he preserved when
they mean the peoples rights. but not
when they mean the public wrongs
In support of his contention that these
and other theories are cnntradlctorF 10
the spirit Of liberty. which should be al
the basis of American civilization. tne
author brings numerous arguments to
bear He treats the case of his opponents
with fairness. and analyses modern social
and economic conditions to find their
causes "A non-partisan discussion. he
saws may lead to that elevation OF pup
lie character and public life which will re-
generate political parties and lead them to
make fighting issues on the Fundamental
principles of government.
THE SANITY OF ART. BY r-rnard
Shaw. New York Benz. r. Tucker.
There are many who affirm that Bernard
Shaw is at his best when engaged in
criticism. whether it he OF pictures. music
or letters Certainly the present open
letter presents him in his most engaging
mood. He is usually serious. often very
much in earnest never irritating and al
ways worth reading. The Sanity OF
Art is. in a sense d republication. al
though from the circumstances under
which il was first issued. ii is doubtful
whether most Of the readers who will see
1t in its present form had the opportunity
of reading IT. 1t was published in the
form of an open letter by the American
paper Liberty. M. Shaw. in his own live
" fashion. relates the circumstances un-
der which 1t happened to be written. 1t
was thus-to quote Mr.. Shaw-a remnant
-
time of the undue Juror over the publica
alton of Max Nordau's book ''Degenera-
ton" Mr.. Shaws essay was written
with the avowed intention of combating
DR.. NoTdaus theories.
ITO me. who am a professional critic of
art" the author asserts. and have for
many successive London seasons had to
watch the grand march past of books OF
pictures. of concerts and operas. and OF
stage plays, there is nothing new in DR..
Nordaus outburst-at every new wave of
energy in art the same alarm has been
raised" To prove this assertion he pro-
ceeds to sketch the career of several of
the reformations he has himself wit
messed in the fine arts. 1mpreSsionism
Magnetism. Ibsenism each gave rise to
the cry that the author of the movement
was degenerate and, consequently. ret
progressive lunatic. In each case, too
there were the young imitators who ig-
norantly attempt TO produce work like the
masters and who fall between the old
forms and the new into simple inco-
herence." He then points out the differ
ence between fundamental laws and the
conventions In law, morals. art. which
are necessary to the convenience of the
world. THE wasp, he states. who can
be depended upon to sting you If you
squeeze him, is less of nuisance than
the man who tries to do business with
you not according to the customs of bust
ness. but according to the Sermon on the
Mount. or than the lady who dimes with
you and refuses. on republican and die
tetic principles. TO allow precedence TO a
duchess or to partake of food which con-
tains uric acid.
Mr.. Shaw uses this preamble To make
clear what sort of stuff it Was which
filled the book of DIR. Nordau-'a huge
vol.v-e stuffed with the most slashing
of the criticisms which were hun led at
the impressionists. the tone poets and the
philosophers of the Schopenhauerian
revival" The most characteristic part
of the essay is that wherein ne shows
the manifold Inconsistencies and ar
tistic blunders that fill DR.. Nordaus
book. Under the guise of the authors
impairment humor he very "hrewdly
which he finds Degeneration to be
full. lie sums up. If Il mans senses
are acute he is degenerate. hyperes
thesia having been observed in asy-
lums. II they are dull he is degenerate
anesthesia being the stigma Of the
craziness which made old women con-
fess tn witchcrafI. If he drinks he is
neurotic; If he is n vegetarian and
teetotaler. let him he locked up at
once etc. etc. Although the Immedi-
ate occasion which produced this essay
is a matter OF some years past, the dis
cussior itself is just as timely IL when
IT was written. And the reader should
not be misled by Shaw's farcical light
ness or touch to overlook the fact that
he is sound critic. with broad knOwl-
edge and an exact acquaintance with
the tenets according to which the really
great products of any art are con-
structed.
A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
NAVY. BY john r. Spears Illus
trated. New York: Charles Serb
ners Sons. Washington: Woodwa rd
4; Lothrop.
In preparing this volume the writer has
desired TO tell. in one convenient volume.
the whole story OF the United States Navy
Ito describe all the important naval bat
ties. and to show how the nation has been
affected at certain times by the work of
its naval ships. and at other times by the
want of such a force. All battles that
have had any influence upon tn" wars in
which the nation has been engaged. or
upon the evolution of ships of war or
upon the character of naval men, or of
But while most of the space has been de