The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-12-18
az ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

A constant stream Of novels issues
from the publishers presses. Some
good, many mediocre, less few indiffer-
ent. others bad
The majority of them are we'll writ
ten.
For a surprisingly large number OF
people nowadays write well-techni-
cally we'll But very few with pens dip
ped in the fire and gall of genius.
There are three classes of novels at
tempted by many American writer's.
Mostly with success so far as interest
is concerned.
One the detective story. the other OF
adventure, the third the story of Amer
lean politics.
His Rise to Power" by Henry Rus
sell Miller. (the Bobbs- Merrill Com
pany) author of The Man Higher
Up," Is one OF the latter.
The scenario. the mise en- scene. the
caste OF the novel is very much that
of its sort-the small town with its
courthouse square. big" house In
which generally lives the hero, or he.
roine--in this case the hero-the local
"bosses." the magnate engaged in
questionable speculation. the senator
controlling business and politics. the
young man with ideals and ambitions
gradually succumbing 20 the rules OF
the game. the daughter OF the mag
nate, always a glorious creature with
hair running to red-gold, who returns
to her native habitat spoiled for its
provincialisms but not cosmopolitan
enough for other triumphs, the gentle
cynic, the shrewd spinster in this in.
stance, the maiden aunt. the love at,
fair between the glorious creature and
the ambitious young man with ideals,
and the village characters who help to
swell the chorus.
New Chelsea" the scene Of the &C
ton OF Ills Rise to Power" might be
Winchester. or Rushville. or Gallipolis,
or, perhaps. some town farther east
but wherever it's location. it is typical
ly American.
John Dunmeade." It's hero, is a
purely American type.
With an attractive personality. best
blood Of the section in his veins. col.
1ege education. mentality above the
average. courageous. honest. idealistic,
ne ia elected district attorney despite
the enmity OF the county machine con.
trolled by the Senator. who an old
friend Of the family, and, admiring
Dunmeade's embryonic qualities as a
useful politician. had been turned
u r., h. ;.%r ~ otf
when he had made the latter the offer
OF the ONCE on certain conditions.
The fact that Dunmeade was elected
on his own reform platform and on
his own personal campaigning iritia'
tive gives him confidence in the prac.
ticability of his political philosophy
and determines the Senator to either
attach him to his encourage or kill him
politically.
The story tells the tale of these two
but the supreme interest lies in the
thinning Of the figure Of the Senator'S
masterpiece i'm its way. and in his fina
placing of the hero in the Governors
chair OF their state--"his rise to pow
err"
1t Is in the expression of the politi
cal philosophy OF Senator Murchell
however. In which the chiefest interest,"
OF the book consists and its demon
stration in giving the hero an oppor
tunity to exploit his theories-theories
trimmed. cut. pulled. to At into the
frame OF his office.
In reply to Dunmeade's statement
that the Senator's Organization" mus
be smashed. because it exists to de
prive the people of the right OF sci
government" the Senator says:
1.-The people won't want to govern
themselves. They can't. Popular gov
eminent Is farce, dream Of the mil
lenium. an ideal. impracticable. Thu
men that founded this nation didn'
want. didn't prepare for popular gov
eminent
I'm what you call boss. Sentimen
talists gag at the name rather than the
fact. But the boss Is a logical evolu
ton. He Is the fly-wheel that gives
stability Of government and make
possible industrial development"
Referring to the turning down o
the young district attorney when h.