New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-07
FICTION
A Wild Insurgent from the Mid
die West.
SOCIOCRACY.


THE CITADEL. A Romance OF Unrest
| BY samuel Merwin. limo. pp. "9. Inc
| Century Co.
Mr. Nervin's hero IS Congressman
who starts his real career by attacking
the Constitution in the House. That
! document. he asserts, Is THE Citadel
! Of privilege, it's barrier against true
democracy. He has been sent to Con-
! eress by THE interests OF his distrlct
I'm the Middle West, and as he confesses
later. had never stopped then to conside'
how his election had been brought about.
! He never even knew who paid his cam
paign expenses. But now he Is awake
! at last 10 the wrongs Of the people, still
more TO their rights. He becomes their
| champion. His political sponsors at
home Immediately repudiate him, where
upon he runs for reelection on an indie
pendent ticket, appealing TO the masses
for support. He is a radical or the raoi-
Gals, he is all for "sociocracy,' which Is
TO be the real rule of the people that
democracy has failed to become.
Mr.. Merwin's publishers inform us that
the ideas of his hero john Garwood, ara
those of Or. Weylrs New Democracy"
but as a matter of fact this Congress
man from the Middle West goes much
further. He talks wildly at times;
We have 10 make all government eX.
pressive OF nothing OF earth but the WIZ ot
the people at the moment. VIC nave got
10 sec 10 n that Il is always such an eN-
preston, that II changes and grows direct
~ as the popular ideas change and grow.
why. bless your hearts, We don
need 10 know whether a new law Is con
siItutIoual or not! All We need to know II,
10 the people want that law?
Initiative. referendum and recall.
woman suffrage eugenics John Garwood
advocates them ALL and II occasionally
his enthusiasm trips UP his logic and
distorts his historic perspective. why
| that makes him all the more popular
| with tho constituency to which he APP
meals The lessons Of the past are ~
! him but a hohble on the feet or me
eager present. An old newspaper man
! he confesses that he does not know by
what means the interests control the
press so completely that the papers stop
| talking about him and his speech and
| his proposed amendment TO the Const-
tuition after featuring him for three days
on the front page. Stil. as an old news
paper man. he might know that he does
not figure there on the fourth day for
the simple reason that he has ceased
for the moment to be news" in the jour
ualistIc sense Of the word. When ne
! becomes news" once more, when his
campaign for reelection turns into
national party matter, the papers give
him all the space" he could possibly
wish for, and the complete control OF
| the interests seems 10 break down Ut
| terly. In fact, newspaper men fgure
| largely In his campaign, and IL -
! thanks to them that, after his defeat,
he faces n smiling future as lecturer
and political campaign speaker WIN
new political possibilities In prospect
! and even-though Mr.. Merwin does not
! foresee this-the edtorship and owner
! ship of a productive weekly Of his own
| History repeats itself though John Gar
wood has decided that it shall not.
Apart from its headlong, not always
ell-digested. most radical propaganda
the book is a good, swift-moying story.
The author points out. in the course Oh
his tale, that politics is very much OF Il
sport TO the majority of us, not so ao-
sorblng a game as baseball. 1t Is true'
| but still one offering plenty OF pleasui
able excitement. 1t is this sport OF poll
tics that makes 'The Citadel" good read
| Ing. John Garwood's campaign for re-
election against strongly intrencheo'
rich, powerful and unscrupulous oppo-
sltion is, indeed, good sport. The other
side does not play fairly, which, of course
enlists our love of fair play on his SIDE
| The tricks and turns and traps, the UNI
clean tactics, the personal attacks th'
abuse OF police power, the subserviehcy
Of the city's Mayor, the disturbed meet
ings misrepresented as riots, the foatihg'
| repeating and stuffing, met by exposu'e'
OF Illegal practices, of graft. and RANK
dishonesty on the part of highly respect
able leading citizens-the dash and Gas"
and turmoil, the enthusasms courage
| and faith in cause-all this makes ~
| vivid a story as one can wish. Anu u
course. only a new woman can be 'ho
heroine of It's love interest, when MI
Merwin takes with somewhat portentouS
| analvtical Donderousness.