The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-22
BOOK NOTES

William Branch Giles. a study in
the Politics Of Virginia and the Ma
ton from 1890 to lSaa. by Dice
Robins Anderson. professoc of Po'iti-
cal Science in Richmond College.
George Bonita Publishing Company,
Menasha, VS.. 1s14-sl.5o.
William Branch Giles was for forty
years a commanding figure In Viz
pinia and national politics. Born IN
Amelia County in 1852, ne attended
Hampden- Sidney College, and. when in
T79, prestden Smith resigned &c ac-
icept a chair at the College of New
Jersey (now princetorh he accom-
panied him end received his degree
+ of bachelor Of arts there in 1881.
From Princeton, he went to William
and Mary College Whe-a ne studied
law under George Wytae, Beginnins
10 practice in 1885. he soon became
successful lawyer. having been EN-
ployed ny l792 in as many AS 100
British debt cases In 1890. ut the
age Of twenty-eight, he entered ma
Itional politics, being elected a repre-
sentative in Congress. He served un-
It'll October 2 1898, when he resigned,
lin order that he might he elected to
the House of Delegates. Ne served his
State in the two memorable sessions
of 1898 ana 1893 He was again in
and 1902, and from 1906 to 1914 in
the United States Senate. where ne
acted as chairman of several promi-
nent committees. In 1927 he was
chosen Governor of Virginia, and be-
fore his term was over was elected
a member II the Constitutional Con-
vention of 1e2s-30. He died Deccm-
Der L. 1880.
Justice Delayed.
+ No bioErauhV. or study of Giles ca
reer has appeared until the present
; pnlltfa4t4- by Professor ttrfir rsori, uf
Richmond College The lack of a
complete survey of Giles political Efe
has often been commented upon and
regretted His friends have felt that
he has suffered much injustice, be-
cause his career had not been studied
as d whole Much has been written
about particular events in his life, but
usually in Il spirit OF viification by
the descendants Of those who were
his political enemies There was then
a great need for such a work as FRO
fessar Anderson has written, ana ~
Is TO he congratulated on having pro-
iuccd IL in a thorough impartial and
scholarly manner
II was no easy task for the author
TO collect his materials Unfortunate
", the private papers of Giles were
not preserved and it was therefore,
necessary to have search made in
the historical libraries of the country
for letters Of Giles and for those writ
ten TO him. Not much was found that
threw any light upon the details OF
mis- private life. This biography, has
| been then. necessarily, a study of po-
litic9i events The information was
drawn mainly from the speeches OF
GILES reported in the Annals of Con-
gress, from references TO him in the
newspa pers, from the writings which
have been clearly Identified az COM
ing from his pen. and from the allu
sions TO him from such political an
Ia gonists as John Quincy Adams and
others,
As Consistent A. Possible
Professor Anderson makes IT clear
that. in the main, Governor Giles was
consistent, or rather, as consistent as
it was possible for a statesman TO
be in a formative period OF govern
mont as were the years from 1889 To
1880. Some of the anathemas hurled
at Giles by modern historians, our
author shows are unwarranted, for
Giles, In his occasional apparent
erratic beliefs reflected readily, occa-
Sionaily and brilliantly the opinions Of
post -revolutionary Virginia. a Virginia
1 that was nearly overwhelmed hy the
evils OF the revolution. by a fluctu-
ating and uncertain currency, by limi-
ted and shifting markets, by continual
changing relations with France ana
England, by a large emigration. and
by an unscientific agriculture. The
author does not deny that Giles was
at times strong partisan, bitter
hater, and sometimes eccentric in his
political variations, but viewing his
life as whole, the variations were
minor, whiic the dominant note of IA
! firm belief in a limited government
at Washington was always present
Loyal to jefferson.
i The most important influence Of his
life was Thomas jefferson. Giles ad-
miration OF jefferson was unbounded
and his loyalty to the jefferson ad-
mInistration was unquestioned AS
jefferson influenced him in one way,
$50 Alexander Hamilton, John Adams,
John Quincy Adams. Albert Gallatin,
John Marshall and Henry Clay influ-
enced him in another The mere fact
that political proposition emanated
from any one of these men was enough
4 TO cause Giles to denounce it v!gor-
lously. To Giles Alexander Hamilton
seemed a deep-dyed monarchist. whose
financial schemes always smacked OF
| the influence. Of the Interests OF
that day, the moneyed men, the spec
ulators and the landjobbers. His views
of John Adams and the Adams az
itiiinStIhtlo'i are wei ueilHeU III his
action in the sessions of the Virginia
Assembly of 1898 and 1899, in the dis
cussion of which Professor Anderson
adds much new information Giles
believed John Quincy Adams would be
guilty of any unconstitutional ten
dency that would aid the prosperity
of his section of the country. He de-
pounced John Marshall soundIy for
/ the character Of all his decisions as
tending toward the upbuiiding OF an
Independent and aggressive judiciary.
and the establishment of strong
centralized Federal Government.
Against Henry Clay and his tariff
I ideas. he fought violently and fire.
/ quently: the tariff was but another
encroachment for the benefit OF the
/ manufacturers. on the rights of the
States. and on Virginias rights and
prosperity in particular. In his an
/ tagonism to these men, the keynote
of his political creed, State rights
was always apparent. At one time,
/! in the War OF 1912. he wavered some
what in his state rights belief, bat
las nc explained afterward, only he
cause 1t was IN time of great emer-
igency.
g. state Rights la Virginia.
Probably The most interesting bart