Evening star., 1922-12-03
rRE LEADERSHIP OF CONGRESS-.
Ry George Rothwell Brown. In
dianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill
Company.

/"NHE LEADERSHIP OF CON-
GRESS' Is. In substance. a
study OF the speakership Of
the House OF Representa-
tives. For the purposes OF this expo
aition the author draws of this sub
juct from the general history of Con-
sress as a whole. He traces the ori-
gin of the speakership. defining Its
basic elements and derived charac-
teristics. He describes Its growth. Its
rise to autocratic power. its final de-
struction as an instrument or apso-
lutism. The study covers perioa Oh
about hundred years. Moving pack-
ward, 1t stretches from Joseph can
non to Henry Clay. and even further:
since the speakership of the House OF
Representatives is a direct inner,
lance from the colonial assemolS. II
was Henry Clay. however. VINO. oisih
ing the potentialities of this cree
gave impetus to the movement ,na, ma,
lifted it ultimately into succeSsiui
composition with that of the eNscH.
tive itself. Henry clay was the Hrsl
distinguished exponent OF govern
ing this theory, he strove in every
way to augment the power and pres.
tige of the speakership as the surest
guaranty of party control Mr,
brown amplifles and applies inns
IN between Clay and Mr.: Speaker
Reed. who raised this office t" us
zenith of efficiency and autocratc
control. The mantle of Reed zen
worthily to the shoulders OF Mr.
Speaker Cannon. Then the revolution
that took from this amazing devel-
opment the sum of its power. George
Eothwell Brown offers by way or thls
volume an authoritative and briiiiaht
study of subject ,nat is vital TO any
adequate understanding OF me MS
tory and the functioninS OF congress.
To Its sound substance he has been
able to add vitality and direct appeal
Sometimes the authors thought runs
far ahead Of his worus, with long ana
Involved constructions as a result
but this is a minor fault. hardly worth
mention. since the real body OF the
work Is so notably sound in substance
and competent in treatment
THE REVOLT OF THE OYSTER. By
Don Marquis author of Cruise of
the Jasper B." etc. New York:
Doubleday. Page & Co.
Just book OF Don Marquis short
stories. named after one OF them
Among these is "The Saddest Man
according to some folks. the best thing
the Don has vet done. They are all
good stories. in the Marquis fashion.
uproariouSly funny. the most OF them
Away down in the list. an inconspicuous
thing, much less noisy than its conn
panions. is one that begins like TINS:
1T you are a dog of any sense. you Will
pick you out a pretty good sort oil boy
and stick to him. These doss that are
always adopting one boy after another
get bad name among the humans. and
YOU'D better keep in with the humans.
especially the grown-up ones. What a
dog wants is boy anywhere from
about nine to about sixteen years Old
A boy under nine hasn't sense enough
10 be any company for an intelligent
dog. And along about sixteen they begin
70 dress up and try to run with the
girls. and carry on in way to make
dog tired" 1t is merely a matter OF IN
dividual taste. of course. but to our way
Of thinking. Dogs and Boys tas told
by the dog) is. by all odds. the prize
story here. All Of them are designed
for laughter and they secure it. II
takes lot of evidence to accept Don
Marquis as humoriSt. 1t is his name.
You see. for long time We called him
Don (full round ''o'O Mar-kee- Under
that name it was clearly up to him to
measures. and with the "Mar-kee"
analytical French stuff. And he never
played up to this program. Now that he
has most empha tically pronounced the
name for US. reputiiating absolutely the
foreign taste of il. We are getting into
his stride as the man who proposes to
deal only with a laughing world. We
Ike il, too. immensely, now that
know who he is-plain American Don
Markwis.
ANCIENT MAN. BY Hendrix NiIlem
Van Loon. author of The Story of
Mankind New York: Boni &
Liveright.
He writes for children only, does
he not?" Yes, but any one. provided
he have the gift. may be a child for
ninety years or more" !. is for 5hc
children of all ages that Mr.. Van
Loon tells the story of man in his
stupendouS progression. The genius
Of this book does not lie in the
knowledge that it embodies. This
knowledge is In the world. for any
in the authors genius Of election. in his
power to create a living pageant out
Of the human essence of the dead
centuries. And the result is of
charm and splendor that rival the
wizardries of invention. The book in
hand is a reprint, little book of easy
handling with odd. expressive pic
from the large and expensive first
form. A book to have. for everybody
TO have.
FROM A BENCH IN OUR SQUARE.
BY Samuel Hopkins Adams. author
of Success" etc. Boston: Housh-
ton Miffiin Company.
From what Is. obviously, real
square in New York city. with real
has drawn this group of short stories.
That he himself is on terms of per-