Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14
YoHN CORBIN, New York author
and newspaper man, has writ
ten a most important book. 1t

YoHN CORB1N, New York author
and newspaper man, has writ
ten a most important book. 1t
- is published by Scribner's and
is titled, 1.-THE Return OF the Middle
Class" The thesis of the book is
this: We Americans have built up
here on this continent a peculiar CIV
ilization, governed and dominated in
its most important activities by the
middle class. That class Is in con-
tinual struggle with the two minori-
ties. one above 1t and one below IL,
plutocracy and tho proletariat-for
short, capital and labor. The middle
class has something as precious as
money or Drawn. something, indeed,
more necessary than either to = Chris
tian civilization-the thing called
skill, the business OF knowing how,
the rare gift Of "sabbe." The free
play and employment OF that middle
class talent is, or should be, the chief
end Of man in government. But the
greed Of capital and the arrogance Of
organized labor leaders in the ruth
less struggle for profits and wages
are threatening the extinction Of the
middle class gift, breaking down its
market value, denying the distinction
which skill should have in the indus
trial and social order. And so the
middle class has been threatened.
The new poor'-that is TO say, the
man on a salary the clerk, the
teacher, the small merchant. the ordi-
nary professional-haye during the
last decade found their income cur
tailed, their worth to society Ques-
toned by diminishing economic
status; and so q menace hangs over
our civilization. Mr.. Corbin advo-
Gates the exaltation of the home and
the settlement of labor disputes by
such organization Of labor as will
permit its participation in the man
agement of industry when skill, en-
couraged by tho organization, de-
veIops capacity. The author dreams
of an Industrial republic In which
the business Of homemaking and
collaborating will have a definitely
recognized Industrial status. By
making place in the middle class a
reward OF exceptional qualities, and
by making the descent from the capt.
talist class easy and inevitable when
high managerial talent falls, Mr.. Cor
bin seems to feel that we may
weather whatever political and social
storms are lowering in the offing and
maintain America as the land Of the
free and the homo OF the brave,
meaning the middle class. Il
SO much Is being written and pub.
lished these days by the protagon-
lists of the other classes that q word
for the neglected middle class Is
rather startling. It 10 fashionable In
the pearl pink parlors OF socialism
to sniff at the middle class-to call
it names, to sneer at its Phariseeism,
to magnify it's stupidity, to pretend
that 1t has no virtue except that
which Is determined by its advan-
tage The, highbrow boots at the
middle class and the lowbrow snarls
at It, Plutocracy regards the middle
class as its oyster and labor leaders
and communists treat it as: q poor
fish. 1t Is really roast beef medium
on the social bill OF fare, and pretty
good stuff withal And Il L. curious
that In 4 great middle class civilixa-
ton, such a. America. IL. no one has
.Er4tts0 al Intelligent hook about itsl