Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-06
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY the Bookloper.

popular biographies, but Increase
Mather was not exactly n popular
type Of man; indeed. 1t Is doubtful If
the word popular was really under
stood in the Massachusetts colony in
the seventeenth century. Mr.. Muir
dock gives q very fair analysis OF the
life of the great Puritan divine. the
second Of the three famous Mathcrs--
Richard, Increase and Cotton. Espe-
cially does he defend him against
some of the charges often brought
against him by other historians-the
charges OF b1gotry. self-seeking and
duplicity. The outstanding events of
the life OF Increase Mather were his
almost lifelong pastorate of the Sec
ond Church of Boston, his position as
rector and then president Of Harvard
College, his mission to London, where
he remained four years, and by nego-
tiations with William III succeeded
in gaining a new charter for Massa-
chusetts after the overthrow Of Gov.
Andres, his part In the Salem witch
craft proceedings and his many theo-
logical writings.
Mr.. Murdoch, in his chapter Dole
full Witchcraft," gives more space to
the witchcraft 5elus!on in Salem than
is justified by it's importance in the
life Of Increase Mather, for the reason
that so much criticism Of him In this
connection has been unjust beca use
not based on an examination of facts.
The truth Is that Increase Mather be
lieved In Uitchcraft, AS did all the
educated men OF hts age. both in Eng
land and in the New World but he
urged moderation and Justice. not IA
uatical zeal" Witchcraft was recog
nized as a crime under the law and
was punishable by death. Mather was
opposed to the conviction OF accused
persons on spectral evidence" or the
testimony Of alleged victims who de-
clared that evil spirits appeared to
them in the likeness of this or that
person. He gave it as his opinion In
his pamphlet Cases OF Conscience
that two proofs should be required for
conviction of witchcraft: First. "a
free and voluntary confession of the
and accused" and. second. the sworn
statement OF two credible persons
that they have seen the
accused speaking such words, or do
ing things which none but such as
have familiarity with the devil ever
did or can do" Mr.. Muroock con-
cludes that in connection with witch
craft Increase Mather was not a rad
ical on the side of what we now see
as the truth, but an orthodox edu-
Gated man, sharing the most liberal o.
the then orthodox doctrines lie
likens him to conscientious. educated
citizens today who deplore crime
waves and believe in upholding our
laws which provide for life imprison.
ment or capital punishment for muir
der. Perhaps In the year 1000, he
says, all so-called crime may be proved
to be the result of disease and be ac-
corded hospital treatment: our enllght-
ened law-enforcers Of today may then
be looked upon as bigored prosecutors,
such as many now consider Increase
and Cotton Mather. Each man should
be Judged as part of his time.
y X x
Another opportunity is offered the
thousands of young college graduates
who feel within their innermost depths
that they are called" to he great
writcrs-perhaps authors of the great
American novel or the great American
drama. Tho opportunity is also open
to those older persons who have all
their lives had a secret conviction that
they might have been writer's of merit
II 1t had not been for the pressure of
lttLileSS vi Sotlft
other reason and who sometimes re
member William de Morgan and won.
der IL it is too late even now. Dodd
Mead & Co, the Pictorial Review and
the First National Pictures. Inc, have
Jointly offered a prize of S16,500, plus
royalties. for the best novel by an
American author who has not previ-
ously had a novel published in book
form. Manuscripts must be submitted
before October !. 1925. The winning
manuscript will be announced by De-
cember l, 1926: Will be serialized in
the Pictorial Review in the Spring of
1927: will be published in book form
in the Fall Of 1927 and will be filmed
Immediately after.
Former Secretary David F. Hous-
toms Eight Years With Wilson will
appear Serially in Worlds Work before
being published in book form. The first
inStallment IN the February number
gives an interesting account of Col.
House as assistant cabinet builder, and
paints a most unfavorable picture of
William Jennings Bryan, especially in
contrast with President Wilson. VIII
son, he says, lis a student Bryan is
not. Wilson searches for facts, mas
ters them. and interprets them. He
knows history. and has it's teachings
at his command. Bryan has never
been a student. He has natural ability,
but is unframed Wilson has q keen
sense of direction: Bryan an uncanny
sense for the wrong direction" Ad-
vance sheets from forthcoming in
stallment of Secretary Houston
diary reports this story: President
Wilson reminded us of the fact that
after his serious illness Senator Fall
had called at the White House, as the
President expressed 1t. as a member
of a smelling committee to find out
whether he was all there or not. and
added: I was lying in bed fiat on my
back. After the committee had dis
cussed certain matters with me and
had. / think, discovered that 1 was
very much all there, the committee
turned to leave. Senator Fall paused
a moment and said: "Mr. President, I
want you to know that I am praying
for you."' The President remarked: IL
could have got out of bed. would
have hit the man. Why did he want
to put me in bad with the Almighty?
He must have known that God would
take the opposite view from him on
any subject.
Stephen Graham, traveller in Russia
before the revolution and student for
years of Russian life. history. Ian
guage and literature. apparently knew
too much about Russia to suit Soviet
authorities, for he was refused a wise
for Moscow. So, having determined
to study Russia some more and to
write something about Soviet Russia,
he camped in the border state and
from there observed much about Rus
STA and her relations with the rest Of
Europe today. His book, 1.-THE Di-
viding Line Of Europe" is the result.
The dividing line is composed of the
Baltic countries. Poland and Bessa-
rabia. In these border states Mr..
Graham found a very general hatred