He utters a solemn warning of the dangers to which we now are exposed through our present acts of coinage and legal tender, whereby our gold coin sooner or later must be driven from the country and our standard must become a silver dollar of light weight and uncertain value. He also shows conclusively the futility of legislation in causing two substances to become and remain of the same value. Mr. Edward Atkinson has furnished the introduction to the book, in which he commends it warmly. While Congress continues to permit the coinage of $2,000,000 in silver a month, for which there is no demand and the coinage of which merely furnishes a market for the wares of a few owners of silver mines, it is difficult to overstate the need that such books as this should be circulated and studied attentively throughout the nation. Mr. Atkinson makes an impressive comment, which we quote:
"The productions of the hen-yards of the United States, according to the census statistics, was, in 1879, 456,910,916 dozen eggs, and, if hens have now increased in the ratio of population, it is now 500,000,000 dozen, which at only ten cents a dozen, would exceed the value of the products of the silver mines.
"It would be vastly more reasonable for Congress to order the compulsory purchase of two million dollars' worth of eggs per month," in order to sustain the hen products of the United States, "than it is to buy two million dollars' worth of silver; because the eggs could be used, or else would rot, while the silver cannot be used, and is expensive to store and to watch (pp. xvi-xvii)."—Congregationalist.
ILLITERACY AND MORMONISM.
Of Illiteracy and Mormonism, a brochure from the pen of Doctor Henry Randall Waite, just published by D. Lothrop & Co., the Boston Daily Transcript in an advance notice, says:
"In view of the present great interest in the problems treated, and the value of the material which it offers as an aid to their solution, the book is especially timely. Doctor Waite, who was for some time editor of the International Review, and whose work is well-known to readers of the standard American periodicals, is one of the clearest-headed of our younger writers on politico-economic subjects, and his views as here set forth demand thoughtful consideration and respect. He brings to the treatment of the subjects included in the title the special knowledge gained in his important official position as statistician of the late census, in charge of some of the most important branches, including education, illiteracy and religious organizations."
The Dover (N.H.) Star, says:
"He makes the best argument for the Constitutionality of National Aid [to education] which we have yet seen. It will bear careful consideration by members of Congress."
The Boston Daily Herald refers to the author's views as follows: