Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/722

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708 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

showing how he confines himself to his task, and of giving a fair sample of the style in which the book is written. The last paragraph on Spanish colonization in Cuba closes :

Compare the action of these bold-spirited, unyielding men, battling for their rights, to the vacillating, alternately cruel and flattering, policy of the Spanish authorities ; for even in the moments of despair Spain clung to its traditional system. Vain promises of amelioration, intimidation, repression, extenuation, if need be, were the standards of its conduct. Not one sub- stantial honest effort other than by the use of armed force was ever made to remedy existing wrongs.

In the cause of humanity, in the memory of its forefathers, in the light of its own professed and practiced principles, the great republic of the North could not refrain from tendering to the struggling inhabitants of Cuba the hand

of good fellowship Appeals, unheeded and rebuffed, precipitated war

with Spain. The most advanced and the most antiquated of the civilized races of the West were face to face. Spain, in its habitual manner, pro- posed reforms, but the time for parleying had expired. By many sacrifices Cuba is free. May the American people be as wise as brave, and, lead- ing this younger sister by the highway of liberty, point out to her the responsibilities and functions of a righteously administered and peace-loving state !

A summary of the statistics of each colony up to 1900 is given in connection with its historical treatment, thus supplying the requirements of a work of reference.

Mr. Morris has preserved the true historian's standpoint in his chapter on South Africa. Although the book was written during the period of conflict of Briton and Boer, no prejudice to either party seems to have crept in.

The style of the whole book is dignified and clear, rising occasion- ally to elegance, yet a few mannerisms may be noted. The author very often quotes himself by saying "as before noted," "which has elsewhere been characterized," "as stated in another chapter." While such expressions do not occur frequently enough to be serious, they cannot fail to be noted by a reader.

Special mention should be made of the twenty pages of classified bibliography in the appendix, to which is added a special index of all names mentioned in the footnotes and the bibliography. A well-made general index completes the book. It is only just to Mr. Morris to say that he has set himself a worthy task and performed it well.

GEORGE EMORY FELLOWS.