Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1888 — A New Boob by Col Thompson. [ARTICLE]

A New Boob by Col Thompson.

Colonel R. W. Thompson has written n book on the history of the tariff of this country, i For the most part, in fact, it was written a year or two ago and was waiting the convenience of its author before being brought out. Two things, however, have hastened matters. Brealdent Cleveland’s message and the surplus in t,he Treasury have brought the question promineutly before thq people. It will be the one absorbing subject of discussion in the papers, in Congress, and on the stump. Everybody will be in search of information. This fact and the knowledge on the part of R. S. Beale & C<>, the enterprising book publishing firm of Chicago, that Colonel Thompson had iu manuscript a book covering the very ground in question led to negotiations on their part for an opportunity To. bring it out ht once. Tftose negotiations have been completed, the manuscript is .now in their h inds, and th'd BfSK wifl-i be launched within a few weeks. No one of the Gazette’s readers needs to be told that on this vexed question - ot tariff, and particularly on the history of tariff legislation in this country, no one is possessed of a larger fund of information or brings to the task of writ” itig a book on the subject a riper scholarour o va distinguished townsman. It has been a favorite subject with him lor years. Ho has discussed' it before the people and in Congress when ho was a representative from Bedford district in 1841, and again when he represented this district in 1317- His library lsjoorhaps- more Complete in literature bearing on the subject Uiah thaf of any private Citizen" anywhere. For the most part the book devotes Kselt to‘a historical review of‘the subject, and many of the facts stated will be new to the great body of citizens who will r<;ad it and use it as a text nook in the swly of the subject, in all this part, in fact all through, the sub joefc is handle 1 in a non-partisan spirit, the object of the writer being to lay bo- " foredilrreadtrretfre rtristory-off h-gisla toon enacted by thb diff .-rent Cougresaes. Another part of it is demoted to a disenstion of the subject itself. As is‘well known C-donel Thompson is a Protectimist, an i while presenting all sides he stoutly defends his own be- -■ Jicis in this reg rrd. Here there-will be the widest divergence of opinion, and mam: who .win read the book will ilia-, neat from the coiciusions of the writers It will .doubtless form the theme of many a dismission in print and .oil the piaitorru. Equally without doubt, judging from tiro character and qiaidicatioas ot the author, it will be one of, if not the most valuable contribution, to Hie liter at ur» of ' protection which’ tire t-x .'iting cuTO-fhtTgrn- oi-1888 will- oa.ll forth. No one who wishes to inform hiinseltcan afford to mess reading it. 'l’iic time of its promised publication which is not more than a month distant is moat OjV-oriu in. The <; wintry wants some iaf iriU'iwioni ;ind wants tiio very informal loflt.vvliiitfttiis bo >k wi 11 affbrd. l) iiiotiess it will have ah enormous cir-

cuiaton. Xt*iviiLtu).a hook of-nearly 60? large pages,. 53 to bo printed on heavy , paper a.i: subsfafttia-ily bourn!. Is. will Be '■ Iby ageuts on subscriptions and at thu l >\v pries ot H. S. l’eale & •Uo. have had targe experience in pub lishing ?übseriptioe nooks, and have several thousand trained agents scattered all over the United States.. Taay aw the lifin who are at present engi.god in .puldislungnlha long pro ini-ed cipher bo >k of Ignatius Donnelly, which is l.i■ prove that Sir Franch* Rico a and not William S takes, care wrote the j'Fty- which havm borne t ho name of the hitter and won him imperiMi.dilo iamb. Their agents arewalready in the held engaged in , the canvass for' the Donnelly hook, and it is expected that as soon a< their labors on th:u,are comj 1- ted thi, book of Colonel Thompson’s u d, : Eiß-Tea !y lor them. Creed, as the sale of the Donnelly book will be arid who is there that does n .1 want to se * it?, The Gazette, would n ;t be at all surprised if this book on iho tartff by our own townsman would have, even a more extended circulation. In this latter caso however; the circulation will naturally bo limited to this country, whereas the former will probably soil even more exfensivt ly in England than here.—\V. C. .Ball, in Terre iiauie Gazette.