The Second Generation

by David Graham Phillips

The Second Generation is a novel written by David Graham Phillips. The book is a sequel to his earlier work, The Cost, and follows the lives of the next generation of characters. The story takes place in New York City during the early 1900s and focuses on the lives of the wealthy elite. The main character, John Ward, is the son of the original protagonist, Richard Ward. John is a successful lawyer who is engaged to a beautiful socialite named Alice Van Dorn. However, his life is turned upside down when he discovers a dark secret about his father's past. As John tries to come to terms with this revelation, he must also navigate the complexities of his relationship with Alice and the expectations of his social class. The Second Generation is a compelling story about love, betrayal, and the consequences of one's actions. Phillips' writing style is engaging and vivid, painting a vivid picture of the world of the rich and powerful during this era. Overall, The Second Generation is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and anyone interested in the lives of the wealthy during the early 1900s.1906. American writer, Phillips worked as a newspaper reporter in Cincinnati and New York City, rising to editorial rank on the New York World, for which he wrote until 1902. He became noted as a muckraker and was famous as the author of a series of sensational articles exposing corruption in the U.S. Senate that appeared in Cosmopolitan magazine. Phillips's novels, powerful although often crude, deal with corruptive influences in society and general social problems, such as the status of women. He came to an untimely death when he was murdered by a young musician who accused him of having cast literary slurs on his family. The Second Generation In six minutes the noon whistle would blow. But the workmen-the seven hundred in the Ranger-Whitney flour mills, the two hundred and fifty in the Ranger-Whitney cooperage adjoining-were, every man and boy of them, as hard at

334 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1906

About the author

David Graham Phillips was an American novelist and journalist of the muckraker tradition.Phillips was born in Madison, Indiana. After graduating from high school, Phillips entered Asbury College (now DePauw University) - following which he received a degree from Princeton University in 1887.

After completing his education, Phillips worked as a newspaper reporter in Cincinnati, Ohio, before moving on to New York City where he was employed as a reporter for The Sun from 1890 to 1893, then columnist and editor with the New York World until 1902.

In his spare time, he wrote a novel, The Great God Success, that was published in 1901. The royalty income enabled him to work as a freelance journalist while continuing to write fiction. Writing articles for various prominent magazines, he began to develop a reputation as a competent investigative journalist. Phillips' novels often commented on social issues of the day and frequently chronicled events based on his real-life journalistic experiences.

He was considered a Progressive and for exposing corruption in the Senate he was labelled a muckraker. Phillips wrote an article in Cosmopolitan in March 1906, called "The Treason of the Senate," exposing campaign contributors being rewarded by certain members of the U. S. Senate. The story launched a scathing attack on Rhode Island senator Nelson W. Aldrich, and brought Phillips a great deal of national exposure. This and other similar articles helped lead to the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, initiating popular instead of state-legislature election of U. S. senators.

At the height of his success, Phillips was shot to death by an insane person.