Honorable Peter Stirling, The

The Oxford Companion to American Literature | 1995 | 700+ words | Copyright

Honorable Peter Stirling, The, novel by P.L. Ford published in 1894. Although the author denied it, the hero is considered to represent Grover Cleveland.

Peter Stirling, a “practical idealist,” rises from a plain New England background and Harvard education to a leading position in New York society, law, and politics. He loves Helen Pierce, daughter of a banker, but is unselfishly reconciled to her marriage with his best friend, Watts d'Alloi. When d'Alloi fathers an illegitimate child, Stirling accepts the responsibility to spare Helen the knowledge of her husband's infidelity. In an environment of corrupt municipal and state politics, Stirling moves with unprejudiced fairness and honesty, seeking always the public interest. He is a candidate for governor, but when his sincere conservatism threatens to lose votes during a great strike, he maintains his position, saying “Votes be damned!” When he is wounded in a bombing while leading his regiment of militia against the strikers, he is cared for by Helen and d'Alloi's daughter Leonore, whom he later marries.

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James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Honorable Peter Stirling, The." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Honorable Peter Stirling, The." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-HonorablePeterStirlingThe.html

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Honorable Peter Stirling, The." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-HonorablePeterStirlingThe.html

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