Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-12-05
'STAUNTON SPECTATOR.
9sTAUNTON:s@.s--
WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 5, 1855.
Ima.scriminatc Putting.

One of the most serious faults Of The newspaper
press is its indiscriminate putting and blowing OF
everybody and everything that requests or de-
mands favorable notice. II IL undoubtedly true
that large majority OF newspaper editors can De
induced By the hope of some pallry pecunlary re-
ward or by the fear of giving offence or woundlng
the feelings of individuals requesting the favor TO
notice favorably and even in the most flsiierlng
terms, almost any kind of enterprise. Swlndling
gift schemes, travelling puppet shows. poisonous
quack medicines, are unhesiatngy and often Law
ishly compimented and commended without the
slightest regard to their actual merit, if any they
have. and without any thought of the deleterlous
influence that they may exert upon public health
or public morals.
One branch of this system of putting strikes Us
as especially reprehensibe, and that is the com
mendation of every book that is issued from the
press, "whether good bad or Indifferent
a receipt of The volume. If any author or pub
Usher is kind enough to present the sdii;7' with
copy of recent publication, the easy, good ma
NuICu lGlIOW ~ III uSuit "
disparagng terms of the work, and in all proba
bility will either give it complimentary notice,
or, by preserving profound silence, permit the
public to be imposed upon. Thousands upon
thousands of volumes of worthless trash are annu-
ally issued from the press, which would rot upon
the shelves of the book seller, but for the reputa
ton which they acquire by the notice Of amIable,
or it may be, hireling editors. A large proportion
of these books are works of fiction, demoralizlng
in their tendencies, and instead of deserving the
commentator of respectable men, merit the Sc
verest condemnation. Instead Of aiding in the
circulation of such works, it is the duty Of every
editor to expose and denounce them.
But editors of newspapers are not the only per-
sons engaged in this work OF putting worthless
books into respectable notoriety. Men who stand
high in the world of letters and who ought to
know better, DO not hesitate to speak in compli-
mentary terms of works that would disgrace the
veriest tyros in literature. Lcok over the book
sellers advertisements in the newspapers and you
will not fail to see the name of some prominent
author attached to favorable notice of some tr
ding publication, Furinstance the commentator
of such man as William Gilmore Sims to such
poetry as Mr.. James Avis BARLEY manufactures,
is not very well calculated to elevate either Mr..
Sims or Southern literary taste in the eyes of SEN
siblo people abroad. 1t is high time that men
who have any regard for their own reputation
should exercise manly independence and speak
the truth fearlessly in regard to matters which
may call for an expression Of opinion. Literature
is already at low ebb in the South, and we have
reason to fear that it will sink still lower, unless
leading literary men cease to encourage the publ
cation uf school boy poems and boarding school
girls novels, and turn their attention to the more
profitable, if not more pleasing work ofjust and
candid, bul severe criticism.