Smyrna times., 1873-12-03

THE REWARDS OF AUTHORSHIP. 1t having |
been suggested in kind spirit by Mr.. Waiter |
son, of the Louisville Courier. journal, who |
has lately retured from his travels in Europe, |
that Mr.. Dion Bouccault the dramatist, had
misplaced various talents which, If employed
on journalism, might have raised him to the
position of editor of the London Times, a Lon
don correspondent of the New York Tribune
retorts that Mr.. Watterson can know little of
London journalism if he thinks so un,teady,
reckless and Bohemian a mind as Bouclcault
could aspire to discharge such important and
serious functions. To this Mr.. Boucicault
replies through the Tribune in pungent com
munication, in which he comedies that Mr..
Watterson must have been greatly mistaken in
him, for he says he has neither the ability nor
the conscience to direct the great English
newspaper, for it requires the ability to adopt
and sustain any set OF opinions that may be
popular and salable at any given moment, and
the conscience to reconcile the art Of tergiver-
sation with a character for sound judgment,
moral steadiness, and sense of responsibility
This ability and this art the Times possesses to
such perfection (says Mr.. Boucicault) that its
statelincss is mistaken for responsibility, its
sel6shness for f-esteem, and it maintains an
unstained reputation on demesnOr alone. He
adds that when Mr.. Barnes, its great manager,
was reproached with the versatility of his
paper he replied by pointing to its title, the
Times
Without discussing the merits of the drama
fists quarrel with the TIIJuneS corresI ondent,
he certainly makes out a good case for himself
when he replies to the charge that he is an un-
steady and reckless man, and adduces facts
which are of interest to those who think that
literary workmen deserve fair proportion of
the proceeds of their own labors. Mr.. Boucicault
says that when he entered the world of letters
as dramatist, thirty two years ago, he found
his fellow authors in the condition described in
Gil Bias, living on the pittance doled out to
them by the managers of theatres, who drank
: their wine like the warriors of Odin out of the
skulls of their vctims-the dramatic authors.
/, He received Just 9300 sterling for his C, medy
, "London Assurance" Mr.. Farran, an actor
r received $4,000 a year for playing in it.
Douglas Jerrold received flO0 for "Black-Eyed
Susan" Mr.. j. p. Cooke, who played in il
. made 100000 out of his performances
2 Sheridan Knowles received, it is believed, 940C
. for civilian Tell" and Bulwer received ESQ.,
e for his comedy "Money." Mr.. Macready wa
! paid 9l2O week for playing in these plays.
+ 1t appeared to Mr.. Boucicaut that the liter
o ary element ought to be placed on an equa
: footing with the artistic, and he set himself t
i the task of adapting his profession to th
C standard of money Finding one of the Londs
G managers in tight place financially he offere
d him a play on condition of receiving one-hal
# the profits, and the result was that he realize
l. $4,000 for his share. He went on in thi
y course beneftting himself and other authors
. and acknowledges that he derives from tn
b retrospect of what he has done in this directio
'r some selfsatisfaction. The impression is lei
IS by Mr. Boucicault's "reminiscences that Will
IS he may not have been the kind of man to mar
1t age the LoEdon Times, he has done as we'll fo
10 himself as he could have done in that position
Iy and better than the Times has done for th
al literary profession generally.