New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-25
THE AMERICAN CHILD and FOREIGN IDEAS
From The London Daily Netrs.

Dr Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mr.. Whittier, and
Mr. r. B. Aldrich may probably claim WIFI Jus .e
most thoroigngoine ProtectonIsts living. In the
debates on the American Tariff Dill III seems; az
cordinQ to The 1cddemy, that petition, sgnsu Dd
these three American men of letters, was presented
to the Senate prOtes ing against the proposed re-
due ion of he 20 per cent duty on Drlnted matter
wholly or partly in the English angqsSie reasons 40
These were-First, that America Should not 20
fooled with cheap books. An abstract proposal 10
make books dear seems IN the first place odd from
Republicans and in the second Oddcr from authors
tut 1t is oldest from Americans whose cOmn'rYmen
are vigorously employed In prln ing Dlr; bIo"nIhe
gratrIitOusly on the fiv-lPayes ~ lailWay ume-
fables and manufacturing dime reprints Oh every
salable English nook the moment II has crossed
the Atlantic. But the second reason Is lar RUNNER
than the fret 1t Is that the minds OF Amerlcans
and especially of American children. SHOULD not Oe
perverted by foreign IDEAS. AS the propos'i W YAK
English books does not and VIII not III tnG tease
project the mind OF the pure American chid from
the contamination OF reading AIR. iennys0hs dedi-
cation OF a. Tue ldylls OF tne King" or IhacKetaYs
shocking parody of Cooper tthouGn we peheVe lhes
drOp that In so ne American reprints the logic OF
the three poets appears to he # more IMAM Darulc
weakness. But the really cheerful thing Is that
one man of genius. and one OF respectable talent
and anotner Of toIelabe journey-work aOillty ~
literal ure shoull entertain this comlcal noioh VI
an Index ExpurgaiOrlus.
There is ming singu ar III the composition OF
this American Congregation OF tue Index. III 10
barely conceivable that Mr. j. Is. Aidrcn may I'LL.
agne hls own poetry 90 tie III some niue heed Oh
protection IRON tue competition VI Engiisn singers,
though malicious cnIics lave head tna II American
mind, had been absolutely gu rded from contain.
I'm ton the pOetIcal works OF Mr.. Aldrich would
propaby have been rather different from what they
are But does Mr. Whuiier tnluk thai sucn Tor.
elm idea az for iusl ance, Mr. BIghl's estimate OF
his own poetry, is absolutely pcTYertLg 10 AmeIl-
can chIldrenf If he does he L.uNi De OF SIN,
gular mOdrsty. And Is II Mt rather ungrdtelul OF
Dr. uolmes 10 inuOrse THIS Inscription OF the iOr-
el IN ideas which aTa printed III the EngilsD lan-
guayef We do not think that those ideas, as lar
as Hey have concerned Dr. HGln"s, nave Deeh very
unHatIeTlng. |. rs true That he mas probably been
a good dea pIrated IN EDgldLd which can haruly
be SAID OF ar f. b. dnch) but 1t Is Ger AMY not
tue way 10 put stop 10 Ills to lax Englsh OooKS'
However, these are MINOR and personal matters
Let us come back the enjoyment OF he spectacle
of these three wise tie West deieIdlng the
purity OF the American cnld from the cOhtamlha-
non o. foreign Iueas. Tuey enOu.d really wrte an
ant -ArrOpag Caa deItLcc OF censorship anu sup
pre-, sinu Acknowledgment mot III the local sen el
aud the general Educational LOncy OF the osJTlcn.
Dr. Holmes cOuhi 10 n very Dlcely-De has got
quite learning and logic ana nunOr enough Tor the
purpOse. Bat IT, Is To be feared tuat the tnlpg
would have an NV ncibie appearance OF DeIng al
elaborate joke indeed tne wOu,d be dtiVeh 10
the painful teOry that alter all the possible per,
version OF the American child ny mon rchicai ana
kuIoyean ideas the abstract adv Images oil dear
cOmpe iton, If il not Tor those terrible re-
prints already Iiudrd to. AesSrS. ITO mes, W MT
tier anu AdrICh VIGOROUSLY stemmlbg the tlue oil
pOiluuon with tue mop OF a 70 per cut dutN, "nhe
tie Chicago printers pour II IN as last as steam
presses can work. imagination not perhaps
hull, sU.aclng TO The Engusn au, hOTs pocket but
grateful TO ms sense Oh tue absurd.