New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-16
DIME NOVELS.
DEFTNCE By A WRITER OF THEM.
4 Il u 1 q L, 4 N II 2

BTFlNCE WRITER OF THEM
10 the Edttor Of me TrttU"e.
SIR: In The TRIBUNE of Monday, March 10,
appeared an editorial entitled "DVuc Novel Work to
which beg the privilege OF reply. The article says:
The work Of the dime move, Is being performed Win
unusual The other day hre ,ys robbed Ga.
parents and started Of for the boandcss West go.
The heroes Of the dime novel almost always tc}ce,
obbers and immoral characters, and the hc.oucs
are no better" 60. Through reading Ills post
ilent stun, great many boys are undoubtedly
Iut Oh the road 10 ruin" With of the same order
rs one Who has written great many dime novels IA h
life and whose literary influence, far Is II has coni
has always exered the side Of truth and honesty
desire record my protest against tGc injustice and
fasity Of the accusation that constantly fom the
press that dime novels arc necessarily that the org
Dlne Novels WERE bad AID corrupng ia their
influence These novels The Others POO and
good; and, to cOul ,uu them Wholesale because
they sod for tn cents, Is bOth unjust
and untrue. a Of fact, the dime novel is
the only representative OF purely American literature that
exists its merits alone and il Is better ard
wholesome IN It's effects the minds Of the people than
half the stuff that Is o1sre by hc patca houses called
"respectable." The only men, u Glass, ia America
day who able to live by pure literary labor,
are the writers OF what yOu call dime
novels" that Is 10 say, OF books WRIT en- for the
largest possible market in this county To condemn
them wholesale without examination is both unjust and
cruel 10 men who. having 20 write for living have TO
write things that viii be read which is more tAan
can be said for all of the quoted when talk
iug CT American literature Where would LOngienOw
have BEEN Tor example If he had not had prOessorship
IL a college 10 live on, when his works not worth
the paper they written on I What would have be
Of Holmes Curtis Bryant, Lowell, Prescott, Mot
ley Irving If they had had private means, profes
sion, the charity Of friends relatives TO de
pend when the staff OF literature proved 10 them
bot rotten reedi The only instance can recall OF
man who tried 10 live by literature In America is Edgar
Poe, and We all remember the result In his
Had Poe lived In these days, he would have been writer
OF dime novels for his prose stories have all the qualities
which are required In good "dime". Had he done So
he might have ended his days in comfort instead Of
dying in misery, for good dime work pays well
The magazine writers Of this country would sarye
they had 20 depend upon their writings for living No
magazine can afford ~ have writer in every month
snd there are good many that lucky If they get
81 once year.
II only cheap stories, which you cali dime novels,
for which the demand is and always VIII be- lEeIhaust
bic and which must be depended on for the regeneration
Of American literature. The true way TO raise the
sandard it seems me- is 10 look facts In the face and
not to rush into hasty and unfOuudod generazatOns
subjects Of which the writer's have no direct knowledge.
a matter Of fact, the naue Dime Novel" was