The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-09-04
THE EDITORS DUTY.
He Does Not Represent Authors, But a
Large Circle of Readers.



Large Circle of Readers.
II WONDER" said Eugene, with sar-
donic smile, what reason Of personal
hostility to me the editors of our mag
azines can havep l have sent articles
to all of them, and, although say it,
very much better articles than they
generally publish, but they are all re-
turned. Now the editor of a magazine
should be above personal likes and dis
likes, and judge articles upon their
merits" Alas and alas! that was
probably the ground of the editorial
verdict in each case. With a clear
knowledge of what he wanted, and
with an immense supply of papers al
ready accepted and paid for, the ed
itor. always on the lookout for some
thing better, did not find the price
less pearl in Eugene's essays. and
courteously retu rned them.
One shrewd author, of q detective
turn OF mind, determined to ascertain
beyond question whether his manu-
script had been examined, and if not,
to put the delinquent editor to shame.
He carefully united some of the more
advanced pages by delicate thread,
wholly unaware that his happy device
was as ancient as the competition of
articles for acceptance. When his ar
ticle returned to him he searched
eagerly and found his secret thread
unbroken, and invoking the shade of
Junius, he composed a whitening
epistle to the editor, as if that per-
sonage had been very Bedford, Or
Grafton. or even the King himself.
The fact of the unbroken thread was
undeniable. 1t was as intact as when
the subtle-minded author placed it.
Not only was it unbroken, but it had
not been even seen by the editor.
With the frankness of Mr.. Parnell con-
Tossing that he had purposely de-
ceived the House of Commons, the
editor, but wholly without blame,
would have confessed that he had not
seen the thread because he had not ad-
vanced so far in reading the manu-
script. '.And yet you pretend to ex-
anime manuscripts carefully" thun-
dered the indignant author in his let
ter. But let him reflect. Does he sup
pose that it was necessary to read the
whole of his letter to ascertain that he
was exceedingly angryP Certainly not.
The author would hope not. The letter
blazed, and was intended to blaze with
wrath from Alpha to Omega. Very
well. Then was it necessary for the
editor to read every page of the manu-
script essay to perceive that it was not
suitable or available? Must man eat
the whole apple to ascertain that it is
puckery, Or sour, or tasteless? Does
the good author himself, in his moro
lucid moments, read the whole of a
dull book to discover that it is not in
teresting?
What plea could an editor urge upon
a gentle reader who should Justly COM
plain that the editor had governed his
conduct by pity for the writer instead
of regard for the reader? He has en-
tered into an engagement of honor
with tho reader, but he has no engage
ment with the writer of any kind what
ever. He has promised the reader to
make the best magazine possible. He
has promised nothing to Triptolemus,
who offers him a dull paper upon the
aesthetic sympathies of penguins. Trip
tolemus thinks it far from dull. But it
is Mr.. Editor who must decide on be-
half of the gentle reader. George
William Curtis, in Harper's Magazine.