Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-10-31
THE NORTHWEST
If every Democratic vote is
cast on Tuesday next the State
will be Democratic.
IMPORTANCE OF THE AMERICAN
SUPPLEMENT
To the Encyclopedias Britannica.

The ninth edition of the Encyclopedia
Britannica has Just been completed, fourteen
years after the date of the preface of its first
volume, January l, 1875. Its twenty four
volumes contain marvellous condemnation
ofthe worlds knowledge in all departments.
Its principle articles are exhaustive treatises
on their respective subjects. So far as
science, philosophy, art and general history
are concerned, the Encyclopedia Britannica
is, beyond question, the most complete and
valuable work of its kind in any language. 1t
is not surprising, therefore, that this work
has obtained wide recognition in the United
States. The publishers of the Edinburgh
edition have openly stated that four -ffths of
their subscribers are Americans, yet out of
the hundreds of writer's who have contri-
buted to the treasure-house of the Encyclo-
pedia Britannica, less than fifty have been
Americans, and most of these have written
but single article. 1t is not surprising,
therefore, that the statements of American
history and biography, the accounts of the
and intellectual development of this giant
Republic of the New World should be, in
most cases, utterly inadequate. The whole
work required careful study by American
scholars and men of affairs, for the purpose
OF detecting such omissions as no British
editor could appreciate, and of supplying
such additional articles as would fit the work
Americans of every class.
The editors of the American Supplement
have directed their attention chiefly to mat |
ters of vital interest to American readers
They have carefully avoided any repetition of |
what is comprised in the original work, but |
have sought to present what is essential to |
adapt the work to this country.
In another respect of special importance |
to all readers, the Britannica was felt to need |
careful enlargement. That work was faith |
fully adhered to the singular rule that no BIZ
ographies should be inserted of men who
happen to be living when the volume is pre-.
pared. Hence the great work now COM
pleted has not merely passed by great men
still living, but has failed to notice, except
IN the most incidental way, Generals Grant
ana Sheridan, Presidents Garfield and Ar
thur, Garibaldi, Gambetta, Gortschakoff and
Lord Beaconsfeld. 1t is silent about Bis
marck and Gladstone, Blaine and Parnell.-
The editors of the Supplement" pursuing
different method, and anticipating the pop
rlar demand for knowledge of all these gen
erals, statesmen, scientists, poets and his
torlans, have supplied interesting articles
iul! OF accurate information in regard to
science, the Britannica seems often to at
ompt to anticipate the future, but in litera-
ture and biography it confines itself strictly
TO the past. The Supplement-" by careful
statement OF facts in these departments, goes
tar toward giving life-like picture of the
social, political, scientific and literary world
OF to day. The Britannica by its name and
Gnaraeter im belongs essentially to the Old
World, the "Supplement" treats fully of the
New IN addition to the Old. Together they
exhibit IN its entirety the whole sphere of
human activity, and constitute an intellectu-
81 Cosmos.-From the American Bookseller,
June /, 1889.