The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-24
OUR LITERARY BUDGET.
The Magazines Trenching on the Domain Of
Newspapers.
DEVELOPMENT In A new DIRECTION.
The Thinking Of the Present Day to be Done
Very Rapidly-It IL News that tho
World Now ADMINISTRATIONS.

The thinking of the world "a reflected in
the great magazines is done very fast these
days. and conclusions are arrived at and an
nounced with a rapiditv that twenty or even
ten years ago would have been thought rather
unsafe. More and more the magazines seem
to be seeking the views Of news, or the words
might be turned round, and their articles
might be styled the news of views.
Take the May number of The Nine
teenth Century. for example The first two
| articles are on the New Orleans out
break and the Clitheroe decision. Our own
! newspapers have hardly done commenting on
the former, and have hardly begun discussing
the latter. and here are magazine articles of
| ten or n dozen pages on each. Rather curl
| ously. too. both of these leading articles are
by women. How long ago is 1t that Mr.. f. }.
| Phelps. the late Minister TO England, was
writing in Harper's on the Benring Sea ques-
ton? Was il one month or two. The discus
sion was at its height and Mr. Phelps contri-
button was as distinctly timely as would have
been an exhaustive editorial in a morning
newspaper Already-we believe 1t was In Tho
Forum-Mr Bayard. late Secretary of State.
has been heard from in support of Mr.
Blaine's policy in the Italian affair. The
month hardly passes that the North American
does not present its readers lengthy opinion
from some prominent man on some topic of
fresh interest, whether it be Edison's phono-
graph. or the tariff. or the census returns, or
Speaker Reeds rulings. or something else.
We need not multiply instances. The maya
zine field is certainly developing in a new di-
rection. It was bound to.
The fact is the world is bound very closely
together these days. and the newspapers print
daily so much history that if there is 10 be
any thinking at all about it that thinking has
to be done at once, or tomorrow the history IS
superseded by new history, and Yesterday be-
comes as ancient as last year. and last year as
the tenth dynasty. The newspapers have TO
live fast TO keep pace with the world. and the
magazines fast to keep pace with the news
papers. What's the news 2" is the question
meeting. and What the news" is the ques-
ton the readers ask OF their magazines rs
we'll as of their newspapers. This demand
will not be evaded or denied. and therefore
the magazines. driven TO seek for the news of
opinion. spur on 10 quick conclusion this
great man or that one. His grandfather, his
father even, would have wanted to see
original copies, Blue Books, or what not. be-
fore committing himself TO decision. The de
scendant to-day reads his daily paper, makes
up his mind, and in couple of days has his
article ready for the cOmpositOr.
1t has certainly given the modern magazines
a freshness of interest the old ones had not.
1t has brought betimes 10 the knowledge of
the world opinions of men whose opinions
are best worth knowing, and if errors of fact
or judgment have been committed as the
result of quick decision. they have been of
little consequence. because the full light of |
discussion was Immediately turned on them. |