New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-07
NEWSP4PER ENGLISH.

It is not to be regretted that miSappre
hension of his views on the subject of news
paper English has given Professor Price, Of
Columbia College, a convenient opportunity to
express his real opinion. letter to The In
dependent containing his estimate of editorial
writing IN the best newspapers of the country
may be read with profit by the legion Of unin-
structed and supeciliouS critics who are Won't TO
regae each other with constant and copious
complaints Of the manner in which editors pre-
sumo to enghten them on the events of the
time "To state my own opinion frankly" says
the professor of English Literature in Columbia,
" there is not in our American literature of to-
day, either in books or in magazines, or in pub
lished sermons or lectures or speeches, any body
of written English so strong and effective, or
even so correct, and, in the true sense, classical
in point of STYLE as we find day after day. in
the best editorial writing of our American news
papers,"
1t is perhaps scarcely worth while to say that
this deliberate and emphatic judgment agrees
with the opinion of the most competent critics
in newspaper offices, since they may so readily
be accused of holding brief for their own
craft. But we may be permitted to say that
Professor Prices conclusion is far from leaving
him in a minority of one. On the contrary, we
nave good reason for the belief that majority
of those who are qualified by observation, re-
Election and dsinterestedness to form an inteli-
gent estimate are in agreement with the Co
EImbia critic. The most confident condemna-
ton of newspaper writing proceeds not from
cautious and instructed judges but from youth
full cyclists with more time than anything else
Al a:
from those singular persons whose serious bust
ness in life is to decorate frivolous society
Eminent orators, preachers, men of letters and
men of affairs are generally willing to acknowl-
edge their admiration for the skill and vigor
and propriety of newspaper writing. Many of
them, moreover, are aware that they are indebt-
ed to the editors of newspapers for some part
of their own regulations as masters of undefiled
English
Lest this last remark should be unintelligible
to some of our readers, we proceed to divulge
a secret already more than half open. Every
well-conducted newspaper rejOices to print com
municatiOns from all sorts of men on all sorts
of topics. No wel-conducted newspaper ever
thinks of subjecting these valued contributions
to the stern test OF type without a careful
scrutiny, not 50 much for the sake of its own
reputation as for the sake of those who have
volunteered or consented TO diversity its COL
umns The TRIBUNE has enjoyed an especial
ly large and varied experience along this line,
having always been held in favor, and even
regarded with partiality by men and women
of ideas and influence We have been hos
pitable in our time to thousands of statesmen.
orators, poets, scholars and merchants to the
representatives of every interest and the ex-
ponents of every cause and according to the
best recollection and belief of those members of
our staff whose duty it is to examine manu-
scripts submitted for publication, and to avert
the consequences of inexperience and mad
vertence, not one in hundred OF them Is orig