The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-16
THE LAMENT OF 4 LITERd TOR.


To rHp EpirOR OF THE SUS-Sir: want to kick the
boots of OF the immortal soul OF somebody. and
don't much care who It Is so long as 1t isn't some
other creature that can't kick back forward either
for that matter. l have grievance. I write pieces
for the newspapers and other media OF information
the public. Possibly the public has a grievance.
make my bread md butter at It, Sometimes my ter
rapn and champagne. But not often.
l write those things vulgarly called funny
items" Sometimes the name is a mistit. Some
times not. / am informed by various editors OF
New York publications. daily and otherwise that
they are ready and willing nay glad. at any
and all times to accept. print. ANA pay. for such
articles up the standard OF their respective
respected. and respectable journals. Having that
sublime confidence in editorial utterances which all
mortal and finite creatures should have. send my
stun to them with stamps enclosed for obvious
sons Then before I have fully decided what shall
do with the money that my venture Will produce bac!,
the articles come. Rcjected' or course Editors
don't send back accepted articles.
And why do they send them back! Because they are
not up to standard: Because they haven't space for
them Because of dozen reasons patent AMI plausible
No. The Lord only knows Why and He is silent the
subject How do know what I'm talking about. Ex.
perience am No situated. and have been for dozen
years. that what write will be printed outside OF
New York. II no. inside within the week past poem
of mine rejected by u New York daily and weekly IN
tnrn printed elsewhere and Immediately reprint-
Ell with proper credit by the N'~ York Tibnre. In
other instance or rather. three or four OF tho
leading New York battles rejected short articles OF
mine. and within fortnight had used tho rame items
clipped from another paper duly credited In another
case one OF the illuminated weskiies did tho same
thing. and In another the same paper crushed
an item that was copied later by half the
city dailies OF the United states In still another In
stance friend Of mine sent poem to Harper and
to scribners Both rejected He then reversed tho
order and both accepted. That's only few OF the
cases in evidence.
l doubt not wider and woollier tales might be
told by those who do y hucksterinR business with
all they write. Now. what I want TO kick the
plastering on OF 10 tho staniard OF excellence 10
there standard of excellence! 10 1t the opinion OF
one man OF the entire public II nm article were
jected and rerejected and fnay buried In oblivion. It
might DO well not to wall bu. when an editor rejects
an article for cause. supposedly. and then turns
right around and prints It second hand. isn't
It about tins for US who write to pause for
. reply, or throw q brick or do something
else OF = violent. insurrectionary. and rsbellious
characteri That's what I'M doing this very minute
and sincerely hope to thunder THE suS will not reject
the expression OF my Indignation, 81 never swear
except on the witness stand" but II proceed much
further with this III say something that won't be
printed, sure Therefore III quit ere It is too late.
A. TAYLOR Wox
Psi enclose no stamps for the return Of this art
Gle. II you don't want print II you may 90 there
yourself A. T. W.