The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-05
Curious Comments on American News
papers.


papers.
In the July number OF the Nineteenth Gen.
turn there is an amusing article In which
Mr.. EDWARD DELInLE undertakes to dis
cuss the American newspaper press. Tho
writer is, we believe. the son OF an Ameri-
can actress, but his knowledge OF his
mothers country seems to be very limited.
and why he should BIO accepted as an au-
thority on American journalism passes
ordinary comprehension.
It Is said that Mr.. DE1rLLg has spent
about fortnight in this town. but two
hours would have sufllced for the collection
of all the items Of genuine information with
which he favors the English periodical. 1t
was scarcely worth crossing the At
lantic to include the Independent among
New York dailies. or to learn that the
founder OF the Herald was known in his
lifetime as "GoRDoN BENNETT" Even
with the fles Of newspapers before him.
this young man from over seas cannot dis
criminate between what Is true and what
isn't. Thus he describes as legend
the fact that the Herald one day published
an account Of the breaking loose OF all tho
animals confined in the Central Park
menagerie. Truly mythical. on tho other
hand, Ia the dialect in which he
pretends that some Americans addressed
him. and divertingly suggestive Of tho
local color derived from ancient books Of
travel is his assertion that gin sling" is
the favorite drink OF fashionable bar
rooms" It is sad to hear that We have no
such thing as a metropolitan press. and
that the New York journals can no more
<lo lor
than can the papers Of Washington or San
Francisco. Mr.. DELrLLE should have COM
pleted his American education by passing
day In the Federal capital. where. II no kept
his ears open. he would have heard the
New York papers cried every morning in
the streets.
1t is. however. when he proceeds to crit
icise New York papers In detail that we ap-
preciate the Indictment OF the Nineteenth
Century to this contributor. He Is COM
paratively blind to the amazing enterprise
displayed by the American press in tho
gathering Of news from all parts Of both
hemispheres. but focuses his eyeglass on
what seems to him defects of taste in tho
matter Of headlines. Nothing. to his mind.
can atone for such headline as "Jerked
to JESUS" OF the editorial articles in New
York dailes he Is unable to approve. We
should. we suppose. feel somewhat reas-
sured by his admission that The Sun lead
ers are perhaps tribe less explosive"
than those Of either the Herald or
the World. and that though still
very crude In expression, they are Mt
least not Intentionally vulgar" Lest
we should grow dizzy from such lau-
dalton. Mr.. DELILLE goes on TO say that
higher level OF editorial writing Is in his
opinion reached by the Times. He pro-
nounces the leaders In that paper at once
Longer and better written" and anirms
that they treat Of subjects LESS trivial and
less unworthy OF editorial note" But the
acme Of American journalism Is in our
friends judgment represented by the Tib-
,ne. for the reason that it sis distinguish
cd by so few American peculiarlties."
Here" he says. editorials are edl-
torials:" dictum more impressive
than illumlnative. On the whole he
| Is pleased to term the Tribune the
white blackbird OF American journalism"
But viewing American newspapers as a
| whole. he dismisses them with the sentence
that they contain nothing whatever but
| news; no literature. no criticism. no de-
| scription. and, as we have seen. hardly any
adequate editorial comment" What pity
| 1t is that one OF the New York journals can
not prevail upon the Nineteenth Century to
transfer to 1t the services Of Mr.. EDWARD
DELILLE and thus redeem the weakness OF
its editorial department. Then. perhaps.
we might be spared the admonition that
"in the matter OF editorial authority and
tone the American press might with all
benefit sit long and humbly at the feet of
the English" The article before us Is an
example Of what we might then aspire to.
We believe there are now three i'm
portapt French Canadian papers. In Quebec.
Montreal. and Ottawa. that favor the annexa-
ton OF Canada to the United States. or rather
the transformation OF the subject provinces
into free States OF our Union. The descend
ants OF the original French settlers In Canada
possess moro natural sense and political So
gscity than their fellow subjects of British
origin. The great majority OF the Canadians
who have come TO this country belong