The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-27
MR.. ASTOR AS AN ENGLisHrlAN.

Dir. Astor's London magazine, the Pail
Mall, is steadily improving, and is demon
strating that man is not necessarily an
incompetent editor because he has a
handle to his name. Whether the daily
paper owned by Mr.. Astor. the Pail MAI
Gazette, is equally Furnishing it is not easy
at this distance to determine. To the
American observer it appears to be trifle
mody in doctrine and ancient in spirit
but it is the law that whenever an Ameri-
can angliciZes himself he always enTolls his
name among the Tories. He wants to get
as far from sound American principles as
he can.
Mr.. AstOr's brethren of the American
press have habit of sneerng at his
expatriation and of referring in sarcastic
phrase to his literary adventures and to
the ducal estate which he has purchased.
1t does not seem that there is any good
ground for the sneers. The ex-Minister TO
Italy appears to be imbued with fond
ness for London fog. English east winds
and the contemplation of the grinding
poverty which nvercrowding has produced
in England. We may say that tie taste is
queer. but it is not to be disputed; Mr..
ASt0r has perfect right to indulge it.
No one denies the right of the English yeo-
man to make his home in this country.
By parity of reasoning. au equal license
must be conceded to the American mil
Iionaire. Those who carp at Mr.. Astor's
election of dOmcile may fairly be suspected
of being inspired by envy.
1t may be his destiny to effect counter
revolution in English literature. Forty
years ago we had no monthly or quarterly
periodicals in this country that were worth
reading. Men Of culture subscribed to the
Edinburgh ReUielC, the Westminster and
BtacklooOd. aud after them to Frazer,
Bentley and Temple Bar. Now these peri
odicalS are rarely seen on an American
library table. A few very serious people
read the FortnightLy and the Nineteenth
Century, but the subscribers to those ex-
cellent magazines may be counted on the
fingers. The issues of our own periodical
press not only supply the home demand
for solid reading. but are largely read in
England. Hdrper'S and the Century figure
on the English book stalls by the side Of
the English magazines and are perhaps
more generally read. 1t may be Mr.
Astor's idea to give the English course of
tuition in the art of making a monthly
magazine. He is certainly producing a
periodical which is superior in literary and
artistic merit and in general get up to the
English magazines.
What he will do with his daily paper is
not as easily discerned. The English have
their own idea of what newspaper should
be, and they don't think they need lessons
from abroad. James Gordon Bennett Put
his experience and his ability and his cap
ital into a London paper, but could not
make it go. To the American notion
London daily is as heavy as lead and as
dry as dust But it seems to suit the
English palate, and before we condemn
we must remember how tastes differ. The
bushmen of Australia will not eat whale
blubber until it is on the turn. AS there
are only some seven morning dailies in
London concerned with general topics, it
would seem that there ought to be room
for another-bright, lively. newSy and
vig0rOus-and perhaps it may be Mr.
Astor's purpose to found such sheet: if
so, the Pail Nall Gazette has thus far sue
cessfully concealed its purpose. 1t is as
dull as others.
That the American millionaire will
eventually fetch up in Parliament goes
with out saying. The English are not
particular about the nativity of their repre-
sentatives. II they get good man they
don't care where he was born. They took
McCulloch and Puleston and Jennings
without questions. though Puleston, at
all events, had notoriously recanted his
allegiance TO the Queen to become an
American citizen, so. we believe, did Jen-
nings. Mr.. Astor will enter Parliament
whenever he chooses. and will supply ST
Stephens with new variety of the genus
parliamentarian, an American edition, re-
vised and improved, Of the fine old English
gentleman.