New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-18

80, nre-Raphaelltic nastiness' ne wouiu sa',Siy
'oi w - fostidIous taste and remove the ban
MI 81. hook But 10 cleanse Mr.. Hardys mover
~. raees and chapters-the very framework
s,hstance OF the book the whole Tethod OF
a"' ,,nr delicate or indicate topics-would nave
h'.N'. .od,ded: and probably 1t could not be done
I" however has little to do with the mat
c,,,narsons are of little avail except TO
'e'' 40 essential unsoundness and even alb
sno" w., ., the principle on which this astonishing
SUI" rroceeds He pleads that out of 1900
..hars 10 the Smith Circulating Library. but
f'0 .as complained You may not be aware In
p ,oo of the peculiar feature OF the large
H libraries In England. They start out
NV tho conviction that they know what their
WIZ" .-,ors want to read better than the sub
themselves know. You ask for one
,hav send you another; for bread and they
,,ou a stone. book is book. and one
-, O. as good as another. unless 1t happens 10
VI Moore's and Is boycotted. You are en-
80 - co many volumes. The volumes Will be
W" or hut whether they are the volumes You
,or is matter Of chance; with the chances
0,.or,blv against you. Hence 1t is that we
A.. Mr.. Faux saying:
nor, subscribers pay their subscriptions Tor
T., "a carry into their homes to read-for
w. w.. which they ought TO read. II l may use
~. n,rase. as a general community II is our
.n..s 10 give them the books they desire. and
o'. -.,ro,n from giving them those which they
hid regard with distaste"
'rs, hooks which they desire means the
... ~ books they desire. The selection is 10
80. N Mr.. Faux You may wonder that the
80. ,uhlc submits to this system, which is
..,h tvrannous and grandmotherly. But the
,,-,,,.h nublc has to be studied In order to be
..-a.rstood Messrs Smith take credit to them-
,...s for not selling Esther Waters at their
sn...v hookstalls To sell and not to lend
-,o,ld in their view. be inconsistent Inc
W. ,,,,, sales adds Mr. Faux. ingenuously. is
,.nr than from lending and his virtue in not
-n,,s ,s N he measured by the profit. | believe
,.w,,.,rod IN n recent letter that Messrs. Smith
.,,ns themselves entitled 10 charge the public %
~, cont more for books than other book
'.uors charge That is their virtue They have
~. rublic In a trap. The traveller who. having
.-r,vad at his station. wants book TO beguIle
~. railway Journey. must buy of them or go
-,,hort Could there be better reason for ex-
,orting an extra % per cent?
rha Society Of Authors. nevertheless, has
.,oved ,ts hand. and is to take no action. says a
,s,,er from Sir Frederick Pollock, Chairman OF It's
Council Mr. Moore himself desired the Society
NJ, % nroceed and Sir Frederick. barrister OF
.u,horitv is of opinion there is no legal remedy
o. frederick concurs with Mir Conan Doyle In
,,s nro,est against the boycott. THE Chronicle
aa,,or,ally concurs with Messrs. Smith. The edi-
Gov .ovs ditto 10 Mr. Faux. That hardly seems
thu ,r,,e function of an editor, unless he belongs
~ the Social Purity clique. Does he. and does
Mr. Faux, VIII they. as Sir Frederick Pollock
.uyeests boycott "Clarissa Harlowe" and Adam
psdsu9 When Purity becomes mere prurience.
anything is possible. w. W. .