New-York tribune., 1894-04-29

great that the mental faculties VI Soi"c "'OiS VI
less eminent journalists give way under It, and
they have choice but to scream out nara
names? The uncultivated audience theory will
not do for American readers. They are not uh-
cultivated. and they do like the best. They are
capable If all their teachers are not. OF making
distinctions. and they prefer language which ap-
meals TO their intelligence rather than Ian
guage which, like Mr.. Baiey's appeals to mere
passion and prejudice.
The office Of Censor-General to the English
public seems now to have been assumed definitely
by Messrs. W. ii. Smith & Son, in whose favor
Messrs Nude have perhaps relinquished H.
whether temporarily or permanently Messrs.
w II. Smith q Son have not been appointed 10
this post by any known or recognized authority
They have. as / said. assumed it. and the oc-
casion Of their assuming it is the publication Of
Mr. George Moore's new novel. ESTHER Waters
This novel Messrs Smith refuse to supply to the
subscribers whose money they have taken, ana
to whom they stand pledged to supply the books
they want Messrs. Nude, who withheld for cir
cuation a former novel by Mr. George Moore.
do not withhold this. We must therefore sup
pose that the canons Of morality in the Strand
are sitter than those OF oxford Street or per-
haps that Messrs Smiths scent for the improper
is keener thar Messrs. Nudes
Well. as to morality. opinions differ. There
are people. for example, who might not think it
moral or even businesslike. to agree to supply
a customer on the Continent with a particular
newspaper, and to take the money for it. and
then 10 send him imperfect copies of 1t. To do
this once or twice might be an accident. To do
it regularly, or very frequently. and 10 persist
in doing it after remonstrancc. implies that
Messrs Smith have views of their own as to the
fulflment Of their contracts. They may tell you
that the postage on the complete paper exceeds
the sum they are willing to pay. II they told
YOU that in the first instance and gave YOU the
option Of having muiilated copies or of paying
little more for unmutiatei copies. that would be
fair. But they fix their own price, take the
money and then send you as much or rs little of
what YOU have paid for as they choose. Is this
also form Of censorship?
The same firm have a monopoly or nearly
monopoly of selling newspapers, books and peri
odicals at the chief railway stations in England.
The monopoly puts them under an obligation 10
the public 10 have a reasonable supply Of papers.
etc, at a reasonable price. But most travellers
have found II difficult to obtain "The Times" al
Mossrs. Smiths railway stalls. Coming up from
the country the other morning asked AZ three
stations in vain; two Of them large and impor-
tant stations. The same thing has happened
often. If you ask why. you are probably told
that yesterday they had copies left over; an an
swer which lacks relevancy. The truth Is.
believe that THE Times do not take back un-
sold copies and Messrs. Smith do not care 70 run
the risk Of having copies left on their hands. As
to books and periodicals. they charge their GUS
toners 25 per cent more than the price for which
the same books and periodicals. may be bought
at the chief shops in London. II there be any
preext for this other than the fact that they are
in possession Of a monopoly, and can therefore
wiring from the public what they Ike. | never
heard Of It, But | assume that morality must
have something to do with It. just as assume IL
has something to do with their refusal to send
Mr. George Moores novel 10 their customers
who want to read that book
The English sometimes show a singular sub
missiveness 10 authority, even when 1t Is usurped.
They grumbe about many things. II may be
that they are not allowed t. grumble about
Messrs w II. Smith & Son For most grum-
bling Is done through the newspapers and Mcssrs
newspaper carriers and newspaper pcdlcrs II
England Their power as distributors Is great
that few journals think they afford 10 quar-
rel with a firm on whom their circulation in
measure depends. No doubt Messrs. Smith do
much Of their work very well. They do II better
than the Posofilce does. but they both have an
arbitrary spirit toward the public q. W. S.