New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-22
THE ~PTNCH" DINNERS.
,rp,ors SIDE or COMIC PAPER-TLAN-
MING FOR TIN DAYS Is ADVANCE

MING FOR ten DAYS Is ADVANCE
Arthur william Beckett in 81 Peters
# 8. common ku,UIeIe, hat az 'hc Punch
I,nsr he biz cat Of tht eom.us week is settled
m. means much. Not only has The subject OF
no drawing 90 De- en- sen. bat the treatment
~ hat subject IN every detail The council con-
ss,s o. fourteen writer's. artists and th" pro
rretgrs an firm friends o' whom. on the aver
,ge hr44-four,he attend In the slack season
~ rbo year-AUEust 3r Septemb,r-the numbers
III n 10 half q dozen. and even less But,
whether the nUmter boz large " small those
vbo assemble al TIE Punch dinner every
Wednesday week By week month boy month,
and wear by year have 20 scheme out the car
,oou f9r the coming nuWner. We have 20 Oe
TN DAYS IN advance 10 keep abreast OF thc
fines and can assure you that THIS Is no easy
matter in these lays OF rapid change. And !
can also assure you that We so o. WORK IN no
splrt o. levitv for We consider that a very
heavy responsibility attaches 10 the concocton
N the leading feature Of Punch our staff Is
composed o. men representing a. parties. and
ve fgl, for our opinions But when the sub
ect has been discus sec under the wisely con
rolling influence OF our excellent EDITOR my
valued friend OF thirty years standing. F. {.
BQrnanc We find that We are a.. agreed Con
ssSlon comes from both Sides Of the contend
ne sections OF different views, and az length
q are satisfied. A man 10 become mem Der
q the dining staff OF Punch" must OF course
hin BY the paper This done and his future
tpends practically upon the Punch diners,
h no editor has ever invited new BOY 10
bl the Wednesday banquet without taking the
ense Of the table. Punch" man Is sup
yosed 10 De no, only writer Of comic copy. but
t-clubosble fellow" BE has 10 dine some nifty
tine year with the same colleagues. More
wer. he has 20 help in the designing Of car
ions he must have his moments grave as well
sgsy
s-.l.
scrns PAPER. It had its serious side when John
iennie doyen OF those who now sit around
ae Punch" table. produced that magnificent
CREATION ",The British LOn and the Bengal
Tiger and the score OF splendid drawings that
we're reproduced 10 "punchs" Jubilee cartoon
ne comic paper had It's serious side when Tom
HoOd sang the Song Of The Shirt" when Doug
h. Jerrold denounced the iniQuiues OF the Poor
law system. and when Thackeray exposed the
bEes and Nttlenesses OF society In the Book Of
Sobs"
Speaking generally. 70 seems 10 me that for
~ kst twenty years GUY comic papers have
h4d their serious side more 20 the front than
he decades thai preceded them. The polished
nuTe that made The keen thrusts Of the earlier
suro4rs O. the Saturday Review" so amusing
has recently appeared in other quarters. But
Punch" holds it's own and so far ! an
fEat e not troubled al this moment by
ma And here J may suggest as another
0pect 81 the serious side OF comic paper. That
nt remuneration OF The professional humorist
certainly satisfactory. There are. strange 20
RAT. not very many who seem 10 possess the
VAhe2tlon necessary 10 writing quarter OF
column Of comic copy or 20 putting on paper
tiHolne epgram While this IL the case the
Ean FOR humorous literature will not be over
Rocked and jokes vii not be labelled like poul-
~ cheap to-day" Looking - the humOrlst
rou point OF view free from mercenaTy con-
Iefaaon | should say his duty is to attack
~
~ iour editors who have been connected with
fulG@ have made this their rule OF life, and,
= ae result shows with remarkable success,
purhs the last fifty ven years Punch mas
~ tTice been sued for libel. and IN each
W@hce through misadveutUre. II may be that
csale' latitude is allowed TO the professional
SSSf man 70 other literary folk but 81 Is Ger
Aly me case that when the journals are daily
u o. actions for libel. Punch" seldom, nay,
nus never, appears II the list Possibly il
y % thaI most ~ the writers FOR Punch
~ been connected with the bar, and looking
80 80 me table al the present moment, seVen-
seIns o. The literary contributors are oarTis-
50 VI The four editors three were lawyers
. Vulc Wrlier nowadays usually passes ms
tp'ehuceshp or the staff OF the "Granta." or
=. occasional Contributor 10 the Isis or
Z r il was wont TO be said that
-, -S,A.sin could only be used as walking-stick
never as crutcl. But times have changed,
S. He man who mas received az education
sSs MIN To- useful work. either as a
a. doctor, e divine or scientific SOL
- = sailor can noI find sufficiently lucrative
."y Aeht as journalist The comic papers
~ century ago show Us that too frequently
~" " their contributors rcsemDled the
I%-eeoh o. the bully Now and perhaps this
o. 1'y NE serious side Of a comic paper. the
- " ne hour Us used IN the cause Of the
-. Io me oppressed. for the protection Of
20 a y he days Of oio was the napier
'ns gentleman