New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-26
ILLUSTRATED SUPPLEMENT.

81 \DAN, NOVEMBER 20, 1871
4 recent letter to THE AthcnHum" by Mr.
j. G. Frazer. author Of "lhc Golden bough
and the new monumental edition OF "IauSahiaS'
should be printed on durable paper ana SONh
broadcast amongst the authors OF the world. IL
relates to n certain reconcile matter touched
upon by Mr. Frazer in his "PausaniaS. lie
vcnturcd 10 refer to another writer's cOntrlDu-
tion to the literature of the subject and pointed
ont what he considered to be errors in that gen
tlcman's work. Now Mr.. Frazer has found that
thc other author was right, and that, further
more. his own text piled blunder upon blunder.
with sheet and candle he dcplorcs his miscon-
duct. owns that he hasty and negligent,
asks cveryhody's pardon and promises never to
do il again The reader naturally asks: What
else could he doF' Well there are authors who
roull show him. They could show him how
10 gloss over his bundcr how 10 suggest That
the writer whom ne had criticised had after all,
given him some cause for misapprchension;
finally. they could have shown him how to
present the whole matter in light far more
favorable than otherwise to himself. No one
who follows the literary controversies of the
day can doubt the ability Of many of the de-
baterS TO give such lesson rs that which we
indicate But somehow Mr.. Frazer seems to
us TO teach the best lesson OF all leaving US
more than ever apprcciativc OF him and his
work.
The "sixpenny boom is said TO be passing.
When the London publishers started it within
the present year everybody regarded the enter
prise with favor, as it seemed to realize the
ideal held for years by many observers, of good
literature circulated widely in excellent form
at the lowest possible price. But while one OF
the larger firms has found the scheme profit
able and proposes TO 90 on with ii, the repre-
sentative of The Daily News" who made the
round of the publishers, discovered that most
of them were sending no more siXpcnny books
to press. One Of the craft explained that he
had never regarded the rush for siXpenny edi-
tons as likely to be more than a temporary
movement" and though he thinks it may occur
again in Il few wears he is sure that for the
present he need print no more books at the
price. This is discouraging, but in way that
does not seem TO have occurred to the pub
fishers The diminuton of the immense sales
came as a matter of course. Nobody expects
that because cheap books are on the market the
millions are going to drop all other interests IN
life and rush to the bookShOps. \ great crowd
Immediately makes purchases, but then the de
mand settles down to n steady average, perhaps
a low one, but still high enough, we should
think, to make the plan pay. Unfortunately the
English publishers evidently started in to create
n "boom" a ''rush," not to provide good books
at sixpcncc each as a regular feature, year in
and year out for a permanent public That is
Iii, al, .,,tlA
fishers will find profitable if they give the thing
fair trial instead Of weakening the moment
that the bookbuyerS with slender purses stop
blockading traffic before their shops. normal
circulation is the hcllthicSt.