New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-20
rs NETWORK PROVINCIALP

The chatty Spectator" of THE Outlook
raises again the old question of the alleged pro-
vincialism of New-York. He quotes visiting
Englishman as saying that he found the news
papers of this city far more provincial than
those of Chicago, which he explains by saying
that the papers of the latter city "have good
deal more of America in them" While the
Spectator" is not quite that this state
ment is true or that the inference from it is
just, he is led by it to discuss other aspects of
the case. A resident of a small New-England
city tells why he thinks this city is provincial.
1t seems that he was recently one of a luncheon
party at the University Club. and told a story
about distinguished man of letters. He paused
for some comment, whereupon a guest politely
asked, And who is Mr.. Blank" Moreover, he
declares that distinguished literary people are
seldom mentioned in New-York papers and
they have no place in it's social life. New-York,
he concludes. therefore, is nothing more than "a
great cosmopolitan trading post"
Now, it is possible to admit the truth of the
incidents thus given without at all settling the
question whether or not New-York is provincial.
Indeed the word "provincar' is so vague in
meaning commonly used by the critics of
NewYork that the discussion of the question is
usually profitlesS Take. for instance, concrete
fact. Every New-York newspaper would give
more space to the present war in South Africa
than it would to some routine, though in way
important, happening in the West or Far West.
But that is not a mark of provincialism. On
the contrary, 1t shows that the readers of the
New-YOrk papers are cosmopolitan They want
to know what is happening everywhere in the
great round world Even the Chicago papers,
which constantly criticise Eastern papers for
printing so much European news to-day
printing war news from Africa to the exclusion
ir+or
for the good reason that their readers want them
to do In that respect they are just like the
so-caled 'provinciai' people of the East All
this talk about Eastern newspapers refusing to
print certain kinds of American news because
they are "provncial' is the veriest nonsense
They print the news, whether of the East or
the West, knowing we'll that if they failed to do
even for week they would begin to lose
their readers.
AS to the assertion that literary people are
ignored in NewYork, it is a curious fact that so
many of them nevertheless prefer this city.as
place of residence What would the critics have?
Surely they would not approve of the daily
exploiting of selfrespecting literary men and
women by some prying Jenkins of the press
Such articles might interest the mob but we
sure it would be unpleasant to literary men,
Indeed, we suspect that they like this city
among other reasons because. in the immensely
of its many sided life, they can lose themselves
and thus secure the privacy which all we'll
bred people desire. Some, not many literary
Founders" occasionally do emerge to the sur
face and seek to secure a Fictitious fame by
press puffery; but they gain nothing except the
amused contempt of the discriminating public
1t is, indeed, true in sense, that New-York is
"a great cosmopolitan trading post" and the
fact is not at all to its discredi 1t is the most
important commercial entrepot of the Western
Hemisphere, and good part of the business Of
the United States passes through it, Why
therefore, should it be ashamed TO take an
interest in commerce and trade? But the
charge. often made that it takes no interest In
anything else is simply untrue Its Journals
discuss literary people and literature with great
fulness. 1t is the greatest book publishing city
in the Western World, and nowhere can finer
book stores be found. Besides the daily papers
there is a multitude of periodicals that are
devoted to literary news, and they are all
fourishng 1t is to be wished that the demands
of commerce and trade in NewYork were not
eXacting. Business men, as a rule have TOO
little time for reading and for the pursuit of the
higher culture. But that is their misfortune
rather than their fault; and. considering all the
circumstances, they will compare favorabIy in
general intelligence with the business men of
any other city in the world