New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-27

sold; that the producer OF such work supplying
rank sensation, mechanical romance, pulling SEN
tlmentaity, or what not to suit the taste Of
the Great Public is mere tradesman supply
Ing literary shoddy for the misguided lovers of
the cheap.
1t is likely that some of these cash authors
began as gentlemen; but how has the mere US
Ing the methods of the tradesmen turned them
all tradesmen alike Listen to their talk and
you Will hear them discussing markets. what the
great public wants, percent a GEES and the number
OF guineas thousand for all the world like pro-
vision dealers in a pothouse discussing the
sanding of sugar. and the demand for cabbages,
and whether they should be sold at a penny
each or two for three halfpence; of the literary
quality or the work you will hear no word. Con-
slider the words of the popular novelist, who,
coming to literary dinner. bubbling with
a carefully prepared speech, learned that Mr..
Austin DobsOn had been invited to reply for
literature; What" he cried, He speak for
literature Him a poet! l should like TO see
his saes!" the words Of the cash author
when distinguished man of letters protested
against a piece Of egregious self advertisement
what Is he putting in his spoke for? Call him
a literary man! Why. he doesn't make $50
year out of literature" or Of another who, when
an evening editor wrote to him that he could
not continue to pay him five guineas for his
weekly column, but only three accepted the
three, and added, But of course you cannot X
pect me 10 be as humorous for three guineas
column as for five" Could anything be more In
the spirit Of the tradesman than these utter
ances?
But the cash author is not without a defence:
reproach him for producing shoddy, and he will
tell you that he is only supplying a demand.
thing sacred and the supplying 1t pious act.
Now there Is a demand, Also among the
romantic product of schools. for cheap
volvers; but no one on that account defends the
makers of them for supplying it. We take it
that donkey will eat; and the fewer thistles
he finds the more pains will he be at to get
good grass So, too the great public will read:
and If IT did not find this poor, cheap stuff ready
to its eyes, 1t would read good work, and it's finer
taste would grow with the reading. The cash
author keeps it's taste depraved by pandering to
1t: the quantity of his we'll puffed shoddy leaves
the less room for honest work; II choked it
thistles choke corn; and he Is forever quilting
the ignorant by his impudent self advertisement
into believing his shoddy valuable. At least
they who supply the demand for cheap revolv-
ers do not tour through England and America
lecturing and claiming to lecture with the
thority OF creators, on Imperial ornaments.
If the cash author were content to keep his
place tradesman, he would continue to en-
Joy our contempt but he would excite less
just anger. He is not: for purposes of self-ad-
vertisement he seizes any and every occasion to
thrust himself forward a representative of
English literature; he will take an indecent ad-
vantage of even a national crisis to thrust him
self forward with this impudent pretension. He
has no more right to speak for English litera-
ture than has a greengrocer the pretentious
humbug dscredits the mere of English
author.