Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-03-03
PAY HEED TO pREJUDIcEs.
nook Publishers Are Very Carefnl TO
Avoid Giving Onense 10
Readers.


"An absurd story went the rounds OF
the press couple of years ago" said
gentleman connected with the business
end of a prominent New York PUBLISH
ing house. reports the New orleans
Times Democrat, "to the effect that
Rudyard Kipling had been compelled to
cut out the word wine from one OF his
short tales. or course. so far as KIP
ling was concerned such a yarn an
swered itself, but If the author referred
to had been almost anybody else IL
wouldn't have done to dismiss II win
4 shrug and smile. Unless yomhaVe
had an opportunity TO see something
of modern publishing house from be
hind the scenes, continued the speak
er, you have no idea OF the scrupu!ous
care that is taken nowadays to avoid
offending the great middle classes. i
am referring particularly to houses
that publish magazines aud weeklies OF
the kind that make a bid for what we
call 'fireside circulation All such
concerns have set of east iron rules in
regard to topics that may or may not
be mentioned in the columns of their
publications. and fippant reference to
religion is the thing Shey hold especial
ly in dread. That reminds me. by the
way, of rather an amusing little Incl
dent which occurred last summer and
illustrates this very point.
81 had occasion to spend week or
so in Chicago in June, and before
started friend who edits one of the
popular magazines, which is making a
desperate struggle to get foothold
with the public, asked me TO hunt up a
well-known writer of that city and re
turn a manuscript for revision. Tel
him to eliminate all reference to re
ligion in the dialogue said the editor
and to substitute something-any
thing-that could not hurt the feelings
of some fanatic | delivered the mes
sage, and the Chicago genius was high
ly indignant, but before ! left he con
cluded to sacrifice his art to considera
tions of filthy lucre, and made tn
changes specified. The stuff might no
have offended anybody said my friend
the editor, when l made my report, 'bu
it certainly poked fun at one of th'
greatest Protestant denominations IL
the world, and we make it positiv
rule to print no references to religion il
fiction. You can never tell whose toe
you are getting on All the younge
publications are equally timid in tina
respect. 1t is a curious fact, in thi
same connection, that even'the big ger
eral advertisers of the north alway
scrutinize their copy with the utmos
care to see that il contains nothing tha
might possibly give offense to some dc
vout and representative reader Fo
example, well-known manufacturin
concern which does an immens
amount of advertising got up specis
design for comic calendar recent,
and after the larger part Of the orde
had been printed and delivered one {
the partners happened to notice the
the expression Holy smoke!' was use
in the text under one of the hnmorol
pictures. He Immediately counte
manded the order, taking the positic
. that the phrase might possibly give o
fense to some serious-miIded persC
when something else would do just
well. ] mention this incident becau'
it is good illustration of the eXtraord
nary pains that are taken in certa
lines at present to keep off of othe
folks corns."