The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-22

ne who has much to do with
.sm, or any other business in
-Ah the writing of good English is
AIRY, is sooner or later impressed
he fact that there are innumerable
people in this country who do not know
-- good English is. For some reason
or other. many of these people are pos
sessed of the conviction that they can
write for the papers. and some of them
make bitter remarks about editors when
their contributions fail of acceptance.
Two more or less general Impressions
ia the public mind are perhaps respon-
sibie for this. There was time when
authorship was regarded as a peculiarly
honorable profession in this country, and
when those who we're not contributors
to any newspaper or magazine looked
with respect, if not with awe, on lit
erary people" AS newspapers ap-
peared. with the celebrity of a crop
of mushrooms. in various parts of
the country, the business OF making
them was naturally not always in the
hands OF thoroughly trained scholars. and
the English in some newspaI ers is any
thing but good example for young
writers. Thus, along with the idea that
writing for the papers is a proof of
brains, there came into being the notion
that almost any person of average in
telligenee could make a living by writing.
although there is nothing particularly
distinguished or mysterious about the
La
have had training for his business. Some
of the people who express a desire to
make their living by writing, seem not
to have had even the slightest prepare
ton. 1t Is almost inconceivable that
some manuscripts which find their way
into the newspaper offices of this land
were written by people with even a prim-
airy school education. To cite a typical
example, the editor receives an article on
the need of Improvement in road making
OF which the first paragraph reads in this
way:
''since the advent of the Bicycle there has
been a feeling among the American people that
we need better Roads but unfortunately the
controllers OF municipal affairs do not
it that way-and how to make them see it,!
Ire writer OF Sucn paragraph as
this is manifestly above such details as
spelling, punctuation and the proper use
of capitals. Moreover. the article in
question is long enough to occupy a col
umn and half, contains nothing when
could not have been said in ten sentences,
and is written in a hand far from legi-
BILE, on both sides of the paper. The
writer has perhaps enclosed a note, with
the request that IL not available, the
manuscript be returned, but has forgot
ten to enclose any postage, and perhaps
has omitted the address.
There are few things which would
be contributors TO the newspapers
should know by observation and refiec-
tion. Any article intended for publica-
ton should be legibIy written on one side
of the paper. with due attention to gram
mar spelling, capitals, and punctuati ton
1t should be made as brief as possible
and should contain absolutely nothing
which does not pertain to the subject
There should. moreover, be some reason
for its publication. No editor of a news
paper or other periodical prints anything |
which he does not believe interesting to |
his readers. II Is they, and not the con- |
tributors. who make possible the conttn- ]