The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-27
OF WRITERS AND
THEIR WRITINGS

paper, book or magazine" writes Mr.
Phillips, ito see what vulgarities made
it so popular, the writer's and critics
who appeal from their own to a re-
mote future generation might learn
something if they would look into that
paper, book or magazine to see if there
isn't something there, some bold sweep
of the great chord of universal human
nature which has caused popularity
in spite of the vulgarity.
Americas revolt, expressed in cheap
and popular newspapers and maya
zines, grew out Of the very necessities
of her condition. A great democracy
must be educated, and great democ-
racy Graves education. 1t cannot read
what it cannot understand; it cannot
understand what is deliberately adj
dressed to the few and interests only a
few only, interesting them often be
cause they fancy that interest in what
is above the heads of the masses is
a mark of superiority. Out of the
need of education, out of the demand
for education grow the high school of
cheap newspapers and the college and
university of cheap popular ma gaines.
American newspapers and magazines,
not even in the old days when the
neWness or shalloWness of culture
caused many avowed minor writer's to
employ the affectations of involved
style and a muddy or cloudy thought.
were never characterized by the plati-
tudinous, yaWnSOme righteousness
winch deadens the great first-class
magazines and reviews of Great Brit
ain and the continent. We never did
deeply admire classes and reverence.
We were always disposed to suspect
that the stuff that clings to our bones
is of the same consistency as the. stuff
of which stars and all things really
or reputedly high are made. We new
er did buy many newspapers or maya
zines or books to have something to
sleep over and to give US intellectual
caste. We were ready, even impatient
Tor illustrated newspapers and illus
trated magazines when they came If
the 'Edinboro' or the Quarterly when
IT can't get much word pictures as a
Sidney Smith, a Macauley or a De
quincy could paint, would supply the
lack With pictures, how they tighten
the dreary pages of matter that is
mighty informative but extremely diff
hcuIt to read in the pretentions and
poVerty-stricken language of Mr.. In
tellectual Nobody
Here Is suggestion for the editors
ln-chlef Of some of our so-called Sol
Ia magazines. l have in mind one
winch can present an apparently almost
faWless title to being the oldest Of our
serious periodicals., and in its early
N'JS II was, With Df1llldnt relapse
now and then, mighty serious" mat
ter. 1t never smiled, if it could possibly
avoid it. 1t was resolutely determined
TO convey information in a way which
Few cared about. Once in a while a
real writer seems to have "broken into
II possibly the dearth of real writers
was in part responsible-but in the
mann 1t was possessed by men whose
ideas hadn't caught up with their yo-
cabularies," as ex-senator Jones, of
Nevada, would say.
Res ectability was it's chief claim to
consideration - responsibility plus an
occasional burst of almost apologize
tlmeHness or human interest. Whenever
IT became or showed signs of becom-
ing magazine worthy of human be-
lngs While as he sat in the lightning
express that darts us from eternity
to eternity, human beings showed their
appreciation by buying it, Usually it
remained unread and respectable a fiji
ornament for the center table of an
unused library"