New-York tribune., 1907-09-03
THE EDITORIAL WORM TURNS.

We can't help feeling that when Mr.. Walter
H. Page the editor of "The Worlds Work"
spoke at Chicago University the other day upon
THE Writer and the University" the worm
turned He had q right to. 1t was his turn
to turn When we think of the reams of paper
which have been covered by young authors who
are victims of the editorial conspiracy" to keep
them out of the public eye, denouncing the
blindness the injustice, the folly the bad taste.
the utter imbecility of editors. we feel that an
answer was due. and 1t has come. To the
young man who sends his manuscript to the ed
itor neatly done up in such way that when 1t
comes back it affords damning evidence that
editors don't even open and read the works
of immortal genius unless it belongs to the lit
erary trust Mr.. Page replies in effect go to
school"
He would have writing taught as painfully
as is painting or architecture. Make the would
be writer in the proposed university course In
writing turn out thousand words a day; make
the poet pen a sonnet every twenty-four hours,
not to mention, for both of them, writing hymns
and sermons on Sunday. Says Mr. Page:
The ordinary novel is one hundred thousand
words long If the student writes one thousand
words a day, including sermons or hymns on
Sunday every year he would produce enough for
four books In three years he would produce
twelve books and in four years sixteen books
If this prentice work has not cured the as
pirant of all idea of camping out on Parnassus,
then and not till then, let him turn hmseiI
loose on Mr. Page and his fellow craftsmen.
Think Of the saving this would effect In the
mere printing bills for slips saying Returned
with the thanks Of the editor The fact that
"this Ms is not available for the Blank Maga-
zine is not" etc. Almost any budding genius
who had 10 write a sonnet q day for a term
or four novels a year would quit college early
and take up horseshoeing some other useful
mammal employment He would never aim a
shaft at the editorial conspiracy"
Mr. Page who has doubtless read the first
page at least of Il million or more "contriou-
tions" deduces from his experience that in
educational institutions we train the dentist,
horse doctor. engineer. cook and sociologst, but
the writer has no chance But Is this true:
What are Mr. Pages magazine and the thou
sand and one others but schools in writing! The
aspiring young student of the art sends thither,
as to the professor in Mr.. Pages ideal univer-
sity his sonnet his essay his novel, and gets
his mark on It, usually not passing mark. He
tries again his prentice hand. as Mr. Page
would have him try II, and generally his pa
tience is exhausted long before such an ardu-
Gus course as Mr. Page suggests would be com
pletei. Doubtless Mr. Page finds the conduct
ing of n free school in writing tiresome ana
thankless task and wishes some university
would take il up. But the young men who nave
hitherto been victims of the editorial consplr-
acv" against genius will regard his address as
one Of the most unblushing efforts Of that con
spiracy They pin their faith on the kindly old
fellow who wrote that the poet is born. not
made" and who thereby caused lot OF trouble
for Mr.. Page and his craft. For who in the
face OF 1t will take the pains 10 be made!