New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-30
Why Dominant
Does the Word Belong to Periodicals
That Follow the CrowdP
he rd;.or NJ Tho Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir. MIR Irwin Cobb's war articles have
started up something Of discussion IN Inc
Tribune and have led to some discussion oil
"Tbc Saturday Evening Post" (Which pub
fishes Mr.. Cobb's articles) as the dominant
publication Of America" which seems to be
"The Posts" own modest notion OF 1T.
Mr.. Editor. what makes dominant publ
cation" anyway? As reader OF seVera'
magazines and newspapers that question IN
forests mo. For | have felt n lack of just
tho quality which "The POST claims, and
lack of it in other periodicals than "Ihe
Post" My rags of Latin tell me that the "ofd
dominant" means something like master
or transferring" And have found more cur
rent periodicals in America periodicals that
slide along the lines Of popular least resist
ance than master" periodicals. The mas
ter" periodical is not afraid to he unpopular
The least resistance periodical is founded on
the editorial theory, "Let who Will make inc
nations laws, if may but publish its love
slops and it's business fiction" The least
resistance periodical is an admirable carrier
of advertising. no doubt. but seldom moulds
mems characters or affects their votes AZ elec-
ton time Since when has the business notion
TYNE of periodical made good its claim to
dominance?
If there were dominant periodical IN
American journalism ! should look for IT
among the ranks of the fighters. should
look for it among the periodicals which fought
the battle for clean advertising Gas you are
fighting it to-day, with the help OF Samuel
Hopkins Adams, which fought the war
against Cannonism in the United States Com
gress. the battle Cor cleaning the Republican
party's messy elephant stable the battle Tor
liberal legislation at Washington. 1t is true
that "The Saturday Evening Post has pub
lished Aippant personality sketches entitled
"Who's Who and Why" but cynical personal
ity pictures of Congressman do not, IN my
opinion. make a periodical dominant" ] am
writing of ideas, however, and perhaps The
Saturday Evening Post" cannot be fairly dis
cussed on the plane of ideas.
Not Afraid To Be in Advance
In my humble opinion. any periodical that
laws claim to dominance" in this country, or
anv other. must be periodical that is not
afraid to be little in advance of its public.
II must be a periodical with more ideals than
cynicism. 1t must be paper that expresses
must have a lofter notion of American lie
than one would look for in well printed
trade catalogue.
American periodicals may be divided INTO
two types-the Greatest Common Divisor
class and the Not-Much- Anything
Good class. An editor Of the Greatest Common
Divisor periodical would be afraid TO print
#. p. AS Coming Tower lest some one pro
test: "Can it, It's highbrow." He would be
afraid to print Frank II. Smonds's editorials
because they sometimes are in advance oil
popular opinion instead of always rejecting
Yesterdays opinions of Briggs's pool players.
The Greatest Common Divisor editor often
receives a big salary and his circulation man
often peddles a very large number of copies
of his paper for us, the travelling public, to
read for few minutes in the train (and
leave il in the seat), but he isn't dominant
Mr. Editor. not by several centuries.
The Not-Much- Afraid of Anything Good cd
itor may have only half million circulation,
Mr.. Editor but he is great deal more likely
to mould character and opinions-especiall
if he believes what he prints.
Thank you for letting me blow of steam.
+. KELLY.
New York. May %, 1917.