Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1897 — Gorged with Its Own Trash. [ARTICLE]

Gorged with Its Own Trash.

1 do not believe that the English beok trade Is affected by wlmt Is called the lnandal depression of the times; I believe It has gorged Itself on Its own trash, like the boa constrictor who lately swallowed his own blanket and died thereof. It suffers also from what every other trade suffers from In this century—the overcrowding of the "anks. What are wanted are a few great publishing houses—a very few. nstead of what should be this choice ew there are scores of firms Imbued with the same views of selling books is a grocer has of Belling sugar and iplce. Regarded merely as a trade, how far, how very far, Is the publishing- trade of London removed from that Paris? I contrast the cheapest french editions of my books with those if the cheapest Bnglfsh editions of them, the first so neat and simple lu their glossy plain paper covers, with their good paper and admirable typ* within, aud the second so atrocious in the gaudy pictorial cover, which Is deemed needful to attract the eyes of the British multitude! Even In what la called the "Library Edition” (heaven save the mark!) there are inferior typ* and inferior paper, in a rough, red, common cloth cover. Why cannot tbs French editions be imitated?—Ouid« in the North American Review.