– 360.
proclaims through the far sounding trumpet of the newspaper, he should be answerable for, at any rate with his honor, if he has
any ; and if he has none, let his name neutralize the effect of his
words. And since even the most insignificant person is known in his own circle , the result of such a measure would be to put an end to two-thirds of the newspaper lies, and to restrain the audacity of
many a poisonous tongue.” 62 The varying opinions have been affected by national and poli tical conditions to which the press has from time to time been obliged to conform , and they have also varied with the nature of the periodical. The daily and the weekly periodical press have accepted and favored signature only in part, while the monthly and quarterly magazines and reviews have come to accept it wholly . John Morley in his Valedictory as editor of the Fort nightly Review says that one of the chief experiments in founding this review had been that of the signed article, butthat the change had “ followed the course ofmost changes. It had not led to half
either of the evils or of the advantages that its advocates and its opponents foretold .” 63 Frederick Harrison also emphasized later the value of the principle of the signed article for which the
Nineteenth Century had always stood, since it had thus afforded opportunity for free public discussion of important questions.64 The compromise experiment was tried by The Unpopular Review of withholding the names of authors until the succeeding number , but after a trial of somewhat more than five years it was aban
doned in favor of immediate signature . This generalacceptance of signature by the monthlies and the quarterlies has done much to dispel the somewhat pharisaical spirit shown by those who favored either side towards those who
adopted the opposite custom . Blackwood's Magazine showed something of this “ holier than thou " attitude when it wrote that “ one of the superficial peculiarities of American Magazines is that
the names of all contributors are generally paraded conspicuously on the cover, very few seeking even the guise of a pseudonym . 62 Essays, Translated by T . B . Saunders, p . 347 .
63 “ Valedictory ,” Fortnightly Review , October, 1882, n . s. 32: 511-521. 64 Frederick Harrison , “ The Nineteenth Century , No. D : A Retro
spect. The First Fifty Volumes : 1877 - 1901,” Nineteenth Century and After, October, 1918, 84 : 785-796 .
