The Conservative (Lovecraft)/January 1917/Amateur Standards
Amateur Standards
Amateur journalism has always been a battle-ground betwixt those who, cognizant of its bettor possibilities, wish to improve their literary skill; and those who, viewing it merely as a field of amusement to which they can obtain easy access, wish to indulge in mock-politics, pseudo-feuds, and cheap social frivolities. In 1886 this disparity of aims was sufficient to cause the better element to withdraw for a time, forming a short-lived "Literary Lyceum of America", but experience proved that the cause of unprofessional letters can best be furthered by combating its evils within the confines of the regularly organised press associations. Since 1914 the United has striven with varying success to occupy a materially higher plane in the world of culture and education; the campaign for betterment being led at different times by Mr. Moe and Mrs. Renshaw, and now by Pres. Paul J. Campbell. But there has arisen in opposition to the progressive policies of these leaders a reactionary movement of such blatant vulgarity and puerile crudeness, that The Conservative feels impelled to protest at the display of impotent malice and infantile bitterness shown by some of the treacherous anti-administration elements. Yellow journals have spread broadcast a silly series of attacks and aspersions on our best officials, setting by their glaringly plebeian atmosphere a dangerously bad example for the many youths whose cultural and literary improvement is the prime object of the Association. One of these peace-disturbers has wailed against the improvement of The United Amateur, declaring (despite the fact that it contained all but one of this year's laureate-winning pieces) that it has become a mere purveyor of "literary twaddle"; whilst another congenital "heckler" has recently launched a tirade of inexcusable commonness against President Campbell as a result of some disclosures in the news notes of the official organ. What President Campbell did was to expose some detestable trickery in the handling of proxy ballots last summer, and nothing save guilty resentment at this exposure could prompt this "heckler" to raise a veritable teapot tempest at Mr. Campbell's pleasantry regarding a former amateur; a pleasantry against which he rants with Pharisaical fervour. It is not the desire of The Conservative to enter the field of adolescent bickering, but he does deem it necessary and proper to warn the membership of the United against the sly malevolence, ambiguous statements, and apocryphal anecdotes whereby a faction of malcontents is seeking to undo mine confidence in the present administration; an administration whose leader has a longer and more brilliant record of amateur achievement than any other active member of the United Amateur Press Association.