s not as yet taken any part in furthering the great woman's suffrage
movement which is sweeping over the world, and which ought to, but
nevertheless does not, interest most American women. From Mr. Bok's
point of view this policy of silence is quite right, and the only one
doubtless consistent with the great circulation of his magazine. A
periodical which wants a million readers must adhere strictly to the
conventions if it would keep up its reputation as a safe guide for the
multitude. This may not be the ideal form of leadership, but it is
common sense, which is, perhaps, more to be desired. "Ed" Howe, the
editor of "The Atchison Globe," the paper which gets closer to the
people than any other in America, evidently admires this theory of
editing, for he confesses, "When perplexities beset me and troubles
thicken, I stop and ask myself what would Edward Bok have me do, and
then all my difficulties dissolve."

Despite the sinister influences that tend to limit the freedom of
editors and taint the news, the efficiency, accuracy, and ability of
the American press were never on such a high plane of excellence as
they are to-day. The celerity with which news is gathered, written,
transmitted, edited, published, and served on millions of
breakfast-tables every morning in the year is one of the wonders of the
age. When great events happen, especially of a dramatic nature, we see
newspapers at their best. Witness the recent wreck of the steamship
Republic. Only a few wireless dispatches were sent out by the heroic
Binns during the first few hours, and yet every paper the next morning
had columns about the disaster, all written without padding,
inaccuracy, or disproportion. Also recall the way the press handled the
recent Witla kidnaping case. Within twenty-four hours every newspaper
reader in the United States was apprised of the crime in all its
details, and in most cases the photograph of the little boy was
reproduced.

It is the gathering of the less important news of the day, however,
where reporting has deteriorated, and yellow journalism is largely
responsible for this. Yellow journalism is a matter of typography and
theatrics. The most sensational, and often the most unimportant, news
is featured with big type, colored inks, diagrams, and illustrations.
"A laugh or tear in every line" is the motto above the desk of the copy
editor. The dotted line showing the route taken by the beautiful
housemaid as she falls out of