much justice that they are public servants merely; nevertheless
they _do_ control the organs of literary expression, and it is through
them that any positive influence on the side of restriction or
proscription must be exerted, whatever may be its ultimate source. If
a lack of freedom in method and in choice of subject is one reason for
the sophistication of our short story, then the editorial policy of
American magazines is a legitimate field for speculation.

I can reason only from the evidence of the product and the
testimony of authors, successful and unsuccessful. Yet one
conclusion springs to the eye, and is enough in itself to justify
investigation. The critical basis upon which the American editor
professes to build his magazine is of doubtful validity. I believe
that it is unsound. His policy, as stated in "editorial
announcements" and confirmed by his advertisements of the material
he selects, is first to find out what the public wants, and next
to supply it. This is reasonable in appearance. It would seem to
be good commercially, and, as a policy, I should consider it good
for art, which must consult the popular taste or lose its
vitality. But a pitfall lies between this theory of editorial
selection and its successful practice. The editor must really know
what the public wants. If he does not, he becomes a dogmatic
critic of a very dangerous school.

Those who know the theater and its playwrights, are agreed that
the dramatic manager, at least in America, is a very poor judge of
what the public desires. The percentage of bad guesses in every
metropolitan season is said to be very high. Is the editor more
competent? It would seem that he is, to judge from the stability
of our popular magazines. But that he follows the public taste