CURRENT LITERATURE.
THE STORY OF A PAGE.
The Story of a Page. By John L. Heaton. (Harper and Brothers. 10s. &I. net.)—The subject of this solid volume is not Thackeray's "pretty page with the dimpled chin," nor the Victorian boy in buttons, but the editorial page of the New York World. Mr. Heaton has set himself the task of tracing its influence on American politics during the past generation. It is jest over thirty years since the paper in question was bought from Jay Gould—whose cynical and self.seeking methods had reduced its circulation to about ten thousand a day—by the late Joseph Pulitzer, one of the most remarkable figures in the history of journalism. It is often thought that Mr. Pulitzer owed his great material success to his unsurpassed skill in presenting the latest news in the moat striking fashion. But Mr. Heaton makes it clear that his chief interest lay in the moulding of public opinion. "His was the journalism of influence, of advocacy, of direction. He recognized in public opinion the power in modern govern. ment, the builder of modern civilization." Mr. Heaton shows in detail how he carried out this task, even under the severe disadvantage of practical blindness. The book is a tribute to a remarkable personality.
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