for a publication of this character.  It had accomplished this great result simply because of the vitality and interest of its contents.  The period covered was an important one, in the United States and Europe; it was the time of Cleveland’s second administration in this country, and of Gladstone’s fourth administration in England; it was a time of great controversy and of a growing interest in science, education, social reform and a better political order.  All these great matters were reflected in the pages of the Forum, whose list of contributors contained the most distinguished names in all countries.  Its purpose, as Page explained it, was “to provoke discussion about subjects of contemporary interest, in which the magazine is not a partisan, but merely the instrument.”  In the highest sense, that is, its purpose was journalistic; practically everything that it printed was related to the thought and the action of the time.  So insistent was Page on this programme that his pages were not “closed” until a week before the day of issue.  Though the Forum dealt constantly in controversial subjects it never did so in a narrow-minded spirit; it was always ready to hear both sides of a question and the magazine “debate,” in which opposing writers handled vigorously the same theme, was a constant feature.

Page, indeed, represented a new type of editor.  Up to that time this functionary had been a rather solemn, inaccessible high priest; he sat secluded in his sanctuary, and weeded out from the mass of manuscripts dumped upon his desk the particular selections which seemed to be most suited to his purpose.  To solicit contributions would have seemed an entirely undignified proceeding; in all cases contributors must come to him.  According to Page, however, “an editor must know men and be out among men.”  His system of “making up” the magazine at first somewhat astounded his associates.  A month or two in advance of publication day he would draw up his table of contents.  This, in its preliminary stage, amounted to nothing except a list of the main subjects which he aspired to handle in that number.  It was a hope, not a performance.  The subjects were commonly suggested by the happenings of the time—­an especially outrageous lynching, the trial of a clergyman for heresy, a new attack upon the Monroe Doctrine, the discovery of a new substance such as radium, the publication of an epoch-making book.  Page would then fix upon the inevitable men who could write most readably and most authoritatively upon these topics, and “go after” them.  Sometimes he would write one of his matchless editorial letters; at other times he would make a personal visit; if necessary, he would use any available friends in a wire-pulling campaign.  At all odds he must “get” his man; once he had fixed upon a certain contributor nothing could divert him from the chase.  Nor did the negotiations cease after he had “landed” his quarry.  He had his way of discussing the