something about publicity. John Sloan and Walter Pach were caught red-handed permitting editors of Vanity Fair and similar publications to publish photographs of their works, and Vanity Fair and similar publications were caught red-handed in refusing to become interested in the lesser known candidates for fame arriving in these parts from Davenport, Iowa, although already equipped with photographs for the purpose. It was a sordid tale, although having, myself, seen the photographs of the paintings of the new Davenport people, I could understand Vanity Fair's reluctance to dally. Not but that Walter Pach may not be a very particular villain, too. Publicity seems to be a horrid temptation and few there are that withstand it. But somehow the crime, as crimes go in these days, failed to take deep hold upon me. In my easy-going American fashion I was perfectly willing to hush the matter up and say no more about it and to maintain, outwardly at least, a show of relationship with John Sloan, Walter Pach, and the Society of Independents. But not so the stern believers in the absolute partition of the press among the lowly. The last should be first, said they, and instantly. It is a grand idea now that you come to think of it. But how is it to be carried into effect? That's the question.
At all events they started a new society and now we have it with us. It happens to provide a slow show and that's unfortunate. It announces a second for next spring that may be better. Let us hope so. In the meantime I would like to emphasize what I must have said before, that there seems to me to be no necessity for a duplicate Society of Independents. One of those is enough, and it should be as large and as merry as possible. It is the one show that I like to have big. There is however a crying need for an organization of another sort, a society to be recruited from the Independents, and to express the aspirations of those who become recognized as the leaders of the oncoming hordes. The hordes may be strictly confined where they belong, in the Independent enclosures. Also, there need be no energy wasted among the societies attacking each other, since it is absurd for two societies to struggle for the same task. The Salons of America could be this new society if it wished.
