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.