Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-03
ACANADIAN EVENT.
THE REYOLUTTON OF THE TORONTO
"GLOBE."

| "GLOBE."
Its Editor Dismissed Because His Back.
bone Was Stiff she Drowning Reward OF
| Long and Faithful Labor-A Lesson oil
| Encouragement for the Young.
TORONTO, Can, Dec. 24.-Every one who
knows this thriving city has heard of the
| Toronto Globe-in fact, to thousands OF
Englishmen and Americans Toronto is
known principally as being the home OF
the great organ of Canadian opinion
founded by the late George Brown. Last
week there occurred in the management OF
the Globe a change so profound and from
such peculiar causes that the whole frater-
nifty of newspaper readers and writer's is
interested in learning about it.
To understand the situation it is neces-
sary to know that the Globe was founded in
1S43 by the late George Brown, at time
of great excitement in Canadian politics,
From the first, the Globe has been sup
posed to be the organ of the Liberal party,
but in truth it has usually led rather than
followed. 1t has always been the subject
of bitter hatred by its opponents in poll
tics, and many who have served on the
same side with the Globe have disliked
their ally. George Browns principal CO.
adjutor has been his younger brother, Cor
don Brown. The two brothers, both ex-
tremely able men, had just enough Of diff
ference in their composition to enable
them to work together effectually to com
mon end. George was ambitious of polit-
ical fame; Gordon cared nothing for that.
The first loved publicity; the other was a
good deal of a recluse. Both were men of
remarkable energy, and as journalists they
challenge comparison with men of the
first rank. Together they accomplished
work which would have been impossible
to any one man. George Brown died in
May, 189O-murdered by drunken en-
ploye. On his death Gordon Brown sue
ceeded to the chief editorship and manag-
ing dictatorship of the Globe company.
He had already been managing editor for
a period of about twenty-five years.
1t has been we'll known ever since Cor
don Brown took command that his man
agement was
NOT GIVING SATISFACTION TO HIS DIRECTORS.
It was not that he changed the editorial
course upon which the paper had achieved
success. On the contrary, he was upbraid-
ed principally because ne ran in the old
course more decidedly than ever. His cir
culation mounted steadily up. That of the
Daily Globe he increased by % per. cent;
that of the Weekly Globe by $50 per cent.
He did this as well as increased the sub
scription price of the daily by one-sixth
and the advertising rates by SO per cent.
During his regime the quantity also of ad-
vertising increased prodigiously. In short,
the revenue of the Globe was never before
anything like as large as it is now, and its
political influence was never greater than
on Saturday, 18th of December, when on
a unanimous vote of the directorate, Cor
don Brown was deposed from his Office.
OF course this summary decapitation
was not brought about by nothing. There
have in fact been several causes at work,
any one of which would ultimately have
caused Mr.. Browns dismissal. 1t is only
necessary to consider two Of them: ~
Under his management. Notwithstanding
the greatly increased revenue, the Globe
ceased to pay dividends. (2) He was not
plant enough; he would persist in keeping
the paper consistent with itself, no matter
who was hurt; neither would he submit to
directoral direction.
1. AS stated above, the Globe never was
stronger editorially, never was a better
newspaper than at the time Gordon Brown
was elected, and never was in the receipt
of so large revenue as then. The secret
of the nonpayment of dividends is that,
Sc
the Globe was changed from the old-fash-
toned folio to the more expensive quarto
form-which led to an enormous increase
of expenses, an experience shared before
and since by ma1y American newspapers,
At the same time the Globes competitors
thought they discovered in George Browns
death reason why they should put forth
strenuous efforts to break down the circu-
lation of his paper; and these efforts had,
of course, to be met. 1t is said on the
street, however, that the Globe has during
the current year earned enough of money
to warrant the payment of reasonable
dividend. If this is true the directors
must have had other than financial reasons
for inficting upon their own property the
substantial damage involved in the removal
of the editor whose name has been iden-
tilted with the journal almost from its COM
mencement.
2. There is no reasonable doubt that
the second Is the real cause of the removal.
The Globe, as
JOINT STOCK ENTERPRISE,
has the usual mass of conflicting interests
upon its board Of directors. The stock is
controlled by no one person. Whoever is
elected editor to-day by one combination
may be deposed tomorrow by new COM
bination. Having begun the work of re-
pression,th directors are not likely to drop
it. It is altogether probable that the lives
of future Globe editors will be short and
sour. Mr. Brown, it is thought, alienated
one interest after another on his board by
refusing favors not proper for an editor to
grant. It is known that the provincial
government which sits in Toronto has for
years been dissatisfied with the smallness
given by the Globe to the reports of its de-
bates. To any American journalist the
space aforesaid would have seemed pre-
posterously large. 1t is also known that
for some years pronounced Goodness"
has existed between Mr.. Brown and the
Liberal chief, Mr.. Seward. Blake. All these
,-ora oo1sac ooDtrihufinO tn Mr. Rrown'S