, 1885-03-31
NEWSPAPERS.
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN TYPES OF
JOURNALISM coNLRAsTED.
The London Times c~entennIal-A Mirror
OF Public oPinion-The System I'm
This country-Oyerburdened
with Views" ..


[cor. Brooklyn Eagle.l
Tho London Times recently rounded It's
Tooth year. The journalism represented by
that world famous newspaper is somewhat
different from the journalism with which
the people Of the United States are familiar.
This difference is rather strikingly illus
trated by the way in which The Times cele-
brnted, or rather omitted 10 crle brate. it,
centennial.
IL is not worth while TO name names, but
you know very well what some OF your enter
prising contemporaries that had attained
30 venerable an age would nave done TO COM
memorate the event. The esteemed - or
- would have published a fac simile OF its
first number. It would nave printed a
prolix account Of ID origin and growth, To-
gether with biographical sketches Of all the
persons who had been connected with it In
an important way. It would have pub
lishcd long dissertations to magnify its power
and influence and TO explain its long contin-
ued hold upon popular favor. In order to
do all this IL would not have hesitafed 10
triple or quadruple its customary size.
What did The London Times actually dol
1t dismissed its centennial In less than a
dozen lines. The American managing editor
who should so grossly neglect 70 brilliant an
opportunity would expect to DO asked to send
in his resignation the next day. Upon The
tlKuleaL DIOFpChllOn n comparatively Cd
scuro journal In this country would make
more OF an upronr about itself than the
great London paper has mado during the
whole century OF its existence. Yet there
must be something In the method OF The
Times, for 1t has secured an unapproachable
SUCCESS, not only in weight and respectable
ity. but from the point Of view OF mare
money.
In the dozen lines l have mentioned Tho
Times refers to one rule of conduct by
which 1t says it has been constantly
controlled. II has always been "indo-
pendent OF government favor and party
influence There will be no dispute any
where as to the wisdom OF this course.
The most rancorous partisan sheet in this
country, the concern which could not ex-
list but for the concession OF official advertis-
ing and the patronage Of politicians. will talk
loudly OF "the independence Of the press"
The old fashioned party organ has so far lost
popular favor that the journalist must pre-
tend to dospis8 such organising even il he do
ponds upon it for this breath of life.
But the claim which The Times puts forth
in Its own behalf, however well founded,
does not alone account Tor It's wonderful sue
cess. During lis hundred years Of prosperous
existence scores Of heroically independent
Journals have gonedown TO death. 10 would
not be necessary to look as far as London 10
find examples Of editors who. starting with
the highest hopes and the most aggressive
conscience, nave sacrificed to the latter the
remnant OF a slender circulation and encoun-
terod dismal diEaster. The Times, In addi-
ton TO Il deliberate and wise independence
OF government favor and party influence,
has developed an extraordinary ~adaptability
to public opinion. IL Is not too much to say
that its remarkable career is founded on the
diligent practice Of this art.
Hnrpor's Weekly expresses n long settled
and general conviction OF intelligent OBJ
servers when It says that The London Times
has been "the organ OF the dominant public
opinion Of the country" It has seldom
sought to entertain views Of its own or to
impress such views upon its leaders 1t has
endeavored to discover, in dvanc of any
body else-just rs IL has sought to get the
news OF the world-whnt the majority were
thinking and saying on the question of the
hour, and 10 make the most effective asser-
ton OF these words and thoughts When Il
hits the idea OF the majority-as it usually
has done-it Is sure OF the favor of the ma
jority; because there IS nothing the most OF
us like 80 much as 10 read in our fnvorite
paper what we already believe. Those OF
US who enjoy reading articles solely for the
way IN which they are done, and apart from
our substantial acceptance or rejection OF
their notions, are very few in numbers.
OF course this policy of the leading Eng
lish journal Is time serving; but it Is time
serving on a magnificent scale. Our own
newspapers seem to DO ignorant OF the art.
1t is not the result OF superior conscientious
nos. Many OF them would like 10 be time
serving in a large way il only they knew
how.
The weakness of the American press which
distinguishes 1t from the first-class English
press, as represented by Tho London Times,
Is an intense self-consciousness 1t is desti-
tute Of repose-tho flower OF all the arts.
Every newspaper, whether printed in the
metropolis or in a remote rural district,
whether born yesterday or early in the CEN
tury, Is moved to pronounce woe upon itself
IL 1t lead not somebody s~omewhither. 1t
fears that it will be rejected rs destitute OF
convictions IL it does not give itself up TO
constant and passionate assertion of ono
thing or another-it matters little what, so
long as the method OF Affirmation be suhf-
cicntly vehement and persistent The craze
for leadership involves some results which
may DO worth noting by and by.
II the common apprehension of The Times
policy DO correct It is the reverse of this; and
steadfast adherence to the policy has, per-
hap, more than anything else 10 do with its
remarkable success. OF course, it has been
a diligent and liberal newsgatherer, else it
coulu not nave Deen n great newspaper. 1t
set an example for all daily journals in this
particular; but although it was first in the
field, able rivals have appeared. who have
succeeded sometimes in beating IL. But It
has been unequaled in another cleaning ac-
uvity-the gathering Of opinions and their
faithful reflection II owes perhaps mora 10
this than to its expenditure and enterprise in
harvesting facts. The radical difference b.
tween It and our journals lies just here. The
Times is content to be the mirror OF thought
But, some person OF acute intellectual con-
scientiousness will exclaim, under tho
london policy you have n great jour
nal without opinions. Well, The Times
woul1 reply II it cared for anything of this
sort, what business has a great journal with
opinions Of its ownl 1t IS the public alone
that Is bound to have opinions. The journal
represents the pnblic. It ia bound to find
out what the opinions are and set them
forth, justas II searches for facts and reports
them.
At all events there are certain advantages
flowing from The Times policy which may
be readily unprecedented. II makes for
dignity, decency, self respect judicial
mindedness-an valuable, staying qualities
1t Is free from personalities and it never
loses its ho~ad-conditions which insure the
newspapers permanence and make IL an es-
tablished institution The Times may take
wrong views Of things, it may make predic-
tions which fall far short of verincation. but
1t never becomes ridiculous. Free from the
small vice Of consistency. it not only Is indif-
ferent to the hot scorn which is heaped upon
A Remarkable Escape.