The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-11-25
DID NOT SUPPRESS 1T.
Why Lincoln's War Minister Did Not
Suppress Paper During the
RpbeIliOD.

Rebellion.
Mr.. William NJ. Singerly, editor and
proprietor of the Philadelphia Record,
who divides with Mr.. George w. Childs,
editor and proprietor of the Philadelphia
Ledger, the respect and regard of the
city of Philadelphia, will soon be the
owner of the fastest steel steam yacht
in the United States. 1t is now being
completed at Chester by the best build
ers there. Mr.. Childs has never owned
a yacht But then Mr.. Singerly owns
several other things that Mr.. Childs has
never had. Both are alike, however, in
that each controls great Independent
newspaper, that neither will accept
office and that each has had station
named after him on the new Baltimore
and Ohio line into Philadelphia. Their
paper mills are near these stations.
The Ledger does not use as much paper
nowadays as the Record The latter
has quietly won a circulation of upwards
of 10. 600 daily, except Saturday, when
10000 copies of the eight-page double
sheet" are sold for one cent piece.
This circulation is the growth of only
seven years, and that in conservative
Philadelphia, too.
Speaking of the Ledger reminds me
of u story General Simon Cameron used
to tell. "When | was in Washington
during the war; he said, MIR. George
w. Childs, of Philadelphia, called on
me one day and asked me whether L
had any objection to his purchasing the
Philadelphia Ledger. | said that had
none in the world, and then asked him
why he came to me with such Il queS-
ton. He said that Mr.. Swain, the own
er of the Ledger. had made my consent
an absolute condition of the sale of the
Ledger, which Mir. Childs was then try
ing TO negotiate. | said | did not
understand that at all; that l had no
interest at any time in the Ledger, or so
far as | knew in any other enterprise of
MIR. Swain. In fact hardly knew Mr..
Swain except by reputation. However.
| repeated had and could have no OBJ
jection whatever to Mr.. Swan's doing
anything that he pleased with his own
properly. | offered to put this statement
i'll writing, seeing that Childs was not
quite satisfied. No, he said, Mr. Swain
wanted the assurance from my own
lips, and he would like to know whether
l would soon be in Philadelphia. II
tllstL L was 10 Dt III L nlIduci-
| phia shortly and | said so. With that
Mr.. Childs departed. When went to
| Philadelphia Mr.. Swain called on me
and asked ME whether | had any OBJ
lection to his selling the Ledger to Mr..
Childs. None in the world | said to
him us l had to Mr.. Childs himself;
but why do you ask my consent?'
".Do you remember said he, find
| ing communication on your desk one
morning. when you was secretary of
war, from Secretary Seward directing
the suppression of the Baltimore san
| for alleged reasonable utterances?'
Yes | said; but how did you know
about that? 1t was CONFIDENTIAL Never
mind,' he said. Il did know about it,
and did know that it was never exc
cuted because you laid the matter before
| President Lincoln and brought him to
the conclusion to which YOU had YOUR
| self come, that it was unj Just. Well, |
was part owner in the Baltimore San.
If you had suppressed the Sun just at
| that time it would have ruined me. 1
made up my mind that no one should
ever get hold of the Ledger who would
be likely to use it to injure you. And
! that is why | wanted to know whether
you had any objection to MIR. Childs;
because if you have, he can't have the
Ledger | told him had no objection
in the world to Mr.. Childs, and shortly
afterward the sale was consummated. l
remember as though it had been yester-
| day the morning when | found on my
desk ut the war department the letter
| from Seward directing the suppression
of the Baltimore SIN for publishing
editorials alleged to be seditious in
tone. l sat down and actually wrote an
order to the general in command ut
Baltimore, directing him to carry out
the order of the secretary of state. Then
| stopped 10 think. | remembered that
] had once owned newspaper, little
ore, to be sure. but it was all had,
and said to myself. What would have
become of you if your newspaper had
been suppressed upon the arbitrary or
der of some cabinet officer based on his
own construction of your editorial utter
ances?' AS sat thinking | tore up the
order | had written. Then / went
over TO the White House, and showing
Stewards letter to the president. told
HIM that | thought the course it sug-
gested would be arbitrary and unjust.
Pay no attention to it, he said, and L
went back to the war department and
pigeon-holed it in my own desk. =
Washington Capital.