St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-10
4 NEWSPAPER SHUTTLE.
Rlethen and Haskell Exchange the Tri.
bune and Journal.
THE INSIDE OF THE DEAL.
The Tribune viii Know Blethen No
20 More--Rumors Of His Morning
Democratic Paper.

| 2
and Weekly Farmers Tribune, Alden
j. Blethen is to retire and seek another
field. The announcement was made
yesterday that he had sold his interest
in the Tribune to William Edwin Has
kell, and had acquired by barter,
sale or exchange, the latter's
interest in the Evening journal.
| The Journal has been virtually the
evening edition of the Tribune, and
the change only amounts to an eX-
change. viz: instead of owning the two
papers Jointly, the partnership is dis
solved. Blethen takes one boat of the
catamaran, Haskells the other, and
each goes his own way. In the
Official announcement Mr.. Blethen is at
pains to have it made prominent
that he reserves morning franchise of
the United Press association, and will
thereafter be identified entirely with
such newspaper enterprise as he may
choose to undertake." This is the
nature of a bid for himself and the
paper in which he holds a controlling
interest. For the past year he has had
strong deSiret establish a morning
Democratic daily, and probably thinks
he has figured himself into a position
which will enable him to carry out
HIS PET SCHEME.
1t may aStonish some that he should
entertain such notion in view of his
persistent and unreasonable attacks
upon Democrats. both collectively and
individually, but he considers that bust
ness is business, and that with a little
practice he might denOunce the Repub-
licanS with as much ease as he has lam
pOOned the Democrats. He has made
70 no. Of nI
Democrats, but has received little or no
encouragement. In the event that this
plan does not work, morning and noon
editions may be added to the journal,
and it may be run as will best suit the
business Office. 1t has been apparent
for some time that there would be
change, and the announcement is not
altogether a surprise. 1t is not likely to
prove beneficial to either paper. If the
Tribune has made any progress it is due
to Blethen's rabid and awkward at
teWpts at Journalistic enterprise. The
Journal, under the management of
Lucien Swift, Jr., has, perhaps, made
the most of an open field, and the in
lection of Blethen's ideas and methods
is not likely to improve it as news
paper, and that is the only feature of its
career in which the public is interested.
What Maj. Haskell will do for the
Tribune is somewhat problematical, but
it is not anticipated that he will
SET THE WORLD ON FIRE,
if the record of the past is any guaran-
tee of the future, and it is understood
that Haskell pere will not identify
himself with the paper. 1t is needless
to say that the gifted Journalists en-
plOyed on both sheets are not little dis
concerted, the journal men especially so.
The diSagreementS of MeSsrS. Blethen
and Haskell have been felt for some
time in the city department of the Trbi-
une. Prior TO the appearance of the
editorial in which Mrs. Cleveland was
ihSulted, the two partners used to oc-
cupy the same room, with only a japanese
fire screen between them. Then the row
began. Blethen was generally regarded
as the author OF the Objectionable arti-
Gle, and the burning in efflgy, as well as
the bitter denunciatiOn which he re-
ceived from all sides. made him sore.
As result he assumed control OF the
editorial columns, while Maj. Haskell
moved up one floor and entrenched him.
self behind an immense rOller-top desk
and afterwards gave Olders as manag-
ing editor. while he altered his sigma
tyIre from Will E. Haskell to William
Edwin Haskell, as a sort of a signal that
lively. Abbott Blunt, before managing
editor de facto, was consigned to
the exchanges and paragraph work,
and William Edwin nominally
filled his place. Charles Aft
Williams. the city editor, was allowed
to indulge his fancy at dramatic and
specially work. and James Gray,
A READY-MADE JOURNALIST
fresh from college, succeeded him.
Blethen confined himself more closely
to the business Office than ever
for time. and contented him
self with editing want advertisements
and dallying with circulation statistics.
The departure of DR.. Albert Shaw for
Europe, however, brought the ex-
pedagogue and Kansas City attorney to
the front again as an editorial writer, as
was at the time made apparent by
series of .crank'' editorials, and
latterly by some bitter and unreason-
able attacks upon the city council,
which may have fastened the crisis.
The local, or city department, failed to
suit him, and Mr.. Williams, who had in
the meantime gone to Kansas City, was
recalled to fill his old position, only to
find upon arriving that the paper
had changed hands. Although he
has announced that he intends
to accept a position under Haskell,
it is conjectured that he may ultimately
succeed w. Z. BroWnlee as city editor
of the Journal. as he has always been a
favorite with Blethen. This has some
what demoraliZing effect upon the Jour
NAILS crew of hired men, and yesterday
they seemed hardly to know whet her to
90 StaV.