New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-30
MR.. JOHN WALTER.
III.

MICH COW MAINLY--REsERvE
IN PRAISING-LIKING FOR
AMERICA-HIs GEN.
EROsITY.
London. November IL
His most striking characteristic" wr,,.1
a friend who knew Mr.. John Walter intina,.,.
was his absolute rectitude. 1t was no rule :.
life with him. but something that was a. IN.
grained in his nature as the necessity OF brea,h
Ing"
When you consider that this was true OF a ma.
who all his life long had the absolute cont,o
of a great paper. II becomes Still more strikin,
He was. Of course. beset by the usual tempts.
tons of journalism The possession OF absoIu,.
power whether In journalism otherwise N.
gets in most men the temptation to use It, III.
one thing to use II for its own sake or for m.
pleasure OF using 1t: another to use 1t for N.
era tifcation OF ambitious desires. or In any Mn
ish way. That not Mr. Walters way.
az do not think" continues his friend. that A.
ever asked himself what Is right and what a
wrong. any more than we ask ourselves which
foot we shall put forward first when We start "a,
a walk" That is an estimate OF character whth
would have delighted Emerson. 1t was IN,
Emerson's view that beauty of nature is mn
from effort. 1t is better for a man to be hin
self than to conquer himself; provided that tie
love Of virtue. or Of truth. or Of the spiritual
life. or Of charity toward others. be natural IA
him. Effort implies a struggle with the natural
man. and is necessary only when he goes natu.
rally wrong, and not right.
Some people," he goes on. show a contemut
for meanness He never did, for he seemed never
to see IT, That Z. man should act from Low
motive seemed never to occur 10 him. and when
he came across such a man, he called him a
victim OF immeasurabe folly described him 4,
insane" The eulogy Is so sweeping that again
one has to remember that 1t is bestowed
on a man who had to face the facts OF daily lie
all his life long; " hose intercourse with others
was constant and active; and who was concerned
with the practical realities OF profession which
more than any other perhaps is thought to foster
cynical views OF men and things. He must have
been brought often in contact with people who
wanted to use him ard mis- paper He had to re.
pei such attempts. So frequent they on every
great journal, and / suppose on The Times"
most Of all. that he who Is exposed to them may
be excused II such experiences lower his estimate
OF human nature. IT. on the other hand they DO
not lower IT, how high must be his ideal and how
firm his faith!
The fortunes O, the Walter family were. Of
course. bound I'D with THE Times" yet his atu.
tude to the paper was never that OF a man who
regarded Il merely as a source Of income He
never even thought Of 1t as money-makins
machine primarily His main interest In the
paper was oil different kind. In the world Of
business. and especially in America. where bust.
ness fills larger part OF life than anywhere else
In, tha siich sfa DrOyOkp
tlclsm. have nothing 10 say to the sceptics.
They must take their own views. All say
il that l know what / am telling you TO be true.
Ii was said Of him In the office that he was never
known to make an inquiry to financial resulta
His dividends were paid into his bankers Hs
knew, OF course, what they were and whether
they were above or below the average. But b
was never known to express the least satisfaction
over a good year, or the least disappointment
when the yield was less than usual II be showed
an interest in details il would be a recognition
OF the energy Of those about him. though. az you
will see presently, It was not his way TO praise
freely or hardly to praise at all. He might zee
signs Of prosperity--for instance great numoer
OF columns Of advertising or a whole page ad-
vertisement II he commented on 1t he did IL
out OF kindliness The price he never asked
Everybody who knows anything about London
Journalism knows that OF recent years there have
been very sweeping changes and reforms in the
administration OF the paper At the end OF the
first year OF this new administration, an elaborate
comparative table was drawn up. showing large
economies and other agreeable results which he
might have been expected to study closely. He
glanced at It. said Yes very creditable." handed
It back and began talking of something else
no or mic ha sod N think they rot
scant recognition, but they knew the contrary.
II they missed the direct commentator which
men who have done their best sometimes ike
and occasionally get. they perfectly aware
what he thought. The men who earned his con-
fdence knew they had earned IT, To him praise
was unnecessary. He was ready TO believe that
every did his best. He gave Others credit
for the motives which actuated himself He
expected no praise; he hardly felt that others
might expect IT, or like H. The doing ones
whole duty was. in his mind. matter OF ao'
solute obligation, and Of general custom. why
should IL be mentioned? Perhaps there are
reasons for mentioning g.. but they are fewer
when. with man like Mr. Walter. the thing y
understood without words His attitude was ~
any rate. sufficient 10 win him the absolute devo'
ton Of those who worked with him on the paper
The devotion extended t. al; departments me-
chanlcal as we'll as editorial. The composi'o"
were devoted to him, and the pressmen; the very
classes OF workingmen whom the trade unions
represent victims OF y huge tyranny. But inc
the whole printing trade knew that printers were
better of in this than in any other office In tn'
country.
or Mr.. Walters extreme simplicity OF chsrac
ter believe said something In former let'e''
1t did not prevent him from living with mam'"'
cence Bearwood. which he built. used 10 o'
called the second place in point of splendor !"
Berkshire: Windsor Castle being the first Iha'
of itself. would have given him importance. s'n''
In England. TO be the possessor OF a great MOUSE
and estate in the country. Is to be conslder@o''
parsonage. A great fortune In the City' OF !"
business OF any kind COZ fers no similar d'su'N