New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-27


true one. but as which prevails
TO the distant reader who probably sees few or
no English papers and certainly does not read
any OF them regularly. the difference between
Inc Iimes' and any or AL the rest may seem
oNerstated do not think it is. One Of the
evening papers spoke Of The Times" apropos
or Mr. walters death an example not of
journalism but as containing the raw material
Vi Jourhalsn1 That shows how far We have got
on the down grade. The qualities of thorough
ness or seriousness. and the conscientious effort
toward a full discussion OF a great question
these. 1t seems, do not belong to journalism
facts are to be collected or news to be gathered
in order that the true journalist may use them
for his own purposes An adeo uate account OF
for instance the finances of Egypt. or of politi-
cal crisis In Australia. cannot he given in less
than two or three columns rhe Times" though
the pressure on its space is greater than on any
other journal. does give this adequate account
gives such accounts not occasionally but habitu-
ally. The general reader may or may not care
for them. Whole classes OF special readers do
care and the course of a particular trade the
operations of finance or the policy OF Cabinet
home or Colonial, may be Influenced by them
But that Is not journalism cries the evening
newsman who thinks everything can be con-
densed into paragraph. and great policy
pressed In headline. So the newsman borrows
sentence here. and msquotes statement
there. and serves up travesty OF the truth in n
form which would render the truth itself useless
There is, imagine. London journal which
takes so much trouble THE Times" any
thing like so much. to form accurate judgments
and to keep its columns clear of misleading news
or opinions. There is which is indie
pendent Of all interests except public interests.
Take South Africa, for example. on the whole.
the paper has been friendly to Mr.. Rhodes. But
If emissary from Mr.. Rhodes to Print
ing House Square with the Rhodes version of
current controversy. he would have chance
of getting his story published still less OF getting
it indorsed in a leader, until ii had been checked
and compared with information from other
sources. The conductors of this paper have ac-
cess to the Foreign Office and the Colonial Office.
They confer with the chiefs OF those offices.
They don't put pointblank questions. | imagine,
nor get pointblank answers. and they certainly
never try to interview anybody But they discuss
the matter. and the view of the Foreign Office
the Colonial Office becomes known to them.
Now. it may very often happen that what Mr..
Cecil Rhodes desires would not seem desirable 10
the men responsible for the foreign and colonial
policy of Great Britain. They must take views
even larger than the large views Of Mr. Cecil
Rhodes. The question of Deagoa Bay Is one
thing to South Africa. II is quite another thing
to an Empire which has imperial reason for
keeping on good terms with Portugal. And the
imperial, not the Rhodesan. view is the one
which must finally weigh with the Government
and with THE Times which desires. not neces-
sarily to support the Government but TO form
conclusions from imperial premises. as II 1t were
itself Government. That is what the public
expects. and what II commonly gets Mr..
Rhodes or Sli George Dibbs. or Sir Henry Parkes.
do not always allow for this and are impatient
when their own views put aside
There Is another thing 10 be considered !: il
We're seen that Mr. Rhodes could control The
Times" the support OF The Times would cease
to be useful TO him II is useful when !; i. given
because the public understands that 1t Is given
on public grounds; given because Nj RAoicss
policy is believed TO be for the interest Of the
public and Of South Africa and Of the Empire:
not because 1t is useful to Mr. Rhodes. In o;hrr
words in the conduct OF this journal. sagaciiy
and high motives 60 hand in hand That cX-
plains its authority and the want II the union
OF great char acteristics in an equal de-
gree in other Journals explains why these other
journals have less authority w. ).