The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-01
THE LONDON TIMES.
Greatest Paper in the World.

Something Concerning Its Methods, Apro-
pos of the Death of John Walter the
Third.
| Some things worth knowing concern
| ing the management of the LONDON
| Times are told no doubt truly, by that
| indefatigable and volum1nous newspaper
| correspondent, Mr.. Smalley of the New
York Tribune. The tale of course is
apropos OF the death of John Walter tile
third, its proprietor, and grandson OF the
founder of what is still the most power
full journal of the world The big papers
of New York, which multiply vast
waste of pages to accumulate vulgar
sensationalism and all the triyiality and
evil of the day would not accept this.
for they have departed far from the
honorable example of this pioneer OF
journalism. 1t is true that the Times
made one serious break in its record, IN
the very line of vicious sensations which
its traditions should have taught 1t to
avoid, when it accepted without invests
cation the Pigot letters; there for once
Uuc l. lilies WAS ONCICOAC ny La Aui Oh
prejudice The lesson was severe enough,
it brought it's penalty; and it will be
long before the Times forgets itself again
in any such fashion. Yet even now it
is probably true that, as Mr.. Smalley
says, there is no single influence so po-
tent in English life as the Times. Mr..
Smalley speaks of journalism as de-
spised profession in England, and pro-
| ceeds to say:
"Mr. Walter, however, belonged to that
branch of the profession which wins re-
spect by making money. If he was a
| or mere editor. He was proprietor.
| journalism was to him among other
| things, an enterprise of commerce. He
| inherited fortune and his position on
| the Times. He was an hereditary jour
| nalist, as other men in this country are
| hereditary legislators. He strengthened
| his position and increased his fortune
| by business sagacity. If he had not been
a strong man he could have done Meth
er.
But it is also to he said of him that
ne did not use the superiorities OF his
position to the detriment of the inferior
persons who helped make his paper. He
was just and considerable. writer, or
| whatever he might be, who served the
| paper faithfully was held to have claim
| on it by mere length OF service. There is
rot case on record where as an old SER
| want of the Times mad been turned into
| the street, or dismissed with either
| abruptness OF violence; still less with
| ienominy. If it became necessary to dis
| miss, it was the rule of the office that the
| dismissal should be considerable, and
| pension was awarded as of right.
The men on the paper have always felt
| their position secure, and this is true of
compositors and printers and employees
| all kinds, as well as of those concerned
| in intellectual or editorial work. Mr..
| Walter might seem to the outsider hard
| or austere. Everybo iy in his employ
ment knew that he was just and more
| than just. His liberalities and ger erosi-
| ties were constant. | have known some
| thing of tine history of the Office for
| SONS years pdSt-pOlh iAOAO Ohoh iiOSo
outsiders-I know how Mr.. W tier
| showered benefits on those about him,
| and I think no man under him ever had
70 complain of an injustice. He was the
| ,rbiter of every mans fate, and every
nan knew that his fate was in safe and
honorable hands.
| There is much to say about Mr. Walter
| personally, but it is impossible to sep a.
rate him from the journal with which
| he was identified and which was identi-
| fed with HIN. He must be judged very
/ largely by what he did as journalist.
| when his father died the aims which had
| governed him were described in the
| FINES as follow: sa
| To recognize commerce and industry as
the true source of the greatness of Eng
i land: to uphold the cause OF humaui ty
| and freedom; to spare 40 efforts in the
collection OF intelligence anu no pains in
occurring it's accuracy and authenticity;
to discuss public affairs with moderation
good sense, and sinRle-minded regard
for the welfare of the country, the sta
bility of it's institutions and the mainte-
nance of its position among the great
powers of the world-in word, to look
at all public affairs, and all matters
which concern or interest the public
with the eyes of an English citizen OF
virtue, good sense, and Intelligence, and
to express judgments upon them in 8
style not unworthy of our noble English
tongue; these were the principles which
John Walter, the founder of the Times
impressed upon his journal, and these
are the principles which have made the
| Times what 1t IS.
do not think that too strongly stated
1t is, with the exception of the first
phrase, ali adequate statement of a high
ideal. If anybody desires to judge fol
himself how high it is, let him consider
how many journals there are to whom il
would appeal of whom it could be truly
affirmed that they do in the main live
I'D TO that ideal. and act on those high
principles. 1t is true also to say that
they were inherited by the third john
Walter, who has just died, and that,
while he abated nothing of their sub
stance, he strove steadily to improve ths
form in which they were embodied.