St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-17
BUSINESS ORGANIZATION.
EXHAUSTIVE PAPER BY H. G. DAY, or
ALBERT LEA.
MANHOOD, HONOR, JUDGMENT.


Hand - Proposed Articles OF
Association of Editors and
rs-Stack's Answer.
Paper read before the Minnesota State
Editorial Association, by II. 6. Day, OF the
Albert Lea Standard. Feb. 16, 1894.
1T has bin observed that corporations
haint got emmy SOULS There is eXcep-
Shuns few this rule, for l kno ov several
that hav got the meanest kind OF souls.
After YOU hav made up yure mind
list what you are going To du, then IL
good time lew dew it."
"numin natur is the same all over the
world, cept III Nu England, and thar 1t
is aCcordin' tn circumstances"
These texts, from one of the most
unique of our modern philosophers,
perhaps find counterparts or lifting
relevance in the position and hating
purposes of the editors and publishers
OF Minnesota. There is undoubtedly
more human nature to the square mile
in This country in these days than at
any time before since the white nah
with his type, printing presses. shears,
medicine ads, patent insides and
thought factory undertook the
ambitious and Quixotic attempt TO
GiviliZe. And editors, being en-
dowed by gift and gifted by the
necessities of their case with some
what watered stock of the chief essen
tails and perQuiSiieS of mankind, nat
urally possess as complete an assert
ment OF human nature as there is in the
market. Besides, they are not parsi-
monious with it They deal 1t right
and left by the "stickful." by the col
umn. Reading" and next to reading"
and by the page. and are so bountiful
with 1t that it is no longer "accordin'
TO circumstances" as III New England,
but according 10 the circumStantlal dis
pensatiOn of the plumed natives. with
whom he Is forced 10 traffic and con-
tend, aud who have seemingly con-
certed TO resist his ameliOrating and
reciprocal hypnotic influences.
The editors and publishers, in word,
are too gOOd-natured for their own
good; they have been too seriously and
INCREASINGLY engaged III the duties and
details and public demands of their
profession and craft TO give due heed to
the centraliZlng progress and encrUach-
ments of nearly all other lines of bust
ness, or to c0nSummate an organized
and harmonious purpose to meet or
fairly counteract them. They Loyalty
beStOw their arguments and eloquence
III the cause of resisting and defending
the defenSeleSs, the weak and the unor
ganiZedagainst the undue and vigorous
rapacity of the corporations that are
said to have neglected to provide them
selves with souls; and in the eagerneSs
of their championship they learn at last
that
Men are the sport of circumstances when
The circumstances seem the sport of men,"
And thus il must not be supposed that
newspaper men have a monopoly of
human nature-Or of any other of the
varied, diverse, potential or partial
benefits of Lille and affairs. Their eX-
perience and the sphere they occupy
leads them into a school OF individual
ism, and this individualism 10 self
assertion and independence. The tend
ency and total of lheir efforts thus
naturally impel them to ilnpart these
characteristics through their newspaper
columns TO their constituents, and they
are thereby unconsciOuSy carried, step
by step, away from and against monop-
oily in all its phases, away and even
beyond the wise, benificent and safe
medium of cooperation, into the realms
Of dlScordant business effort, harmful
competitive antagonists and to position
where they are practically and sub
JectlVely the victims instead of the
masters Of their environments, the easy
prey of the careless, the indifferent, the
bold and the UVerrcacning, and the UNI
reasonable and Improbable rivals of
each other. The rich, the SagaciouS and
strong capably take care of them selves {;
they even do more. If their nineteenth
century ambition 10 become princes OF
plutOcracy is, through any reason. lin
tied by slnglehanded endeavor, they
adjust or waive their differences, COM
bine their capital and their cunning.
establish trust" in their own prOvi-
dence, and face a frowning world"
They are OmnipOtent, and the rest of
mankind, as regards the particular field
OF their peratiOnS, invOluntarily con-
tribute TO their excessive powers, their
affiuence and safety.
The sentiment that newspapers have
mission above or independent of sor-
did affairs OF business is always pleasant
10 contemplate, and to reasonable de-
gree is wise 10 foster and cultivate. The
bane of the justice-lovlng, manly and
lndependence-seeki editor is said to
be the counting room, the business side
of his work, and it must be admitted
that he who lacks the necessary ability
and executive Skill TO emancipate him.
self chiefly from its trammeis is unable
to exert the best vigor. force, frankness.
influence and usefulness in his profess
sion. Manhood, honor, self-respect and
practical business acumen and iudg-
ment, conscience and coin should go
hand in hand
But these, and all of these in unison
are lne1ectual In achieving the best sue
cess under present conditions. Excepting
alone the newspaper workers and the
farmers q
ness aud labor activity, cooperation if
not monopoly is seen to be the potent
instrument of ehdeavor and success.
The newspapers and the farmers have
thus FAR been each struggling to inde-
pendently exist by freely granting COM
petition to Others while they were persist
emily being denied its benefits: besides
they have yielded themselves to the
rest OF their fellows altogether 70
become an Atlas to support the mightler
world that cooperation and combina-
ton have created around them. These
two classes, the newspapers and the
farmers, both the noblest of producers,
the origin, the creative forces and IN.
SEPARATION OF the best manhood develop
ment, and OF the highest welfare, pro
gress and enhancement of the human
race, even these are not in accord, On
case that the newspaper. especially
from business standpoint, is in accord
with nobody but itself.
Among the more important and essen
tial business relations of the publishers
are those with the manufacturers of
printers machinery, type founders.
paper makers, dealers in ready-printed
sheets and plate matter and advertising
agents, and i'll each of these lines he is
confronted with a combination strong
and we'll fortified, harmonious. at least
fairly successful, and, while doubtless
as fairly disposed and as guiltless of
eXtortions as the average of mankind
would be under like unfortunate (N cir
cumStances, neither is placidly Willing
away the golden hours of gain for pas
time nor merely for his health. They
are in business for the sake of bus.
mess, and unresisting and incapable
thus tar of successful resistance. pub
fishers and printers, one by one. after
his own fashion, knowing the worst.
makes the best OF il; and thus these
combinations, formed for the exDresS
nUrnUSp 0f nuttiDU pnmpntitiop -.