The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-07-05
HORACIl GREELEY.
His Remarkable influence in the
Newspaper World.
An Outline Of the Success which Attend
Cd His EiSorts rs an Eiitor--Frsg-
ments OF His Pnper's
History.

menss OF His Pnper's
History.
Mr.. Greeley was the sole proprietor of
tie New York Tribune when II first ap-
sIsearcd, says writer in that paper, but,
eppreciating his obligations, in about
three months he associated with him
Thomas McElrath as a partner and
business manager. About fifteen thon-
sand copies were then being circulated
and the success Of the venture was as
sured 1t had started as penny pa
lnr, but at the beginning Of its second
year the price was raised TO two cents,
and the weekly receipts supplied con
stantly increasing surplus over expen-
disures. In these earliest years three
other notable men, in addition to Mr.
Greeley and Mr.. Raymond, were at
tached to the enterprise. One Of these
was Bayard Taylor, another Charles A.
Dana and the third George Jones Mr..
Taylor and Mr.. Dana were employed in
the editorial rooms, and Mr.. Jones sold
papers over the counter. The cam
paign Of 1s44 brought the Tribune into
the full measure of public favor. Mr..
Greeley loved Henry Clay as man and
admired him beyond comparison as .
statesman Noone of the vast army OF
MIR. Clay's ardent champions worked
with such zeal and devotion as the
editor Of the Tribune. Personally and
through the paper he argued and
pleaded night and day, and every night
and every day, and it may be doubted il
his grief and bitterness in the hour of
his own defeat, twenty-eight years
later, were SO keen and deep as the
sorrow with which he announced to
his renders the overwhelming defeat Of
Henry Clay, From that moment the
batteries OF the Tribune were turned
upon the shareholders and the abolition
aritators in almost equal degree. Its
Fixed policy was the identification OF
the whig party with the cause Of
freedom. The Polk administration
was opposed with stnrdiness and
vigor. The annexation OF Texas
end the Mexican war brought
csit d steady fire Of protest, and If as
rejects they were not beaten, certain
ii they were shorn of their worst aDabi-
tions, and their worst results were pre-
vented. During this period Of the
Tribune history, from the democratic
triumph Of 1874 to the whig victory Of
1S4S, it took its place as the leading
American newspaper. 1t was filled
With great achievements. Mr.. Dana
sss managing editor, and its news de-
yssrtment was remarkably interesting
and complete. Mr.. Taylor was supply
ing his famous letters from Germany
Science, social philosophy and CONNER
ciai affairs were handled with marvellous
skill. and already the paper had won its
way into the affections of thoughtful
and patriotic people. 1t was during
this time that Fanny Fern wrote an il
Illustrative account of the attitude helt
toward ii by all sorts and kinds Of tht
population. She had sent ont for {
copy, but ner messenger mad returned
without it. The newsstand suppliei
were exhausted. So she undertook t
find one herself, and. coming present.,
upon s'an old huckster man. seatet
under huge, faded umbrella in th'
sun, she asked If he had a Tribune.
mo, ma'am,n he said. decidedly
And then, as the authoress told it, thi
conversation ensued:
Why, yes you haver said !, layinI
my hand on tine desired number.
wen, you can't have that, ma'am,
lie replied. for ] haven't read it my
self.
I But m give you three cents for IL
.t'Nopr
sFour!' $1,000.
Y sNopr
sssTen!'
No; you couldn't get It for one do
lar. It's the only copy I've got LEFT
and / won't sell it till I've had tn
chance TO read 1t through myselfs
sYou should have seen. said Fam
Fern, concluding, ''the shapeless ha
the mosaic coat, the tattered vest an
the amazing trousers that were edl
Gated up to that Tribune, !"
This sight was not rare one as th
years went on. The Tribune was
class paper, but the class was not d
termined by the kind Of clothes peopl
wore or the amount of money the
could command. Brains and consciens
were the qualities to which the Tribur
appealed, and wherever they lived
found !, lflorue