The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-08-28
INDIVIDUALITY IN JOURNALISM.
Sound Money!

/
Sound Money!
Apropos to Wayland leaving the Com
| ing Nation an exchange improves the
| opportunity to impress it's readers in a
| labored editorial effort that the existence
| of journal is not dependent upon any
| one persons connection; that a paper
once built up through the energy and
genius of one mans peculiar style and
| vigor, gathering about him through years
! Of indefatigable effort a corps of work.
| ers, correspondents and steadfast sub
scribers, will live anyhow, no matter who
| succeeds to the place of one whose in
dividuality has been responsible for the
position it attained up to time of the
| change.
This may be plausible for a defensive
argument, but to the great class of news
paper readers there will arise questions
of doubt if there are not some excep-
tions.
True, the New York Tribune is still
alive, but no one pretends to name it
Greelys Tribune, nor has it 5 per cent
Of it's old readers still with it. When
Greedy left it, it's old subscribers did not
renew their subscriptions, but cast about
for other journals in whose columns they
breathed the inspiration of Individual
characteristics.
VIM. Lloyd Garrison published his Lib
orator, but no one felt competent to keep
it alive after he had carried it up to be
| power in the land through persecu-
ton and riot. 1t died when he quit it.
The old Indianapolis Sun shone but
dimly after the incisiye pen of James
Buchanan was Withdrawn from it's ed-
torial columns. Kate Fields Washing
| ton has died. None but Kate Field could
sustain it in its originality and spark
| ling terseness of dealing with public at
| fairs.
Who hears of the Burlington Hawkeye
since Bob Burdete and Frank Hatton left
it? 1t lives yet as an obscure local news
| gatherer, but that is all. The Chicago
Times after it's founder, WILDER F. Story,
left it never paid another dividend and
has now gone out of existence.
What more is heard of that once great
journal, the Toledo Blade, since Nasby's
death? True it has circulation, but as
for being factor in welding public SEN
timent it is never heard of. What be-
came of Bill Nye's paper after he left it
and turned his talent into other chan
nels? What influence has NJ. Quad's con-
nection or disconnectiOn had upon the
Detroit Free Press?
| Who reads the Chicago Tribune with
out thinking of the Massillonian behind
! it, Joseph Medill? Or the New York
Sun, of Chas. A. Dana? Who hears of
Plymouth pulpit since Beecher's death?
| How long would Pomeroy's Advance
| Thought run without Brick Pomeroys
pen? They all might run; they would
| have a value for some purposes There
| are plenty of pieces of horseflesh worth
| $4,000 that make good draft horses or
roadsters, but their value is not what it
| was before emasculation. Shelbyville,
| Ind, once had a paper, that so long as
| it was by it's founder was power
| and influence in county and district pol
| itics, but when the Office holders got
control and squeezed its editor out,
emasculating it's editorial page, it soon
came to naught and if we mistake not,
| expired. How many of those who for
| ten or fifteen years have been steadily
renewing would rnew again fort he old
Sentinel if Col Norton's name were taken
| from it's masthead?
What befell the Chicago Express after
Col. Heath left it? From $4,000 it
dwindled to less than 5000.
| How long would the Peoples Party
Paper of Atlanta be heard of if Tom Wat
sons name was disconnected with it? or
| the Representative without Donnelly? So
| the Coming Nation, no matter what the
causes behind it's change will have
| falling off sufficient to satisfy the most
exacting as to what relation individuality
| bears to newspaper, and should Mr..
| Wayland start anew IS per cent Of those
on the Coming Nation lists of month
| ago would in six months be back with
| him. Of course so long as the Coming Ma
ton is kept up to a strong standard it
will live, great portion of its old friends
| will not entirely desert it, but the publish
ers will often realize, when opening their
daily mail, that Wayland is not on the
paper.
Look down the line of American jour-
nails whose influence have proven import
ant factors in changing public sentiment,
and we challenge an instance that is not
| traceable to the individuality behind,
| that, unhampered by mercenary or time
serving influence has plowed it's way in
face Of storms Of public wrath to the
| realization of the objects for which its
| tireless progenitors had steadily IN view
| from the outset.
The average newspaper reader will tell
you every time that when he picks up
| periodical, aside from the current digest
Of news feels but little interest if through
| it's columns are not breathed strong in
cisive individuality.
HONEST MONEY DEFINED.
| (SOuthern Mercury)