The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-10-19


could with perfect truth paraphrase the
! remark and proclaim, 81 am the Sum-
No great newspaper ever published
presents SO many paradoxes. and these
reflect accurately the mind and temper
ament of its editor. Its English is clear,
polished. virile, and almost stern at
times in its adherence to prescribed
usage, and yet even its headlines will
laugh mockingly with the newest and
most fiippant slang.
In the world of books and art the Sc
Tious critical work is just, accurate and
dignified, and perhaps in the next col
umn the most fragrant violation of all
canons of literary and artistic taste will
be found handled with the same gravity
and in a style so ponderous as to be the
creator of its. own humor.
Perhaps no daily publication ever con-
tended so strenuously as the Sun for the
claim to respect that the press has on
the community, contention emphasized
in its editors public speeches, and yet in
the Suns quarrel with the New York
World thu famous Move on, Pulitzer"
editorial was bit of writing, which,
though Strong, was, to put 1T mildly.
lacking in propriety and wholly undigni-
fed. The catch phrases, too, for which
the paper is famous, such as WAS ist
losmit Coogan?" Stuffed Prophet" mo
King, no Clown" 'Tf You See 1t in the
Sun, It's So" would be thought puerile
in their daily iteration If removed from
the atmosphere of the paper in which
they appear.
Politically, the attitude of the Sun has
been such as to make one almost dizzy
in following its various changes. RI
publican at the outset of Mr.. Dana's
connection with it, the Sun in 1872 sup
ported Horace Greeley, and in this CAM
paign a. marked trait of its editor was
clearly shown. Grant was Greeley's OPP
ponent and during tbs war the general
had refused to accept some suggestion
offered by Dana, then assistant s5cre-
tary of war. The latter resented this
and laid the MATER before the president,
and the decision was favorable to Grant
This ranked in Dana's mind, and in the
columns of the Sun lIa poured forth the
walls of his hatred and wrath. Greeley
was defeated, but this Sun, having es-
poused the democratic side on the ma
tional issue. continued the same policy
in local matters and chung to Tammany
hall and Boss Tweed and championed
their cause.
The Sun supported Seymour and TIL
den, but Hancock met with nothing bet
ter than sneers In it's columns, and the
attitude of the paper toward Cleveland
and Bryan Is too fresh in the minds Of
its readers to need comment. The tariff
policy, too, of the Sun, has ever been
not little puzzling. 1t Is protectionist,
and yet during the campaign of 1890,
when this Mckinley bill was the issue,
the Sun almost humorously thrust the
force bill to the front as the really inn
portant matter before the country. The
same apparently intentional perversity
Is also Shown in tbs support of Ben But
Ter In 1884 on the greenback ticket. In
explanation of a.. Dana's persistent
attacks on Cleveland, it is said that at
one time when in Office Mr.. Cleveland re-
fused to appoint one of the EDITORS rela-
tiyes to a political position with the
remarki "Who is Dana, anyway" This
reached Dana's ear, and, true to his ma
ture never to forgive or forget, he used
his columns to avenge the sneer This
persistence in one line is apparently APP
plicable only to animosities in the case
of Mr.. Dana, for MS old-time ally, Tam
benefit of the keenest mbs Of his most
trenchant pen, and the reformers, who
represent his Brook Farm days, Were
spit;ed and rooster with daily ridicule.
But with all his Inconsistencies he was
| the greatest EDITOR of this country and
perhaps of the world, and on thaS fact
we must rest his claim to consideration
| in the world of letters, for, with the ex-
-
nothing original but editorials and a
single translation from the German,
'The Ant" published in 1848. He had,
| however, complied and edited capitally
the Household Book of Poetry" and
in collaboration with George Ripley the
| American Encyclopedias; also, with Ros-
sitter Johnson, FIFTY Perfect Poems."
Such was the man as seen in the work
| to which he had given his life. Now, as
| to the man personally. Mr.. Dana was
tall, six feet in height and proud of it,
| and caricatures of him only annoyed him
| when they represented him as diminu-
| tive in stature. Others he enjoyed and
| considered them a good advertisement.
! His tastes We're those of a man Of men,
| tai refinement. Poetry, languages, flow
ers paintings, bronzes and poncclains
were his delights, and he was always
| fattered alt the suggestion that he own
| ed the $4,000 peachblow vase. He had
| keen sense of humor and morbid
| dread of a bore, and for this reason it
was difficult, If not impossible for a
stranger ito see him during his office
| hours, which were from about IL a. m.
| to p. m. He admired old fashioned
| simplicity in business and The sole dec
| oratons OF his office consisted OF stuff
| cd owl and a bust of Horace Greeley
| His office suit was always one that had
seem better days.
BY no means an epicure, he was never
| insensible ito the pleasures of the table,
and lemon pie, he always admitted, was
| his favorite dish. He was NOT an abb
stainer from liquor, but drank temper
| ately and his beverages were cha mpagne,
| burgundy and whiskey ard water. His
religious position he himself set forth
| as follows II was brought up a Cal
whist, them I became Unitarian, then