The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-18
CHARLES A. DANA,

Journalism lost a man OF great power,
forceful personality, genius in pre-
sentation Of news, by the death of
was left of the men Of an older era, who
made great newspapers because of ele-
ments of greatness in themselves.
Greeley and Raymond-are only names
to the younger generation now. When
one hears mention of Pulitzer he never
thinks of a journalist, but Of a news
paper scavenger, whose title to glory
rests upon his fame as the creator of
the school of yellow journalism" OF
Hearst one never thinks at all. The
modern newspaper no longer rests upon
the reputation of a single man, to
whom it is a sort Of glorified append
age. The world, grown wiser and more
thoughtful, is apt to measure the man
by his newspaper rather than the
newspaper by the man.
Charles A. Dana, however, was sur
vival of the former era. He was a man
Of great qualities, with the gift in his
youth of imagination and aspiration
that carries us back to the age of
heroes in American letters; to Brook
Farm and the wide horizon of univer-
sal human brotherhood and devotion to
ideals. If he lived to recorder those
upon a lower plane, there did not at
i. IL. H.
He was, to the end, an original figure,
and he held the New York Sun, despite
his cratic nature, his bitter resent
ments and his extraordinary political
evOlutions across party lines, a great
newspaper. 1t has never ceased to
carry the impress of the man who fash
new traditions and new methods; and,
because he stamped upon it irresfstibly
something of his peculiar individuality,
it has never failed to be interesting
even when it was most wrong; has
never forgotten the province of the
newspaper to cater to sensationalism
or morbidity.
Two very different men have passed
in Dana the man and Dana the editor.
To the latter every man who knows a
newspaper from a waste basket will al
ways do honor. He knew how to pre-
sent the items of the wonderful con-
slomeration of the days doings with
the skill of the true craftsman The
columns of the Sun, under his direc-
ton, were never padded with worthless
matter, were always models of conden-
sation compacted into a symmetrical
whole. He set standard which it re-
quired genius to compel even his
sUbCrdinates to follow AS an editorial
writer he was possessed of a facle wit,
a singularly biting and felicitous sar-
casm, capability to sting with a gibe
and slaughter with an epithet that will
long be the wonder if not always the
his views of public policy were almost
Gnerringly in direct opposition to those
of reformers and believers in political
progress and purity Whatever has
seemed to promise most for the nation
and the race has been sure to meet the
opposition of the Sun. AS an editorial
writer he did not know how. on any
question, to be fair. AS a man, he
commanded the respect and admiration
of all and the affection of many That
he was a patriot and devoted believer
in America and all that it implies does
not admit of a doubt. But he was a
conservative of the conservatives. The
old ways, the grooves that had been
'wCrn to breaking by the restless move
ment of the years, were dearest to him.
And very impishness of perversity
has seemed to set him in deadly, cruel
embittered hostility to men and move
ments that had behind them the best
impulses of our race and time. Yet
there needed only a great issue, pal
pably attacking our institutions at
their fount, to stir him to a fire pas
sion of enthusiasm for his country and
her cause.
1t was only the knowledge of the
power and the fneness of the man that
lay beneath the cratic caprice of the
editor that kept him interesting; and
added to this has been curiosity to
know what this master of ridicule and
invective would have to say. For his
silence was never to be predicted. He
was fearless, and that is a quality for
which much may be forgiven. He
was always virile. an originator, a
leader. With great qualities and great
faults, he has passed from the unique
position that he filled in the world of
men and letters; and the particular
place that he occupied in American
journalism will not easily be filled.
STILL BENIGHTED.
We had hoped and expected, when