Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-09-07

Here followed the name of one Of
Normans old friends, the editor Of a
daily in an adjoining town.
My Dear Mr.. Norman-I hasten TO write you a
note OF appreciation for the evident carrying out
OF your promise. 1t is a splendid beginning and
no one feels the value Of it better than do.
know something OF what it will cost you but not
all. Your pastor. HsSRr MAXWELL.
One letter which he opened immedi
ately after reading this from Maxwell
revealed to him something of the loss to
his business that possibly awaited him
Mr. Edward Norman, Editor OF The Daily News;
Dear Sir-At the expiration Of my advertising
limit you will do me the favor not TO continue as
you have done heretofore. | inclose check for
payment in full and shall consider my account
with your paper closed after date. Very truly
yours, -.
Here followed the name of one of the
largest dealers in tobacco in the city.
He had been in the habit Of inserting q
column of conspicuous advertising and
paying for it very large price.
Edward Norman laid this letter down
very thoughtfully, and then after a mo-
ment he took up a copy Of his paper
and looked through the advertising col
umns. There ws,s no connection i'm.
piled in the tobacco merchants letter
between the omission of the prizefght
and the withdrawal of the advertise
ment, but he could not avoid putting
the two together. In point of fact, he
afterward leariAd that the tobacco deal
er withdrew his advertisement because
he had heard that the editor of The
News was about to enter upon some
queer reform policy that would be GER
tain to reduce its subscription list.
But the letter directed Norman at
tention to the advertising phase Of his
paper. He had not considered this be-
fore AS he glanced over the columns
he could not escape the conviction that
Jesus could not permit some of them in
his paper. What would Jesus do with
that other long advertisement Of liquor
Raymond enjoyed a system of high Ii
cense, and the saloon and the billiard
hall and the beer garden were part of
the city's Christian civilization. He
was simply doing what every other
business man in Raymond did, and it
was one of the best paying sources of
revenue. What would the paper do if
1t cut these outl Could it live? That
was the question. But-was that the
question, after all What would Jesus
do?" That was the question he was an
swering, or trying to answer, this week.
Would Jesus advertise whisky and to-
bacco in his paper?
Edward Norman asked it honestly,
and after prayer for help and wisdom
he asked Clark to come into the office
Clark came in feeling that the paper
was at crisis and prepared for almost
anything after his Monday morning ex-
perience. This was Thursday.
CLARK, said Norman, speaking
slowly and carefully, II have been
looking at our advertising columns and
have decided to dispense with some of
the matter as soon as the contracts run
out. wish you would notify the ad-
vertising agent not to solicit or renew
the ads. have marked here.
He handed the paper with the marked
places over to Clark, who took it and
looked over the columns with q very
serious air
"This will mean great loss to The
News. How long do you think you can
keep this sort of thing upf" Clark was
astonished at the editors action and
could not understand it.
CLARK, do you think if Jesus We're
the editor and proprietor of a daily pa
per in Raymond he would print adver
tisements of whisky and tobacco in it 2"
Clark looked at his chief with that
ssme look of astonishment which had
greeted the question before.
"Weli, no; don't suppose he would.
But what has that to do with us? We
can't do as he would. Newspapers can t
be run on any such basis. "
why not?" asked Edward Norman
quietly.
"Why not2 Because they will lose
more money then they make that $
all" Clark spoke out with an irritation
that he really felt 1--WE shall certainly
bankrupt the paper with this sort of
business policy"
"Do you think so2" Norman asked
the question not as if he expected an
answer, but simply as if he were talk
Ing with himself After a pause he
said:
lyon may direct Marks to do as
said. l believe it is what Jesus would
do, and, as told you, Clark, that is
what have promised to try to do for a
year, regardless of what the results
may be to me. ! cannot believe that by
any kind of reasoning we could reach
a conclusion justifying Jesus in the ad-
vertisement in this age Of whisky and
tobacco in newspaper. There are some
other advertisements Of doubtful
character / shall study into. Mean
while feel conviction in regard to
these that cannot be silenced "
Clark went back to his desk feeling
as if he had been in the presence of a
very peculiar person.
He could not grasp the meaning Of il
all. He felt enraged and alarmed. He
was sure any such policy would ruin
the paper as soon as it became generally
known that the editor was trying to dc
everything by such an absurd moral
standard. What would become of bust
ness If this standard We're adopted2 II
would upset every custom and intro
duce endless confusion. 1t was simply
foolishness, it was downright idiocy,
so Clark said to himself, and wher
Marks was informed of the action he
seconded the managing editor with