Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-08-31

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 a
column of conspicuous advertising and
paying for it a very large price.
Edward Norman laid this letter dowr
very tho,zghtfully, and then after mo-
ment he took up copy Of his paper
and looked through the advertising col
umns. There was no connection inn
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 learned 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's 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 liquorg
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 ono Of the best paying sources of
revenue. What would the paper do if
it cut these ont? Gould it live? That
was the question. Bnt-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 a prayer for help and wisdom
he asked Clark tc come into the Office.
Clark came in feeling that the paper
was at a crisis and prepared for almost
anything'after his Monday morning ex-
perience. This was Thursday.
"Clark, = said Norman, speaking
slowly and carefully. 81 have been
looking at our advertising columns and
have decided to iispensewith some of
the matter as soon as the contracts run
out. l wish You would notify the adj
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 very
serious air. a. s..--. (.
This will mean great loss to The
!. News. How long do You think you can
keep this sort of thing up?' Clark was
astonished at the EDITORS action and
could not understand it.
{ "Clarll,s do you think if Jesus were
/ the editor and proprietor of a daily pa
per in Raymond he would print adver-
tisements Of whisky and tobacco in it p
Clark looked at his chief with that
(, same look Of establishment which had
greeted the question before.
"Wells no; Idonit suppose he would.
But what has that to do with u.s. We
| can't do as hcwould. Newspapers can I
| 10 iuu vi any SUCH OASIS.
.Why not?'A asked Edward Norman
quietly.
| "Why not? Because they will lose
more money than they make; that S
all !" Clark spoke out with an irritation
i that he really felt 1--WE shall certainly
bankrupt the paper with this sort Of
business policy"
"Do you think SOL" 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:
| "You may direct Marks to do as
said, believe it is what Jesus would
do, and, as I told you, Clark, that is
what have promised to try to do for O
year. regardless of what the results
may be to me. 1 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 anewspaper. There are some
other advertisements of doubtful
character | shall study into. Mean.
while i feel a conviction in regard tt
these that cannot be silenced.
Clark went back to his desk feeling
as if he had been in the presence of {
very peculiar person.
He could not grasp the meaning of il
all. He felt enraged and alarmed. He
was sure any such policy would ruiz
the paper as soon as it became generally
known that the editor was trying to de
everything by such an absurd mora
standard. What would become Of bust
ness if this standard were adopted2 II
would upset every custom and intro
duce endless confusion. It was simply
foolishness, it was downright idiocy
SO Clark said No himself, and whe1
Marks was informed of the action hs
seconded the managing editor will
some very forcible calculations What
was the matter with the chief9 Wa.
ne insane? Was he going to bankrupt
the whole business?
But Edward Norman had not faced
his most serious problem.
When he came down to the Office Fri
day morning, he was confronted will
the usual programme for the Sunday
morning edition. The News was one o.