The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-12-27


their treatment from q nonpartlsan ana
moral standpoint The News will not be
able to pay its operating expenses I'M
less one factor in Raymond can be de-
pended or.
He paused moment, and the room
was very quiet Virginia seemed spe-
cially Interested Her face glowed with
interest. 1t was like the interest Of "a
person who had been thinking hard Of
the same thing Norman went on now
to mention.
ssThat one factor is the Christian
element in Raymond. Say The News
has lost heavily from the dropping off
of people who do not care for a Chris
tian daily and from others who simply
look upon a newspaper as a purveyor
of all sorts of material to anuse and
interest them. are there enough genu-
inc Christian people in Raymond who
Will rally t. the support of a paper
such as Jesus would probably edit, or
are the habits of the people so firmly
established in their demands for the
regular type of journalism that they
will not take paper unless it is strip
ped largely of the Christian and moral
purpose? may also say in this fellow
ship gathering that, owing tc recent
complications in my business affairs
outside of my paper, I have been
obliged to lose large part of my for
tune I have had to apply the same rule
of Jesus probable conduct to certain
transactions with other men who did
not apply it to their conduct, and the
result has been the loss Of a great deal
of money.
Gas I understand. the promise we
made, we were not to ask any questions
about will it pay?' but all our ac-
ton was to be based on the one ques-
ton, What would Jesus do?' Acting
on that rule of conduct, have been
obliged to lose nearly all the money l
have accumulated in my paper. 1t IS
not necessary for me to go into details.
There is no question with me now, aft
er the three weeks experience l have
had. that great many men would lose
vast sums Of money under the present
system of business if this rule Of Jesus
we're honestly obeyed. I mention my
loss here because have the fullest faith
in the final success of a daily paper
conducted on the lines have recently
laid down, and I had planned to put
into it my entire fortune in order to
win final success. AS it is now, unless,
as I said, the Christian people Of Ray
mond, the church members and profess
ing disciples, will support the paper
with subscriptions and advertisements, l
cannot continue its publication on the
present basis. %
Virginia asked question. She had
followed Mr.. Norman confession with
the most intense eageraess.
.'Do you mean that Christian daily
ought to be endowed with q large sum.
like Christian college. in order to
make it pay?''
THAT is exactly what I mean. I
have laid out plans for putting into The
News such variety of material, IN
such strong and truly interesting
way, that it would more than make up
for whatever was absent from Its col
umns in the way OF un-Christian mat
ter. but my plans called for a very large
outlay of money. ! am very confident
that q Christian daily such as jesus
would approve, containing only what
he would print, can be made to succeed
financially if it is planned to the right
lines, but it will take a large sum OF
money to work out the plans. >
s'How much do you think?'' asked
Virginia quietly.
Edward Norman looked at her keen
", and his face flushed moment as an
idea of Virginia's s purpose crossed his
mind. He had known her when she was
little girl in the Sunday school. and
he had been on intimate relations IN
business with her father
Il should say half million dollars
in town like Raymond could be well
spent in the establishment of paper
such as we have in mind he answered,
and his voice trembled a little. The
keen look on Edward Norman S grlzzied
face flashed out with a stern but thor
oughly Christian anticipation of great
achievements in the world Of newspaper
life as it had opened up to him within
the last few seconds.
Then. said Virginia, speaking as
if the thought were fully considered.
II am ready to put that amount OF
money into the paper on the one condl-
ton, Of course. that it be carried on as
it has been begun.
Thank God.'' exclaimed Henry
Maxwell softly. Edward Norman was
pale. The rest were looking at Virginia.
She had more to say.
Dear friends :" she went on. and
there was a sadness in her voice that
made an impression on the rest that
deepened when they thought it over
afterward, 81 do not want any Of you
to credit me with an act of great gen
erosity or philanthropy. l have come
to know lately that the money which 1
NOT NC oyI-Y,