The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-15

IT. reply 10 a recent article in the Dan
| willie Register on the ethics Of popularity.
we said that we were slow 20 impeach
any mans motive. but that when VIC
found candidate before the people for
ever on the popular side, who changed
his views az public sentiment changes
that he might run with the crowd, we
could not but suspect that such a man
would rather be Popular than right. Tie
Register admits that the suspicion OF The
Times IS quite natural, and too often
well founded, but says that II IS neither
an irresistible conclusion. nor a demon
strated truth. for crowds are made W
% individuals and If there be sucn
thing as an honest, popular cry subject
TO honest change. then there must be
honest individuals who are in honest
accord with the crowd. and who change
with the crowd. "But when a man IS
always and persstenuy on the unpopular
side Of every public question" orr con
temporary goes on to say. when he al
ways runs counter TO the crowd and leads
in an unpopular cry. when he changes
his principles every time the crowd
changes. so as never to be in accord with
Il, we cannot help suspecung either
that such a man had rather be unpopular
than be right, or that he thinks what is
popular is false or that he affects un-
popularity as an indication Of sound
thinking"
The case which our contemporary sup.
poses is a most improbable one We
have never known such a man. and II
our contemporary has such a man IN
mind. It is thinking Of a crank. and not
Of a man Of common sense and indie
pendence who studies public questions
and honestly and fearlessly endeavors to
ascertain the right or the wrong side
thereof
Speaking FOR The Times It is a fact
that we have more than once been on
the unpopular side. but as We told our
contemporary in a former article. it was
not through choice. The Register says
that it is not always profitable for "a
newspaper TO be liked by the great body
of the people and that # Is sometimes
profitable for newspaper 20 stand FOO
with the corporations. That is not our
observation. A newspaper that is popu-
lar will be taken by the people and The
newspaper that has large circulation
and is a welcome visitor TO the homes
Of its readers. giving news Of such a
character as TO entertain them. ana
editorial opinions Of such a character as
TO impress them and to give them con-
fdence in it's sound judgment, will not
only receive q large revenue in subscrip-
lions, but will command the very best
paying advertising patronage. Adyer-
Using is a matter of business, and bust
ness men. however conscientious they
may be. are going to advertise in that
newspaper which gives them the best re-
suits.
On the contrary. the newspaper which
depends upon corporations for IT'S pat
ronage cannot expect to have very many
readers. and every newspaper man knows
that the advertising patronage Of cor
porauons in this day is small II our
contemporary knows Of genuinely pop
ular newspaper that IS not successful. or !
IL it knows Of a successful newspaper !
that has made itself peculiarly the organ /
Of corporations and has depended upon |
them for It's support. 80 knows more than /
we know.
But there IS popularity and popularity /
There is an evanescent popularity, which /
any specious demagogue may for a while /.
obtain. and there is a lasting popularity /
which may be obtained only through
wise and conscientious adherence 10 right |
convictions. But newspaper may be
conscientious. and yet Doe wrong in the
course that it pursues and II So Il Will
fail. for while the public may have re-
spoct for its integrity. It VIII not have re-
spect for its judgment, and its capacity
20 analyze public questions. But the
which takes the right side Of
a question and plumbs the track regard
less OF popular clamor will eventually
be indicated, and when the people as
certain for themselves as sooner or later
they will ascertain. that the paper was
not only conscientious. but right, they
will certainly come up to its support
In 1896, The Times took the unpopular
side of the money question. We had
studied the question, we believed we
were right. and we stood our ground.
Our vindication has come. We were
right. and the people are rapidly finding
it out for themselves. We are to-day on
the popular side Of the money question,
not perhaps as local politicians like to
view II, but certainly as thoughtful men
view it. We are on the popular side Of
he question Of Imperialism The people
IF this country do not concur I'm the sem
iment recently expressed that We have
'outgrown the constitution" Without
going further into detail. The Times is
o-day on the popular side Of almost
very prominent question before the
American public Yet The Times has
not changed ore jot or one title from
he position that it has occupied from
he beginning. We mention that not by