The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-07
ESTIMATE OF MIR. GODKIN.
An Editor Of Force, but Of the Most
Extreme Partisanship.
The Bookman.

The Bookman.
is rather difficult to believe. that Mr.. God
kin himself took little interest in the events
OF the day, or at least In the report OF
them as they came through the daily news
papers. 1t is said that ii was his habit to
come down to his editorial Office entirely
uniformed as to what had taken place
during the preceding twenty-four hours,
and that some member OF the stan would
then coach him and suggest to him that he
might do well to write a leader on this,
that, or the other topic Of the hour; where
upon Mr.. Godkin would perhaps express a
certain amount of surprise at the particu-
lar event in question, and would proceed
to formulate his own ideas in relation to
the subject. But while the immediate topic
might fail TO interest him greatly. there
were, as every reader Of the Post well
knows, large number Of particular ques-
lions upon which he always felt most
strongly, and over which discussion never
failed to strike fire from his intellect and
to bring gall and NORWOOD to his pen.
1t was when he was writing OF these that
he was at his best, and In another way also
at his worst-at his best in the fervor and
strength and penetration of his exposition
and argument. and at his worst in his un-
sparing bitterness and relentlessness. 1t Is
strange that so highly cultivated a man,
and one who had for so many years stood
forth as a public character, should never
have acquired the grace of tolerance, that
he should never have been able to recog-
niZe anything that was good in those who
were opposed to him, and that he could
see nothing in their policy and motives ex-
cept folly, or malice, or baseness. or In
competence. Mr. Godkin, SO far as We are
aware, and speaking Of him purely in his
editorial capacity, not only felt that he
himself could do no wrong, but that men
of other views could do no right. He
would never frankly and fairly and con-
spicuously admit an error; and 1t is in this,
truest explanation of why he failed so
often to convince. and why his influence
was proportionately much less than that
which his remarkable ability would natur-
ally have won for him.
How powerful was his grasp upon the
policy of the paper which he edited can best
be shown by the extraordinary change that
Is noticeable in 1t since his retirement Only
a day or two after his active connection
with it ceased the fall elections took place
and resulted on The whole in popular ver-
dict in favor of the policy of expansion.
On the next day the Post discussed the re-
suit of the election in an editorial which
must have made all habitual readers Of that
paper open wide their eyes with real as
constituent. 1t was an editorial written
with as much neatness and point or force
as Mr.. Godkin's leading articles possessed.
and in its expression of opinion il was
quite in line with the policy which he had
always advocated. But what difference
in its spirit and its tone! 1t frankly ac-
knowledged the true meaning Of the popu-
lar verdict at the polls: 1t interpreted that
verdict with perfect comprehension, and
1t discussed 1t without any bitterness and
without the slightest tinge of pessimisrl.
but with something of the hopefulness and
courage which animate the typical Ameri-
can. In point of fact, the Evening Post has
ceased to scold. and has begun to be not
only fair, but genial. We confess that
those who have read the Post so long I'M
der Mr.. Godkin's editorship as to have ac-
CURED certain mental habits will possibly
look back with wistfulness to the sort OF
editorial that he used to write. and II Is not
improbable that the gain to that journal
by its new infusion Of mellowness and gen.
crosby will be Offset by a loss OF strength
and of individuality. However this may be.
we simply note the facts as We understand
them. and we record once more our sincere
belief when We say that American journal
ism will be the poorer for Mr. Godkin' s
withdrawal from the Post.