The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-07-30
The influence Of the Editor
lRichmnnd Times

The Virginia Press Association,
nt l.uray. brings the attention
Of the public again 10 the large
part played in the life Of any community
or people by its editors Not only does
the editor prepare for sale sheet which
supplies the readers with IA record Of
current events-sOmething that while
once was n luxury IL now necessity
even for the simplest-but he also prepares
| from hi- own standpoint, which is often,
? il not always, that Of his clients, "A criti-
cism ON the relationship Of the various
| happenings Of the day TO each other and
| the community. IL has been the fashion
| for some time to decry the warning
mower of the editor, and we are Obliged
| 10 admit that there is perhaps today
no editor in the world ~ such whose
power EQUALS that which was swayed by
| Mr. Delnne. who. az editor Of London
| Times. for many years had more power
| than any cabinet minister in England.
| As the London Spectator says, II Mr.
| Delane who had this power when his
own personality was lost under the name
Of the Times, has been known ~ an in
diyidual who spoke only to voters with
| possessions and property qualification,
| his flower would have OyershadOwed
that Of the whole administration. 1t
was not until Golden attacked Mr..
Delane by name through the public press
that the name Of the editor of the Times
was known. Until then the paper had been
publshed by an unknown personality,
| whose name was simply The Times
I'm America however, the name of Dana
was known almOstfrOm the first, ~ was
also the name of Horace Greeley, and
when they were at their zenith Of power,
the public sat down To read their papers
each day, feeling convinced that the over
mastering personality Of the editor was
holding a personal talk with them
To-day the trend in large papers is UNI
| doubtedly towards an placement OF the
| individuality Of the editor and an en-
hancement Of the principle or object for
which the paper stands. Business man
ayers Of the large papers are well known
but the editor is an unknown quantity,
no matter how clearly the paper may
adhere To any set Of principles. This
growth Of anOnimityin the larger papers
has not been followed by the country
sheets. for there the editor il known
| personally and his ideas are canvassed
az the essays OF an individual, whose
| point Of view is understood. IL Is OF IN
| terest to know that this loss of indivld-
uality by the larger papers has been ne
| companied by lack OF power on the part
of the large papers TO express public
sentiment IL seems TO be true
that the papers which have alone
been able to grasp the trend oil
| the popular opinion in such striking ex-
| amples az free silver and Imperialism
were the smaller papers, published IN
rural communities They pointed out the
| iree-silyer question AZ live and vital
issue. when to the larger papers OF the
| great centres, as New York and Chicago,
| il appeared only rs the wild aspirations
of a Jew Populists. The small papers of
| California also pointed out the danger OF
imperialism within a few weeks after
Dewey sunk the Spanish fleet ut Manila.
And it il the opinion OF Mr.. Pierce, the edl-
tor of Public Opinion, that the only true
way to-day of determining the real trend
OF the public thought is to be found IN the
papers ofcomparatively small circulation,
whose editors are not only the editors,
but the personal friends OF the commu-
nifty in which they live.
The Virginia Press Association has
performed n good work, and we trust
that the editors may continue to sup
ply the needs of the newspaper-read-
ing public with financial success To
themselves and continued benefit to their
readers.