The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-01

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help. The Richmond News was bought,
name and good will, stock and fixtures,
tE these citizens openly, in their own
names and with the avowed purpose OF
using it to rouse public sentiment and to
present the cause Of these corporations
to the public to secure from them a fair
showing. In other WORDS, the citizens
behind these corporations preferred TO
deal openly and publicly, rather than to
tlust TO secret methods and private IN
t1uences.
Single-handed, the Richmond News
made and won fight after hight. One or
these was against the continuance OF lour
tracks and the mule cars on Broad Street
Another was aaginst the proposition that
Passenger and Power Company cars
should be run over Traction Company
tracks in Broad Street, while the Trac-
ticn cars should be denied access to Main
Street. Another was for the nseation and
perfection Of a system Of mutual trans
lerS between the rival companies, pro-
tecting passengers from the necessity Of
paying two fares. Another was for the
extension of the Traction lines on Church
Hill. The Richmond News was left alb
solutely a free newspaper. All that was
asked OF its management by it's owne1s
was that the interests of the public should
DC 1alrly considered and that position
should be taken as those interests seemed
to direct 1t was free at any time, when
It's management felt that the course of
the Traction Company or the Develop
ment Company was contrary to the pub
lie interest, to oppose that course. That
vas the distinct understanding from the
first. AS it happened, the positions OF
these two companies were SO manifestly
fci,. CT o,,1 20, Ito vol p q
that the public sustained them with prac-
teal unanimity. Everybody in the city
was with the Richmond News and the
two companies, except the representatives
OF the opposing companies and the other
three Richmond Newspapers. The results
have come in the shape of street-car,
lighting and power service such no
other city in the country Of Richmonds
size is favored with. Consolidation has
followed, but it has come on terms which
make it impossible that any Of this prop
erty shall be wrecked or that the public
shall be deprived of the service it now
enjoys
All this has been brought obout by open
dealing with the public and open appeals
TO 1t through one newspaper. Not one of
the other three has lifted a finger or con-
trlbuted an ounce Of weight in these
fights in which Richmond enterprises
side and a foreign corporation of I'M
savory record on the other.
1t appears to us that the occas sion for
blushing and shame is more especially on
the Richmond Times. That newspaper
has posed as the knight Grant of Rich
| mond journalism. For a newspaper to
eSpouSe any cause for hire is infamous.
1t is even more infamous, however, for
| q newspaper to shrink from advocacy Of
! manifest and indsputable public inter-
| ests for fear Of losing business or for
| favor to individuals.
| Our esteemed contemporary, The
| Times, appears to,5us to have encoun-
| tered the difficulty which usually over
takes those who attempt to play two
| widely divergent characters simultane-
| ously. Beginning as knight Grant. rid
| ing boldly and at full tilt against the
| free silver windmill, it encountered a
| fall which apparently jumbled it's ideas
| hopelessly. 1t is now Don QuiNote, ex-
| avagantly pure Realistically high and
| beautiful in theory, on one side; and on
| the other, village shopkeeper, seeking
with small tricks and busy whispers to
| 1njure and take advantage of compet-
itors. Sir Galahad in teaching and the
peddler in practice-one eye raised to
shining and transcendental heights of
glorious principle and purpose the other
fshily fixed on Sordd and little consld-
erations-proclaiming virtue in it's grand
est aspects. practicing malice in it's
smallest form.
| And it has hitched en- to itself a Sanclo
| Panza in the shape of the Leader, a
| harmless and simple little attendant. des-
| titute of motive and mostly stomach.
We have gone into this matter at
| some length because the best way to
| meet insinuation is open and fu.4 state
| ,nent of the exact truth. To further
crafty the apparent curiosity of The
! Times. we may az that - Richmond
News having developed as business
| enterprise, apart from its special function
| Of providing a voice for the interests
| of the Richmond public in some special
| matters. is now conducted on mat oasis.
| IT has made arrangements with the Rich-
mond Dispatch Company, which were for
| me advantage of both. l. represents
| no snecial interests, is not owned OF
| controlled by any corporation and ex-
pects to continue to succeed by printing
| the best and brightest afternoon news
| naner in the South, by serving nobody
| h,t the n,blic and being afraid of no.
| hody-not even ,-le pubic
And now is the time to subscribe
Richmond News, April 3Oth.
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