The Washington times., 1902-12-17

caught my vision and Boston was the
center OF the world TO me for many
years thereafter. But in all the air cas-
ties OF those old days-and I do not mind
telling you that they absorbed me soul
and body-in all these fancies / never
pictured myself as the owner OF a Bos-
ton newspaper. much less the owner Of
the great Boston Journal And IL was
great as newspapers went az that sine
and great as a continent TO my boy eyes.
My ambition was practically bOundless
/ am certain; but the ownership of such
a newspaper. and in such a city, was
beyond all earthly hope. I should have
had positive contempt for an air castle
that had suggested such thing. It
would have been mockery. cruel, grin
ming mockery. and nothing else.
Because / was a dreamer as boy.
fancied l was good for nothing. Every
body said that a dreamer was good for
nothing. and I accepted the statement
as gospel. Realizing that / was very
much up against IL. I set about trying
10 drive away these visions Of a bright
er and more beautiful world. But ]
made 40 headway
Where one went out. ten came in.
And yet IL is 70 these very dreams. gen
tlmen desplsed and belittlcd as they
were. that / owe fundamentally much Of
whatever progress I have made in life.
But for them. but for this faculty OF
thinking. analyzing. constructing
should not be here with you tonight.
To Boston via New York.
THE gates OF your city were not
open to me from the point OF the rising
sun. / could not get in from the East
Il was a walled paradise 10 my young
ambition. Those early dreams OF a life
Of usefulness and influence and power
OF position and friendships among the
great folk OF this wonderful Boston. Of
good clothes. fine horses, and the fat OF
the land generaily-thOse early dreams,
poor dear things that kept my soul alive.
were shattered and broken into a hope
less mess
Bot courage. II &c be or the kinu that
does things, knows TO rebuas. Failing 70
get into Boston from the natural side Of
attack 70 an Eastern man I moved on TO
the west OF you. and from that point as
a basis Of operations. and after twenty
years Df strategic work ! have az last
achieved the ambition OF the old days
Ny air castles are crystalli1ed into real
Z
OF that gilded dome, but my entrance has
been effected from the West. not from
the East. And now that / am here a. Is
not 10 me the earthly heaven Of my boy
hood fancies. not a life OF fine clothes
and the fat OF the land. and OF hobnob-
bling with the great folk Of the town
but life OF work, strenuous, serious.
intense work
The Giants of Journalism.
81 believe that there is no line OF en-
deavOr more dimcult, and few so dlf-
cult as that OF daily journalism. when
conducted on broad big lines. The -ul-
ing spirit. the Great White Car. OF a
big newspaper. the man who dominates
every department and everything. who
stamps his personality on all branches.
business and editorial alike. on every
one from the biggest editor down 10 the
printers devil-such an executive must
be. / say. a God-created genius IL he
measures up 20 the stature Of Bennett
and Pulitzer and Taylor and the others
who have created and are creating tre-
mendous engines of power out o. their
newspapers
Few men have both the literary and
Z the business instinct in sufficient meas
ure TO become great generals in the
newspaper world. In manufacturing OF
railroading or banking Sc is not strictly
necessary that man have a very wide
range Of knowledge beyond his own par-
! icular line. But IN journalism he must
have a keen literary sense, keen news
sense, must know affairs. must be warm
~ in touch with human nature. must be
ably equipped on public questions. and.
in addition. must be "a business man the
equal OF the giants iu finance and other
great ENTERPRISES.
Now J am not this kind Of a man. [
haven't the stature by a thousand feet.
But / think / shall De able 10 make good
by the power OF organization. and by ap-
plying the methods that are now en-
ploycd by our great business combina-
tions. popularity known as the trusts In
my judgment a. VIII not be many years
FIVE or ten. perhaps-belore the publish
ing business Of this country viii be done
by a few concerns. three or four al most.
There will be line Of newspapers rep
resenting each OF the two great political
parties. and another chain Independent
iE politics.
The Journalism Of the Future.
When this stage is reached. gentle
men. you may expect TO find on your
breakfast table "a the morning. and on
your drawing room table in the evening.
newspapers Of a grade OF excellence u
which the most sanguine mind has never
yet dreamed. n viii all be possible
then. 1t Is not possible now. with the
merciless competition that confronls a
Newspaper p1blishcr.
Everything from the cradle 90 the
grave is more OF less Of compromise.
There is no place whore this principle
bears harder. n so hard, as In Journal
Ism. There is no man who despises the
wretched. sloppy newspaper OF todsy.
with It's fakes and its insincerities. so
much as the proprietor himself But
public. with its feverish appetite Tor
atious runs 10 the paper that is
graphic n these wonder tales.
tho advertising a newspaper is
~ 10 carry IN order to keep the