The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-20
lt,,. REAL tunEA Or .mr. Eos.

An article in the current NUMBER Oh t1e
Atlantic Monthly by an alleged ne"spa-
per man has attracted more than ordi-
nary attention. He says that he bought
q weekly newspaper in small city ana
finally converted it into 3. daily. with the
promise to make 1t "at all times an
intelligent medium OF news and OPINION
FOR an intelligent community, bowling the
knee to no clique or faction He prom
iced TO be independent in all things,
neutral in nothing In short. he gave
all the promises that are characteristic
of the ..salutatory.'' But promises are
one thing and fulfiillme,t is quite another,
and this editor admits that he was very
far from living up to his high-soundlnS
promises. He con1esses that he COM
menced his career by suppressing piece
OF news upon notice from one OF ms
advertisers; that he stood IN WIN the
practical politicians for the sake OF the
legal advertisements that they were aoie
=, s,,pply-in short, that he "bowed the
1.nee to CLIQUE or faction" or individual.
according as the interest of the paper
demanded He adds that he MADE a
good living out of The paper, but lntl-
1uates that it was at the expense OF MS
self-rcspect and character; and the con-
c,usion is that the publication of news
naper in q small community implies the
selling of an editors soul to Mammon.
That is a Islander upon the newspaper
profession. certainly SO far as 1t applies
to Virginia. The provincial newspaper
An Virginia is honest There may be
Few dishonorable exceptions, but We do
not know them, and we have been init
nately acquainted with the Virginia press
Tor many years. So FAR as we know
them, the county editors in Virginia are
honest. brave, chivalrous and unpurchasa-
sbls.
1t is well for Virginia that that is true.
There is no greater responsibility in this
world, not even the preaching of the
GOSPEL, than the editorial conduct OF
newspaper. And the greater the clrcu-
lation of the paper the greater the re-
sponsibility. The editor is preacher
and he should be an eXemDler. Away
mere article OF commerce and that its
EDITORIAL columns are as open to barter
and sale as its advertising column We
boast OF q free press, Of the power ana
influence of a free press But the honor
and glory and influence of the American
press will pass away when the Ameri-
can newspaper becomes mere article
Of commerce.
1t seems to US scarcely less than sac
rilege to use newspaper for the purpose
of promoting some private and selfish
interest. Such thing We're scarcely less
detestable than the prostitution OF the
pulpit for such purposes 1t is all the
worse, because when such a newspaper
is exposed it reflects upon the whole pro-
fession. When men and women see one
newspaper run in the interest of a cor
poration or any private enterprise they
naturally become suspicious Of all news
papers If the people of the United
states ever come to the conclusion that
the press is venal, then indeed will the
power Of the press lie gone; and this great
defender and champion of liberty and
popular rights and honest government
will have lost its occupation.
The power Of the press is in Its In
tesrity, in its character. Without that
a newspapers preaching Is but sounding
brass and tinkling cynbols.
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RE I.RuLlTf Win .U.iA.