The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-01
THURSDAY. MAY /. 1902,
THE BURDEN OF THE DISPATCH.

4
ecenaed 10 The plane of personal o'cherihss
and vituperations are not OF interest
to the reading pubs. We feel thus, and
we feel. therefore, the objections to car
rying on a discussion that for week,
SO FAR as one party to it is concerned, has
not progressed beyond the stage of i'm.
1uting to The Times motives that did not
exist, IN order to support a line of edito-
rial policy that was inherently untena-
bic.
TO what unreasonable lengths this
method of argument will protract the
original issue we are as yet unable to
zee.
Commenting on an editorial in the Dis
patch, which urged that the Richmond.
fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad be
tracks and use therefor the Seaboard Air
Line track along Bacon Quarter Branch,
we said:
''The Dispatch, in spite OF its alleged
proprietary connection with the Seahoard
Air Line Railroad interests, is no doubt
perfectly sincere in its proposition"
The Dispatch retorted: who alleges
81. Do you? If so. come out and have
tie Intruti1 proved upon you?"
To this We replied that the public al
legged and believed that the proprietors
OF the Dispatch-Mcssrs. John L. Will
la1ns &. SoEs-were also large proprietors
of the Scaboard Air Line Railroad. This
allegation Of joint interest was amply
sustained by the Dispatch in its leading
editorial of Sunday, when it stated that
Messrs. John J.. Williams & Sons were,
as the public alleges, proprietarily con-
nccted both with the Seabcard Air Line
Railroad and the Dispatch. Instead,
therefore. of proving an untruth on The
Times, as it had SO valiantly and incau-
iiouslr offered to do, the Dispatch found
itself convicted, out of It's own mouth, of
the very charge it had declared so We
i,ement!y to be false.
We wish our readers to observe that
we did not say that the Seaboard Air
Line owned or controlled the Dispatch.
Which is the charge that the Dispatch
urmcasured terms upbraids us for max
lre. We did say that n connecting link
of financial interests existed between the
Dispatch and the Seaboard Air Line Rail
road, and that connection is furnished
by the interest which Messrs. John L.
Williams & Son have in both institu-
lions.
This is the charge which has SO infu-
rated the Dispatch, and this is the charge
which it admits to be true. AS we
said on Saturday last, we saw nothing
oiscreditable in owning stock both in rail-
roads and newspapers, SO long as the
two were kept scrupulously distinct. IT
doe- not, however, appear to be so simple
an affair to the mind of the Dispatch.
The original question Of removal of the
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac
Railroad track on Belvidere Street has
been utterly ignored and the Dispatch has
made the sole issue of the discussion
its proprietary connection with the
Seaboard Air Line Railroad interests"
So be it: We will discuss that point of
inc l1lSpdlCit own SiiotSlAS.
Is it a blow in the dark to say that
Mcssrs. John L. Williams & Sons own
the Dispatch? Is it a malicious desire TO
in:ure a harmless contemporary? Is it
opposed to the best traditions of Jour
1,alisn In Virginia. as the Dispatch says
bitterly and with anger in its leading edi-
tcrial yesterday?
Certainly the statement that the owners
OF tie Dispatch, whether Messrs John
l.. Williams & Sons or Messrs. Ellyson
& Cowardin, had a proprietary connec-
ton with railroad as well as Journalistic
Interests in Virginia would have caused
20 violent outburst Of anger from the
Dispatch three years ago. AND why!
Why not then if now? Why would such
a statement be proper then which when
1,ade to-day is characterized by the Dis
patch as ..actuated by spite and malice
and the desire to inilict injury?"
For the very reason that the best and
heretofore only traditions Of Virginia
Journalism are not dead. Because three
Years ago no newspaper had ever been
OOuSDG anu ny AAlt pAo VI Adi &c
corporations, who acquired the Rich
mond News for the purpose of moulding
public opinion in favor Of the Seaboard
and furthering their other interests
tTcstimony of Mr.. l.. NJ. Williams.) Be-
cause the public have a voice and con-
science and character. which are all,
shown forth in that sacred and public
irstitution-the newspaper. Because the
editor Of a newspaper is both the leader
and the servant of the public and to use
his position as the directing power OF a
public journal for the conscious advance
merit OF private ends has been abhorred
l.y all men sailing under fair colors since
papers first were published Because, de-
spite the Dispatchs neglect to answer
the categorical question. whether the
D, esent owners of the Dispatch are not
The same persons as those who bought
the News, the fact Is that the present
owners OF the Dispatch are the same
persons who bought the News and ran
1t for two and one-half years as means