The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-29
CHARACTER IN JOURNALISM.

The Chicago Chronicle one Of the most
prosperous newspapers of the West, says
that its prosperity has an intimate con-
nection with it's independence.
In view of our remarks in yesterdays
paper on Journalism in the United States,
this is a significant deliverance. The
writer in the Atlantic Monthly from
whom we quoted takes the ground that
publishing a newspaper in this day is an
industry rather than profession, and
claims that in most cases the business
manager edited the paper and made the
editorial policy Of the paper conform to
business conditions.
Our reply to this was that, generally
speaking, the prosperous papers of the
country were the papers of character.
and this assertion Of the Chicago Chron7
icle, coming as it does at this particular
juncture, is an interesting coincidence.
There has always been a place in this
country for the demagogue, for the man
who makes business of catering to the
passing whims of the public. The fell
low who is sharp enough to detect the
coming of a popular wave and to float
a season of prosperity. And SO it hap
pens that the dema gogic newspaper man.
ayers do get along by training with the
crowd. But the substantial newspapers
of this country are those papers which
have settled convictions and the cour-
age to express their sentiments. A
newspaper which has thus been estab-
lished is a permanent institution, and 1t
is almost impossible to break it down I'M
less you break down, its character.
One of the most interesting examplea
of this is to be found in the career of
the Philadelphia Record That paper,
Under the direction of Mr.. W. NJ. SIN
gerly, established itself in the hearts of
the people as fair and fearless and
honest newspaper. Published in the
city of Philadelphia, in the very heart
of Republicanism and protection, it was
always strong Democratic newspaper
and one of the aDlest and most cour-
ageous advocates in the whole United
States of the doctrine Of revenue tariff.
1t never lost an opportunity to fight the
protective principle and 1t preached pure
Democracy in every campaign, local and
national It never pandered to the DOM
inant political sentiment in the city of
Philadelphia or the State Of Pennsyl-
vania, yet it prospered and fourished.
By and by Mr.. Singerly failed in bus
mess and made a wreck of his fortune
He was forced into bankruptcy and some
Of the enterprises with which he was as
ISOLATED went down in the ruin. But
not so the Record. That paper, although
in the hands OF receivers for several
years, not only stood the strain, but in-
creased its subscription list and its ad-
vertising business, and when put up at
public auction the other day and sold it
brought more than three million dollars.
It is more prosperous to-day than ever
before In its history. Its owner failed,
but the Record did not lose its charac-
ter. It continued to be conducted in the
same way, standing by the policy which
its owner had outlined for it, preaching
the doctrine of Democracy and tariff
reform, printing the news fairly and full
~ and living up to its high standard.
It requires a long time to establish a
newspaper like this. There are times
in the history OF every newspaper when
in order to maintain Its character it
must refuse to go with the crowd. and
when that time comes its subscription
list will drop off for the time being. But
when newspaper has founded Itself
upon the eternal principles It Is not only
good morals. but good business for It to
MA IL IN ita integrity. Such = paper