The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-07-15
A GREAT NEWSPAPER
THE LONDON TIMES AND SOME OF
THE THINGS IT HAS DONE.
why @rhs Thunaerer' II Such
Power In Europe-The History of
the Times II the History of the
world since the Paper Started.

/
World Since the Paper Started.
The London Times Ii the most COM
plete and thorough news record pub
lished in any language. Its law re-
ports, written by barristers Of stand
ing, are essential to all English law
yers. Its accounts of parliament form
a convenient reference for public and
private libraries throughout the world
In every department 1t gives full re-
port of what has happened.
The paper was started in 17S5 under
fhe name of the Daily Universal Reg
lister, which was changed to the Lon
don Times In 1885, In 1908 it began its
great development under John Wal
| ter.
| 1t is no vain compliment to say that
| the Times Is part of British civiliza-
ton. For over a hundred years 1t has
belonged, with the Established church
and the British constitution, to the his
toric greatness Of the race.
"You cannot buy the Times" its ed
itor proudly said when powerful
man sought to silence its thunder, and
the words might well be written In let
tiers of gold across the portal Of Print
| ing House square. You cannot buy the
Times.
Lord Randolph Churchill in that dra-
matte moment when, locking up the
wonderful budget which nobody has
ever seen, he stepped for the last time
| out of the treasury in Whitehall, hailed
hanson and drove to the Office Of the
Times. In ten minutes he was In the
| editors room telling the editor the
news which was next morning to star
tie the political world.
| "Of course you will support me-"
Lord Randolph said in his own way.
| NO." said the editor, while Lord
Randolph stood aghast.
"But there is not another paper In
England which would not be grateful
| for such a piece of information" e1-
claimed the wondering statesman, and
| the editor agreed. But would Lord
Randolph take the news to any other
paper? He might do SO, and not
l
next day. Lord Randolph left his Sc
cret with the Times and left the Office,
we may be sure, rejecting on the won
derful character of the one thing In the
world which no man could buy. The
Times the next morning reproved him
severely for deserving his colleagues.
| 1t has been SO from the beginning.
The Times was child of four when
| its founder, the first John Walter, was
put into Jail for censuring the Duke of
York But they could not imprison the
| Times, and even while John Walter
was in Newgate he was sentenced
again for severely criticising the
Prince of Wales and accusing the Duke
of Clarence Of leaving his ship without
leave
The government withdrew its adver-
| tisements and its printing contracts,
| but the Times went on its incorruptible
way. 1t made cabinets and broke
them, exposed plots and averted them.
At least once, at cost of $4,000, the
Times nipped in the bud an interna-
tional conspiracy which might have
ruined half the banks in Europe, and
there are two scholarships in London
schools endowed by thanksgiving
| fund then raised to the Times.
When the railway mania was at its
highest the Times sacrificed fortune
| in advertisements by denouncing the
spirit of recklessness which was abroad,
and neither the penalties Of the law,
| the enmities of statesmen nor the loss
of revenue has availed against the
| fearless determination Of the Times to
say the thing it thinks
There were dramatic spectacles at
times, when the great newspaper
fought not only its own but foreign
governments. Napoleon himself, who
| feared an editor more than an army, Is
| said to have wanted to bring an action
for libel against the Times, and Gui-
cot, the French minister of later day,
did more. To punish the Times for its
unfriendliness he detained its courier
in Paris, delaying its dispatches. But
| the ingenuity of John Walter II. was
too much for him.
The situation in India was grave,
| and the Times established an overland
route to England without touching
France. The Indian mail was handed
to messenger at Suez, the messenger
rode on dromedary 200 miles to Alex
andria and there handed his packet to
passenger on an Austrian steamer
bound for Triest. Thence the pre-
cious packet was dispatched via Os-
tend to Dover, where a special train
waited to bring it up to London.
| The French minister was angry and
made another move. Special trains
and steamers were placed at the dis
posal of the English rivals Of the hated
paper, and for once the genius of the
Times failed. But storm stopped the
French vessel in the Mediterranean,
while the Times steamer sailed quietly
up the Adriatic. and the triumph Of
the paper conceded with the advent Of
/ itS 20 y,ox,o odifor Mr. DQ1Qna who