The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-24

no Ncilb hllON uOt, Dul my
has never been troubled by the suspicion
that he received less than his Just due from
long suffering and helpless public. That
was the beginning and end Of my experience
as a newspaper publisher.
Twenty years ago this month as they
say in the plays, stepped from a car at
the Grand Central Station and being some
what apprehensive of the dangers attend
ant upon travel by elevated railways
which were not then common in Peaohan,
! Vt, walked casually down TO a newspaper
office in Park row. 1t happened that the
proprietor Of that particular establish
ment was not averse to the employment
OF talent and energy. upon terms fixed by
himself and | obtained position, not az
leading editorial writer. for which frankly
regarded myself as best fitted, but az tailend
reporter.
EXPERIENCES AS AN EDITOR.
After a time the proprietor, who still
to my mind personihed the unnecessary
OGRE In one Of the lucid moments which
occasionally illuminate the greatest Of
minds, shrewdly detected self-appreciated
and not too definitely concealed genius,
and placed me, for the usually transtory
period. upon the high stool Of expression,
repentance and despair in the upper cham
Der. Then came the real sport OF unceasing
strife between editor and publisher OF
all games in which / have participated.
that left upon my mind the impression of
being the most sportsmanlike because
IT was eminently free from prejudice. and
decisions from the court Of last resort
were foreordained with such nicely and
precision az to be wholly free from the
uneomfortableness of previous misap-
prehension.
III things went well, az they occasionally
did, and circulation and want ads in
creased, 1t was the proud privilege Of the
managing editor and OF the publisher,
whose name also changed more frequently
than his cha rfnrsi gfice IN claim the fIlll
credit and gently intimate the propriety
OF enhanced compensation. In such rare
instances the utter absence OF success on
the part OF the editor was largely com
pensated for by the grim satisfaction attend
ant upon certain like ineffectivenees Of a
eimilar~plea of the publisher. At more fire.
quent intervals, ON the other hand. when
things went badly, and az editor 1t became
my duty 10 fix the responsibility upon the in
human being who dominated the counting
room, and who returned the compliment
with equal fervor, there was never for a
moment a doubt OF the favorable reception
OF accusations involving the most minute
illustrations Of the incapacity Of each. All
this was most gratifying and delightful
during that ancient period when 1t was as
difficult to distinguish revolt from a revo-
luton in newspaper Office as 1t now seems
to be In Russia.
BEING A SORT OF PROPRIETOR.
The blessed goddess Time. aided by the |
proprietor, ultimately succeeded In dis- |
lodging both editor and publisher, TO the |
delight of ,nwary SUCCESSORS who pro-
ceeded to take their turn upon the frying
pan. What became Of the publisher Of
many names, l cannot tell. but went
steadily from bad to worse until | became
a sort Of proprietor myself The only
advantage Of the transition | have been
able to discover, other than that OF nchiev-
ing highly developed unpopularity, ia the
happy privilege Of standing of at a safe
distance and tossing non explosive bombs
At the real people That ia the recreation
N which am now about to indulge.
The minor changes that have taken place
n journalism In the past twenty years
nay be sufficiently obvious and yet worthy
# passing notice Then the average num-
ger Of pages was from eight to twelve on
week days and twenty-four TO thirty-eix
IN Sundays. Now the average is about
iouble those numbers. The hasty and
natural inference is that quality has been
hat this lie go. SO much of the space is
low occupied by illustrations which we're
hen only beginning TO appear, and so much
more is filled by advertisements and large
headlines, that procurement OF judg-
nent 70 that effect might or might not
>e justified
CHANCES IN NEWSPAPER MAKING.
Undoubtedly there Is moro news in the
papers to-day than there was twenty years
|
If the increase can be attributed to the
Energy Of the newspapers themselves. ex-
'ept through the common channel OF the
Iress associations. Moreover one cannot
,scape recognition of the inevitable defects
attendant upon the working of a great or
,anization utilized In common. The news
columns Of the various important journals
certainly seem to lack the individuality that
hey once possessed. The Washington cor
espondent at one time was most impor-
a k,t III Int, he. |
nation at first hand and expressing well
ieested opinions. To-day. apparently, he
xists chiefly for the purpose Of relating
necdotes.
SPECIALIZATION NOW THE KEYNOTE.
In all other lines of industrial develop
1ent specialization has become the key
ote Of endeaYor That it has crept into
he making Of newspapers to very con- !
iderable degree there can be no doubt.
.ach great metropolitan newspaper has
ONE to be recognized as having a special ,,
ED but has this tendency, whether or not
esirable. yet approached the limit of 5
ifectiveness2 ,
THE fact, il It be a fact, as believe that '
espite the doubling Of population and the :
of sales Of newspapers in I
lis great metropolis in the past twenty !
nars the strongest, most comprehensive | ,
iitoriai page is made in Boston, and the
lost cosmopolitan newspaper in the United ,
,ates is printed in Chicago, would seem
indicate the desirability Of proprietors :
iitors and even publishers making a study
conditions that have changed and are still =
lan geable. r
CRITICISMS.
OF tho qualifications in broad sense Of z
10 average newspaper publisher at the &
resent time personally know little. Not U
any years ago they were not everwhelm- u
e. Keenness In making trades even with
aggrega ton OF advertisers is not neces- a
riy the highest order of talent Neither O
there anything moro futile than unintel- b
gent economy. S
= oreover the last and worst place. .
lie least possible place for a chief editor a
edit, ia a newspaper office. The ANA 8
urish system of the weekly country news- o
iper still maintains TO the most amazing !,
agree in the conduct OF great journals, J,
Id the fact strangest TO an onlooker Is i
IL inability OF sagacious and successful G
en- TO appreciate the truth that nearness "
executive work and closeness ofapplica- =
On TO detail are incompatible with that
arspeotiveness Of vision which Ia essential
breadth, comprehension, and conse-
iential results.
THE FI0HTINo NEWSPAPER
'One OF the most interesting phases
the development Of public journals
the past twenty years has been the growth
feeling of the daily, almost hourly,
'oessity Of attacking something or some
1dy. Formerly newspapers were content