Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-09-27
CORPORATION JOURNALISM.

CORPORATION JOURNALISM.
The Richmond Times Dispatch, news
paper, ia a corporation Output.as much
30 as sausage from packing house.
1t Is an output of not very savory po-
litical aroma, though it pretends TO ID
represent Democratic sentiment. A
short time ago it edltorially apologized
fol-, or possibly in it's version, explain
ed why, it bolted the Democratic party
in 1896, and helped to elect Mckinley
For this there was little need OF ex-
nlanasion; it did as every other corpo-
ration in the land. 1t took this stand,
as they did, because it said in sub
stance it could not risk free silver. IL
looked to it's ..exchequer" then and
reduced the question to "business"
basis. If the effect on Its excnequer
entered into it's action then, and 1t dlo' |
and politics became practical then, and
.business was ruling factor, and IL
was, what has happened since to change
the conduct of that corporation as 10
its regard for Its exchequer or its de-
sire for business If then that corpo-
ration appealed to the business man 10
follow it for business reasons, ana lts
"exchequer'' would have been anecteo
by free silver. was 1t any stretch OF
ilnagination or any perversion OF the
truth to suppose that it had not taken
the husiness ring out of its nose since
that time? knowing from the news
naper itself. which that corporation
issues, it, as did all other corporations,
went with the money gang OF 1895 Tor
..business'' reasons, we have no apollo
giles to make to it or to any other cor
poration which pursued the same
coprse, In our last issue we spoke OF
the flame excuse" the Times Dispatch
Company had given for its course IN
1896. and from that editorial the Times
Dispatch Company has commanded
some one of it's employees to clip the
following few lines:
.'Sipce the Tlmes-Dispatch, IL seems
to us. does not take sides w1th any par
ty. nor advocate or oppose any CUES
ton until it has weighed it with rel
erence TO the effect on its excnequer
that paper being entirely OUT ioI pusi
ness-possibly the public ought 10 iooE
charitably on its seeming lnconslsten-
cies and pardon its vagarles.
Then it further caused the same OF
some other employee of that corpora
tion to say:
"This charge against the integrity
of the Times Dispatch Is gratultousiy
and maliciouslY false"
-Then 1t published this with a little
additional rot and buncOmb in its last
Sunday issue. This was the first In
formation we ever had that the Times
Dispatch had integrity beyond that Of
the ordinary corporation, the STANDARD
Oil or any other. But this is not our
day to apologize to corporations Dig
or little. old or young, and especially
the Times-Dispatch; they all Waliow
ed in the same mire IN 1896. and we
supposed were capable of doing the
same thing again, and we said 80. AL
these coons look alike to US. We were
writing about the campaign OF 1870
and had the Times-Dispatch been GIT
ed with decent fairness it would have
published our whole editorial and moi
the few lines it chose to clip. We art
practically certain that it was th'
truth of the suppressed portion which
caused the thin skin of that corpora
ton to twitch, and not the alleged
falsity of the two or three lines pup
1isbed. But if the Times Dispatc
Company does not look to it's "excheq
uern and is not out for "business.
then it differs wholly from all othe
corporations and the stockhoider
should, at the first opportunity, boo
out the entire batch from the presl
dent to the coal beavers.
When the article in question wa
written we had not the remotet
intention of rejecting on the integrit
or personal character of any man con
nected with the Times Dispatch, ne
did we suppose then, nor do we thin
now, to say lit seemed to I
that 1t looked to its exchequer,"
that lit was entirely out for business,
was any reflection on the integrity
the company when that is the univel
sal habit and purpose of corporation
Oar sole aim and only intention Wa
to refer to the general management
which we supposed was in the hand
of a governing board as to all policie
save those of minor detail, and v
were speaking of presidential election
throughout our entire article an
nothing else.
In conclusion, let us remark--for th
ia the last we shall ever write upon In
subiect-that we do not know sing
employe of this virtuous corporation
We have no idea which one it will 81
lect to guard its integrity or put salv
on tie wounded feelings. If we hav
Injured this unique corporation, tn