The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-28


the Baltimore News by Frank A Mum
sey is made as follows:
(From the Baltimore News)
Negotiations that have leen IN prog
regs for some days have reached a
point where it is proper to announce
thGt the present owners OF the News
have agreed 10 sell It to Frank A.
Munsey. and that within a few days
the control and management Of the.
paper will pass to Mr.. Munsey.
The present stockholders bought the
News on January /. 1S92-sixteen years
ago. It has grown from & small paper
to a big one. It ranks among the lead
ing journals Of this country. II belongs
to and is not the least among a group
OF independent. right-thinking and right
doing newspapers which in the past
twenty-five years have put life and hope
into the municipal and State politics OF
America. Nowhere has the response
to this inspiriting influence been more
marked than in Baltimore and Mary
land. The success Of the News has at
tracted the attention Of shreWd publish
ers. and from time 10 time there have
been overtures for its purchase. Never
until this time mas IL seemed advisable
to its owners that it should pass from
their hands. Every business thing must
have a business basis on which 20 rest,
and q newspaper is not dihereut ia this
respect from other ventures. Il happens,
however, that at least part OF the
motive that led 20 the purchase OF the
Oil News and the founding Of the new
was independent OF business; 20 engage
in the extra-haZardOus enterprise OF
publishing a newspaper would not OF
itself have appealed TO the men who in
1882 became the owners Of this prop
erty.
1 can say Of those who went in with
me and have made possible by their lib
eral and loyal support the success thst
we have achieved that the opportun- ~
to render public service was with them
a predominant motive. Mr.. Wallis hot
made his long dght for Intellectual
freedom, and Mr.. Cowen had followed
with his powerful effort TO free the
state from the political conditions thar
had been fastened upon It. The noble
efforts OF these men and their followers
have had a vital and enduring effect.
but, as a matter Of fact, on the FIRST
Of January, 1892, Maryland and Balti-
more were more helpless against the
domination OF the political machine and
were more completely resigned 10 the
servitude that was upon them than
had been the case at any previous time.
IL was al such an hour and IN a spirit
Of verlle protest that the Baltimore
News venture was launched The
change in the conditions between lsS-
and 1893 were perhaps the best evidence
that this country has yet Afforded Of
/ the possibilities OF q newspaper In local
politics Nor is thai all Il has been
demonstrated here in Baltimore that
| faithful and fearless public service and
successful newspaper management are
one and the same thing. The lesson
| OF the development and success OF the
/ News has reached Ear beyond Baltimore
and has stimulated g Ike spirit in other
large cities.
/ per Jointly owned BY persons with and
without outside interests IS accompanied
/ BIZ inherent difficulty. An independent
| newspaper must have no iriendS am
/ do no favors- II must proceed without
| regard to private Interests of any kind,
and ownership in such newspaper inn
poses a sacrifice that q private business
man must md bur1eusOme. The men
who are interested In this paper have
1 been willing al all times TO suffer in
| their private interests by reason Of the
paramount duty deVJlVed upon them as
| stockholders in newspaper. AT the
/ present time, when the abuses that for
! merry saturated cur politics have been
/ in great measure got under, when good
| standards OF city and state government
have been so firmly established IN the
public mind that the professional pCh-
/ ticians themselves seem 10 be VyIng
with each other In good behavior. the
! stockholders Of the News have felt free
/ 10 take a purely business view Of their
! interest In u, and a favorable OFFER foT
the purchase OF this newspaper has been
/ accepted
In taking leave Of this public I want
| 70 make grateful acknowledgment OF
/ the splendid response that has been
made 10 our Efforts TO develop here g
/ great evening paper Every year we
/ have had the most substantial evidences
Of the appreciation OF the News. il
/ IS safe to say that there is no other
/ community in this country in which
| the reader gives so sure a return IN
| esteem and confidence TO the newspaper
that deserves them
/ The News has assembled q stan OF
/ extraordinary quality. A more loyal end
| a more capable body OF men and women
are not 10 be found anywhere.
| The News of which 1 have beer