The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-16

pa per assume that the publisher can
force his subscribers to read every
thing he prints. In this they are
nightly mistaken. II a newspaper is
to be read 1t must print matter that
will interest its subscribers. | have
always felt it would neglect this prin-
cip1e If 1t were not dependent on them
for getting its living.
Abuses of various sorts are possible
in any commercial institution, but I
| feel that, on the whole, these are not
so serious as would be the difficulties
that would arise out of the very nature
of the endowed newspaper.
| The public spirited editor viii prob
ably always be a little less sensational
and will always do somewhat more
preaching than his audience desires.
The endowed newspaper would proba
bly, be so very superior that it would
fgail utterly to be democratic insti-
tuition and therefore. from my point of
view would be useless.
| w. r. NELSON
BY Charles IL. Grasty, Proprietor the
Baltimore Sun.
/
paper is absolutely impracticab1e. Such
a paper would have no influence and
would surely end in failure.
| I appreciate the compliment implied
In your invitation and regret that I
have not been able to prepare an ar
ticle. CHARLES H. GRAsTY.
Ely Hon. Gilbert Hitchcock, Editor
World Herald and member Congress.
The suggestion for a newspaper en-
dowed by wealth and managed by trus-
tees does not appeal to me and think
will not appeal to any other practical
newspaper man, although the Utopia n
suggestion may at first commend itself
to those who seek for the ideal.
A newspaper, to be effective and to
command public support and following
must express the convictions and be-
liefs of those who control it or write
for It, To do this effectively, of course,
the paper must be free from any out
side influences or control
I am glad to say there are many
newspapers of this character in the
United States Not only does indepen-
dence on the part of the newspaper
bring success, but success itself gives
|
circulation OF a newspaper depends not
wholly upon the efficiency of its news
columns nor even upon the ability of
editorials. 1t depends in part upon the
public belief in the sincerity and indie
pendence of those who write the edito
rails and control the policy of the
newspaper.
There is such thing as moral force
| In, a q n a
man. There are well known men in
public life of great ability as orators
and public speakers who do not WELD
great influence because of the public
doubt as to tn cir sincerity. SO there
are number of papers ably edited and
ably managed which do not WELD great
influence because of the doubt as to
their sincerity or because ,there Is u
suspicion that they are under the infiu-
ence or control of outside interests.
The newspaper, however, that be-
comes popular and secures following
and yields an influence. while 1t gen.
lerally is marked by ability and strength
in its editorial utterances, is invaria-
bly, a paper that has that moral force
which goes with sincerity and convic-
ton.
My opinion is that newspapers must
to a considerable extent be a one-ma n
institution as far as the control of its
policy and purposes are concerned. One
man cannot make a newspaper. One
man cannot even edit a newspaper, but
the purposes, convictions and beliefs of
the man must dominate newspaper in
order to give it efficiency and to Sc
cs~e the confidence of the public. 1t Is
not always true that this man Is
known, but his singleness of purpose,
his will his convictions, breathe
through the paper in all its parts, ap-
pearing not only in the editorial col :
umns but In the news columns as we'll.
We can endow our schools and col
leges and have them run by trustees
and boards of directors. but to my mind
a newspaper could not be successfully
operated under an endowment man.
aged by trustees.
The people of the United States are
to be congratulated on having SO many
newspapers known to be Independent
and sincere in the policies which they
are following They do not agree any
more than people or public men agree.
We must have parties, SO we must have
differences of opinion among the news
papers, but the bold and consistent ad-
vocacy of policies and principles by a
newspaper is certain to bring to that
newspaper success, power and public
confidence, and today there is hardly
community in the land that is with
out at least one such newspaper. In
each community such newspaper is a
power for good and a great factor in
public opinion
GENERAL HITCHCOCK.