The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-24

Il accurate and fair. and they Knew, fur-
thcr that existing papers were doiif
all that any papers could do to kcer
their columns above Just reproach. III
sley did not know this IL they sup
posed that they could produce paper
faircr and more accurate than ans
paper already here, they were quickly
undcceived.
i We shall weary our readers with no
series of illustrations. 1t is necessary
only to point to a single news story,
appearing In the second issue OF the
/ Richmond virginian, to drive the nail
in up to the head. This story purports
TO narrate and describe the warm
welcome" given to the Richmond Vir-
| ginian by nm eager and grateful pub
| lie. and Immediately became a classic
| of everything that 81 news story should
! not under any circumstances be. It In
| Guided, among other things, an imagi-
nary interview with Lieutenant Gov
| crnor Elyson stating that the Rich
4 state needs" Mr.. Ellyson has since
| rcpudiated this "interview" as false in
toto. and his letter was printed in one
edition of the Richmond Virginian. We
i know the difficulties Of being always
accurate. and we shall not say that
this exponent of the New Morality on
the second day Of its life was caught
/ red-handed trying to palm off de-
\ liberate fake upon its readers. But
/ for a paper which was trying to make
mean capital out of the alleged In
| accuracies OF the papers with which II
/ aspired TO compete. the occurrence was
/ as himiliatirg as 1t was Illuminating
| And this same news story contained
| another offense, far worse and far
more difficult to overlook or forgive
1T contained this shameful paragraph:
BY the same token is demonstrated
in no uncertain way the popular de-
mand for a journal unfcttered by sell
fish interests. unprecedented by sordid
influences and not controlled by COM
mercial and political considerations.
This is n flat charge. made for the
sake OF the money there was in It,
that the policies of the three existing
papers, one or all. arc governed by
their proprietors' pockets, that while
pretending to advocate what is for
the general good, they really advocate
| what will further their owner private
| interests Please remember that this
| charge appears, not in the editorial
columns. where bias and even the
grossest prejudice and unfairness can
| be looked for and discounted, but in
| the news columns, which purport to
| give only statements of known fact,
and under the inspiring heading, Full,
| Fair. Clean and Accurate News" So
| far as this paper is concerned, more
| unfair. unclean and inaccurate state
| ment was never made: a more abom.-
| nable outrage upon the Truth was
| never perpetrated. 1t would stand
forever as blot and crown OF shame
upon a journal which made no pre-
| tensions 10 superior virtue. but frankly
admitted that it was out for the bust
ness. And when we reflect that 1t ap-
/ pears in a SNUG organ of professed
| sanctity, the gorge rises and the very
} stomach turns and revolts.
; But the heart and soul of news
paper repose not in its news columns,
: but on its editorial page. Here. If
r anywhere, the advertised morality
: Should sit enthroned, exudng sweet
: ness and light to all who draw near
Let us, therefore. draw near to the
1 sanctus sanctissime and see what we
). shall see.
t We see at once odd sights; commerce
: making strange bedfellows. When the
: preliminary advertisements of a new
4 paper of great holiness went out
which even at that early date the
! cate noted with loud and loving ap-
proval not echoed, curiously enough,
in any other church paper--a wonder
/ arose in our land as to what other
worldly editor among US would be adj
Judged tit to breathe the breath of the
! New Morality into the columns to
come This pardonoole curiosity has
never been definitely satisfied. The
/ TACT was that an unpleasant misunder.
| standing developed right at the start.
The one editorial writer whose cons
nection with the New paper has been
officially made public gave out two
| different statements. one in letter ia
4 Il local newspaper. one editorially in
MS own newspaper-they all seem to
nave an anchor to windward in some
/ other paper--and these statements ap-
/ peared so contradictory that the exact
situation became more obscure than
| ever. However, this gentleman is now
/ understood To rank as Chief editorial
I contributor But though prohibition
i and AntiSaloon League affairs are far
and away the chief matters that the
Richmond Virgnian discusses, that pa.
per has announced that he is not re.
sponsible for these editorials, as in
Z deed, nearly everybody familiar witt
> his views could have guessed. som,
s. one else composes the Anti Saloon ed
ltorials and this writer's identity ca,
doubtless now be figured out by III,
great freedom with which the presi
dent o + the Christian Advocate appro