The Detroit times., 1910-11-16
SAYS PUBLISHER
IS ACCOUNTABLE
James Schermerhorn Speaks Before
Sphinx Club of New York at 10th
Newspaper Night Dinner,

NEW YORK. Nov. 16-JameS
Schermerhorn. president and general
manager OF The Detroit Times, was
the principal speaker al the one hun
dred and tenth Newspaper Night"
dinner Of the Sphinx club. celebrated
last night in the Waldorf-Astorla.
Short speeches were made by y. &.
Wright of The Cleveland Leader; G..
w. Post, Battle Creek; $ w. Gold
James Murphy and Frederick Timothy
Murpnl, 81 New York, and Frank w.
Aldred, Of Providence, r. !.
Mr.. Schernerhorn' subject was "A
Newspaper Publishers Accountability
TO His Readers, and he spoke as fol,
lows:
There was a stubborn disputant who
wound up controversy by shouting.
Il amt arguin with YOU, understand
I'm Just a-tellin' you"
] am not going TO argue this ques-
ton. | am Just telling YOU that both
business and brotherhood bind the
publisher and his reader closer than
client and lawyer, patient and doctor
AS the soul Of David 10 the soul OF
Jonathan, they are knit together for
the common good
i
might as we'll speak 10 the unreplying
Sphinx as 10 the body that has gone
10 the Egyptian plains for name
For even the silence OF the centuries
gives COnSo Mt
The magazine publisher does not
have 20 prove that his Is the best adj
vertising medium in the world. lie
admits IL
The newspaper publisher does not
have 10 debate his obligation 10 the
reader He boasts OF 1t.
lie takes the white paper with moth
ing on IL but the Payne Aldrich tariff
and rains ink upon It's virgin surface
faster than the Arabian trees shed
their medicinal gum. Paper and ink
flashing FROM the press tell what ne
has done with his talents lie is ac-
Countable
with him accountability is an aspir-
alton. In his prospectus he seeks the
constant reader only that he may Serve
him lie is as ready 10 he his de-
fender as the signing swain is eager
TO die for his hearts desire There
may be q dwin1lng 81 ardor ON the
part Of botl' later; but the publisher
cannot get a legal separation
Accountability is an affirmation. I'VE
come to fiji a long-felt want is the
form IL takes in the salutatory. Later
q Waspish contemporary, correcting
the newcomers logic or syntaN, MAY
be heartless enough 10 say that the
slip in question. is the greatest mis-
take its contemporary has made since
ii got out it's first number
Accountability, Is an asset Because
OF the py6liseers proclamation that he
eeScepte dY ! IA ~ sssGt Viii citizens in
carriages ~'hsh great hunters come
home to resume the chase.
The publishers accounts bility- is IN
dividuai Whatever the republic may
be coming to--dictatorship or coliec-
tivism--the era of single handed SUI
Darvision OF neWsDaperS is here Marse
Henry Watterson's man on horse
back" maybe but In policy and per-
Torrance absolutism Is already in the
saddle OF his and every other great
This Is not monarchy but necessity,
Not enough Of an innovation to be
STYLED The New Journalism and II
that other gallant journalist OF the
south, Mr.. Clark Howell, were here. as
| expected he would be. he would
hardly be terrified into constituting tho
situation as an attack on the "Consu-
tuition"
The reader knows who is account
able, and II sometimes happens that nc
calls the publisher TO account by stop
ping his paper. by trying TO stop the
publishers paper by enliStins ted-
eral help to give his circulation the
silence treatment on the government
reservation at West Point
The publishers accountability being
without question and without division,
what are we here for' Just TO say
that the patriotic publisher stands rs
pat and unprotoSting on this PROPOSE
ton as the E.phinN and Obeiisk.
Daily he repeats the new psalm OF
service: II am the good publisher !
know my readers and am known or
them The good publisher calleth his
readers by name They know his voice
and come in unto him. The good pub
fisher giveth his life for the readers"
Continued ON page I2l