The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-24
p1scu.RGING runlIC DUTY.

thnore and Richmond Christian Ad-
dent, had appropriated bodily, without
change OF letter and without credit
or acknowledgment, an article which
appeared In the Richmond yirginlar
OF February il. the article was an
attack upon The Times Dispatch. 1t
contained statement upon which we
set the stamp Of untruth shortly after
it's appearance in the Richmond Nir
gilman. and the statement, so stamped,
along with the Richmond Nirginian's
entire article, Is taken over and Cir
culated as its own by the Baltimore
and Richmond Christian Advocate, I'M
der date OF February II.
How tho good Methodists who pay
81 year in advance to read the Chris
tian Advocate will view such pro-
ceedins We do not undertake to say.
nor is IL any affair of ours. The
ethical spirit which shall pervade the
organs of the churches is a matter for
the churches 10 supervise and deter
mine. But there is another side to this
illuminating little incident, and this
side is a proper and indeed necessary
subject for our comments. No one
supposes. of course, that publication
supported by a great church simply
stole an article from one OF it's OK
changes which happened to please It's
FANCY. Every one will understand that
he Richmond Nirginian's article was
appropriated by the Christian Advo-
:ate through some kind of arrange
nent" with the former paper. through
some community of interest between
he two. through some identity OF
deals. hopes. ambitions and per-
Qualities. The incident, therefore,
teerns to reveal for the first time a
aoly alliance entered into by the Rich
nond Nirginian Tor the cure of souls
aud the hope OF gain. And now, as we
gaze at this revelation and reflec,
lpon what is past, patience ceases t,
pc a virtue forbearance takes on tn
korn of weakness; and, not in vindic
tveness but in discharge of dis
agreeable public duty, we shall fc
Dnce put a pin into the Richmond Vii
sinian and hold it up for this COR
munity to look at.
No newspaper that is worth its sa
ian run long without making cnemie
Wherever there are newspapers tina
speak their minds there is dissatis
faction with those newspapers. Wher
ever there is dissatisfaction vii
ihora l,aon,yo 80
moters studying how to capitalize thi
dissatisfaction and turn a few pennle
nut of 1t. This was the exact situation
IN Richmond which led to the birth oil
he Richmond Virsinian. But while
here was, as there must always be
IN element in Richmond that was not
iatisfied with any u rrhe gapers al
,eady here. 1T wasra sta.t eviden, to
sny business man that tie field was
iready pretty thoroughly covered. 1t
vas equally evident thai, to succeed,
lie new paper must somehow sharply
lifferentiate itself from the papers all
eady here. That was the plain bust
less Of the situation, but how to take
advantage of it? The existing papers
reached progress and peace, law and
rder. agriculture and Industrial de-
etopment education and good roads
;indness and goodwill. How in the
World could the new paper specialize
or the money there was in il? Well
1ere was one field which no existing
aper had pre-empted: the field OF
lorality made while You wait by law;
PIP morality; the morality which
lakes broad It's phylacteries and says
Is prayers in the market-place; tho
oiier-t han-thou morality which thu
Id Pharsees have left a name Il
oreYer. This field. we conclude
|1oked good 10 the promoters The,
lade 1t look better by an advertiser.
Fanpaisn of unparalleled abuse agains
pc existing papers which broke al
onnds. not merely OF professions
ourtcsy. but Of common honesty an
ecency SO. with a cargo of har
lords and hatred and a hold fun o
aaiite this journalistic buccanee
allied the flag of unlocked sanctit
? It's masthead and sailed ont for sal
age and plumber
Now the crew and officers Of III
ainted ship We're not archbishops 0
ardiaals or even promising youn
geological students With one i'm
ortant exception they were neasl
men who had served their tim
+ The old newspapers hereto whic
anle Of them, by the bye have alread
leerfuliy ret'Tnod--and who are YER
ell known in local journalism. Tnes
entlemen are generally respected i
ne eommuaity. but We mean no re
eetlon upon them when We say tin
,ey mad never been recognized a
;sscr diYinities, deini- gods or duI
lnenlzed saints. They appeure
rangely like The rest df us who 8,
II the wicked pspeps They unde
God, We suppose, chat their bite
ppseof as upon HE hssusetops ",
iekwiektaa and hat their pap
fonisod nssinpossible Virtue as
Geo Or good bRsipess llxperienct
IA J-,,a t,at ..l.p n