The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-19
tFrom me saturday rvsnias Post,

S1EUm tu0 00SUI013 4vSsAASs8 = 800
the nswspAper was 70 print the news.
intelligent1y and fearless
~. / believed the secondary business
was to help the masses Of the people
to q better and happier condition OF
life, by working for or toward better
laws, customs and Institutions. l be-
lisvsd that the Newspaper that did
these things would be sought out by
the public, and that the public would
buy IT. issues and thereby become an
audience that might be addressed by
advertisers who had an honest pro-
duct to sell,
Brought down to practical opera
ton. my theory was to get circulation
first. and for my papers permanent
support to trust to the advertisers de-
/ was convinced that was
the right way to make a newspaper
succeed, and / had the Newspaper
and sixty thousand dollars to spend
on my theory.
The next day Austin and took
charge of tho St. James Sun. I
found / had a staff Of three report
ers, a society editor. q stockyards
and South St. James edttor-whO
covered the markets and the news
Of South st. James and sent his
copy up to the Office by a street car
every noon--and an ONCE
boy. / became editor. city editor.
telegraph editor. editorial editor and
Of makeup. l want
to state parentheticaily that that IL
the kind Of an organization for q
young man to tie up with II he really
wants to learn all there II to know
about the Newspaper business. Every
body learns all about every branch
of the work, because sooner or later
everybody il called upon to do each
variety Of work that ands behind
the finished product.
I held q staH meeting the first az
teruoon and was delighted to find my
four men, ona girl and office boy filed
with enthusiasm When I told them
what kind Of a Newspaper we were
going to make of the Sun their eyes
sparkled and knew / could depend
on them. I told them to go after
news without fear that their efforts
would be wasted. When they brought
a story into the ONCE they could be
certain It would so Into the paper II
It was news: no amount Of protest
or pressure from people who wanted
the story suppressed would influence
me II 1t was something I believed
should be given to the public. That
sort OF backing puts more ginger into
q reporter than many dollars In SAL
airy. What he works for is not money
but the personal satisfaction and
pleasure of running the fact to earth.
selling it. carrying it to the Office.
writing II and seeing 1t In print.
u ~~<t>
they could expect. and they soon dis
covered that meant it In no other
newspa per Office have / ever found
so loyal. SO Woodworking. 10 eficient
an organization. The reason ts that
In no other Office have I ever found
an editor endowed with the authority
and possessed OF the determination to
run the kind OF newspaper ran.
The New Policy Put to tho Test.
At noon on the second day my court
reporter. an energetic. experienced
young man named George Kite. came
into the Office with a sensational
story.
1--WE got a red-hot yarn" he said.
Afraid maybe It's too hot to handle"
What Is it," asked. 'eSothings
too hot for this paper II It's straight
news"
Suit was fled this morning against
young Charlie Longnan by q woman
who claims to be his common-lAw
wife She demands maintenance for
herself and child: says she lived with
him Ave years and that now he's
abandoned her and she's starving.
Story's true. too
What II there about It that's too
hot to handle
Ypfx know Uhn ha II
don't you.
mo, and I don't cara
Hes the SON OF old man Longman.
who owns the chain OF Longman In
stallment furniture houses. You ind
the bride--wa furnish the home
You know 'em. Big advertisers"
l saw Kite WAS putting me to the
test He thought to himself: Here's
where find out whether the talk this
fellow gave US yesterday was on the
square"
I didn't look UP from the copy I
was editing. but said sharply:
Write it,
What we did to that story is told
In ST. Jamos yet I didn't mention 1t
to Austin. didn't even ask the
foreman II the LongmanS advertised
with us. That was NO concern OF
mine. Hero waa q legitimate piece
VI news that had come into the once
4 wealthy. prominent young man. the
been called to account for conduct
that stamped him A. UNIT for the
society Of decent people. believed
that tho people who paid = penny
for thelr Suns that day were entitled
10 these facts. II the accused man