The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-21

some one standing by. Nine times
out OF ton the face Of the person
addressed would Hight UP.
"It's all right; up and coming all
the time and amt afraid O. moth
Ing. It's shown things up proper
In this town
AFTER my excurston into the high
ways and byways Of st.. James /
made up my mind that the time had
come to make, through the paper, q
direct appeal for subscribers, and to
tell the people plainly why their
subscriptions were necessary to our
success. I outlined the plan to Aus
tin.
.'I've been thinking a good deal
about that Tuttle business" ne said,
and rye wondered II you were go
ing to print the real story OF why
AL the Tuttle concerns have quit adj
vertising with u.s." Il
"Yes. intend to-" I replied.
"why?"
i've been wondering whether It
would be WISE"
1t was the first hint OF opposition
to our theory Of an absolutely honest
newspaper that Austin had uttered.
looked at him closely and he
flushed
II don't want you to think I'm
getting cold feet" he said. "but
don't you believe the public will think
we're prosecuting prominent men
purely for the purpose Of creating
sensation and getting circulation?
Everybody you've ever taken rap
1T has been spreading that kind of
DOPE"
Here was something / had never
thought of. and saw at once that
1t was serious.
'Tii tell you what TIL do" said.
I'll print q first page editorial. two
columns wide and the length OF the
paper. When the people read that
don't think they'll question our mo-
tives"
Good" said Austin. Il think we
ought to explain again just what
we're trying to do, and spike this
gossip for keeps"
Az look back on 1t now can see
that there was danger of creating the
impression that Austin feared. 'can
also understand that any one reading
this story ~ have set It down might
gather the same impression. Yet up
to the day Austin talked to me about
It had never published an article that
! indicated that there was any spirit OF
,vindicuveness behind It. / had al
ways emphasized the fact that we
were presenting the truth about the
loss OF advertising solely for the pur-
pose OF showing that We were deter
mined to print the news that the read
err was entitled to know, and to induce
the reader to stick with us in order
that We might ultimately get the adj
tvertisfng back again on solid bust
ness basis-that we might sell ad-
lvertistng as q merchant sells y sack
Of flour, because 1t Is q good product,
worth the price asked for it.
! / worked from three o'clock In the
afternoon until midnight on the two
column, page-length editorial. and
when l had finally rewritten 1t for the
last time was satisfied that 1t would
clear up any false idea as to our pur-
pose in life. / egan by quoting the
declaration of the Constitution of the
United States, guaranteeing the free
dom Of the press. l explained again
that we were determined to print a
newspaper In which nobody should
have any privileges except the reader.
II told why we had lost the Lonxman
advertising. the Mills Brothers adver-
ltisipg, the uttle advertising and othera.
II frankly admitted that it remained
for the people to say whether we
;should succeed or fail. / thanked the
public for Its support and cited our
circulation. now grown to twenty thou
sand. A. evidence of the public's APP
|preciation OF our efforts. My final
lSentences we're these.
Do you. Mr.. St James Citizen. and
you, Mrs. ST. James Housewife, want
this newspaper to succeed, In order
that you may know the truth about
your city. or do you want 1t to fail2
IL YOU want Ii to succeed and are not
already regular subscriber you will
have to become one. Otherwise the
influences that want to put US out of
|business will put us out of business.
!! II you want to sncceed and are al
ready q regular subscriber. you will
have to do more than keep on taking
the paper. You will have to tell your
friends what We have been telling you
in this editorial. and you will have to
see that they become subscribers too
Otherwise the influences that want
to put US out OF business will put us
out OF business.
What Is your verdfct7
We printed the editorial, and re-
cetved 1.423 volunteer subscriptions
a. direct result Of 1t within -four
days. n never heard, and neither did
Austin. another intimation that We
were doing anything but what we
SsAeAuC0 W DC 0Olu8 ana what q care
tut reading Of our paper showed We
were dotng-prtnting an honest, In
dependent newspaper. From tbs
time that big editorial was publish ed
our motives were not Questioned, &c
far - / ever was able to discover. A
great many people disagreed with u,
and some hated US, but our honest,
and independence wefe UNIVERSAL,
, tconceded.
felt the good effect OF the editorial
which came as q sort OF climax to Ouy
years work. and felt that tho why
OF our efforts was beginning to be an.
. Ipreciated. therefore approached ths
! city election with considerable conti.
dence. While l had been working OF
!. this case OF the futile business Ian.
had been following up the municipa
campaign with only sugxestions Q,
general character from me. He hat
done = good job. and the question q,
) eQuable assessment and taxation hac
become the principal issue, with tn,
. night directed sharply against IN,
street railway company. 1t was tn,
practice Of the city council to NIX TN,
assessments of the pubiic-servtce cor
Ipcrations. and for the assessor. who
!. was actually charged With the duty a
nxtnk tho values. to accept the coun
; ellis figures. Our Tight, therefore. wa,
directed toward the nomination b,
49, ~