The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-19

IL Ii possible to run Newspaper
without making concessions to Adver-
Users in the news and editorial
columnA and he will say NO" Al
though he doesn't know 1t, that's the
wrong answer. ! was one Of 1--WE men
who ran a newspaper that made no
concessions to anybody. Everything
that went into that paper went In ON
the basis OF what the reader was en-
titled to get for the. one-cent piece
that he paid for each days issue.
The paper lasted two years and ate
up all OF its receipts and sixty thous-
and dollars more. Then II suspend
cd publication. We cali It success
full failure. This Is its story:
Fred Nell. the president OF the
Sunnower Publishing Company. con-
spring of 1905. The Sunfiower at
that time had five daily papers in
tho Missouri Mississippi Valley. They
were supposed to be peoples"
papers, operated from the editors
and not the business managers desk.
Instead they were commercial insti-
tutions. like most OF the other daily
newspapers Of the country. They got
the business first and looked out for,
the interests OF the public afterward
provided the public's interests
didn't interfere too seriously with the
advertiser. They were above the
none Of them enjoyed absolute
emancipation from the business Of
flee.
Tho other Sunnower men were Earl
Butter and Larry Ashman. They were
young and aggressive and they knew
the newspaper game from the ink
rollers to the editorial page. They had
plenty OF nerve and, little money.
Originally, they had had decided
convictions about the influence Of adj
verti6ng and established Institutions
on their news columns and editorial
policies. They had started all their
papers with determination to print
what the subscriber was entitled to
know. regardless OF whose OK was
gored, but gradually In each city their
papers had fallen more or less under
the influence of the commercial in
terests. The Sunnower people were
making money. but they had COM
promised with their convictions--as
have many other publishers.
A Square Deal For the Reading
Public.
II WAS this situation that brought
Nell. Butler. Ashman. Jim Austin
and myself together in the cramped
=
the evening Of May 3. 1909. We sat
around the city editors broad, fat
top desk. while Nell unfolded the
plan that two years later developed
into the successful failure Said
Nell.
We've bought this newspaper for
twenty-five thousand dollars. 1t was
ON its last lap and We took 1t in for
about the value Of the plant It's
been running q year. but would have
quit II we hadn't grabbed ii. We're
going to gamble on It TO the extent
OF sixty thousand dollars. Larry, Earl
and myself have agreed to chip in
twenty thousand dollars apiece. Well
put tho cash In the bank tomorrow
and then wen organize the Sun Pub
fishing Company. with a capital stock
OF one hundred thousand dollars.
Each OF us. including you and Austin,
will get twenty thousand dollars OF
stock. but yours and Austin's won't
cost you q cent. II you make good
the stock will be yours: X you don't
you won't lose anything. Austin will
be business manager and you'll be
editor. You will each get thirty-nve
dollars week salary TILL the first
dividend In declared after that you'll
be boosted as the company can az
ford 1t. Here's tho plant debt-free.
There's the sixty thousand dollars.
We want you TO spend all your re-
ceipts and to draw on tho sixty as
YOU need hTere.s only one con-
dition: You are to settle every oues-
ton pertaining to news strictly from
tho standpoint OF the rights of the
reader. who Ia buying information.
when a story comes over your desk
you are to decide whether to print
a. .
opinion OF the readers right to the
facts 1t conveys. II you think the
man who IL going to pay penny
for your paper ia entitled to the facts,
print the story. II not don't print
It
I'VE want you to consider only the
public--the people who look to your
newspaper to tell them what their
own community and the world have
been doing for the past twenty-four
hours We want you to ignore the
particular people or interests direct
ly affected by each thing you publish.
whether they. advertise with you or
not. whether they are powerful poll
ticiAns or lowbrow burglars. whether
they are highbrow citizens or con-
victed crooks In ighting or defend
ing Institutions. customs. laws. poll
tjciAns or whatever else may become
an issue, We want you to be for the
things that make for the good OF
humanity and against the things that
make for harm. That viii be your
editorial policy: you must work It out
and apply 1t In each specific case"
Nell then turned to Austin-and
the difference between the instruc-
tons he gave Jim and those he gave
mo shows pretty clearly what kind
OF 4 paper we were expected to make.
'.Jim." he said, I'VE want you to
understand that the editor ID to be
the supreme boss In his department.
We want You TO agree to the plan
cordially. without any reservations,
and then We want you to go. out and
get advertising for that kind OF 81
newspaper-if you can"
Jim agreed. and want to set It
down right hero at the beginning
that he stuck to his word and did
1t cheerfully. When the Smith Trans
fer and Storage Company took out
their al because printed an editorial
demanding q Jail sentence for one OF
their reckless drivers who had run
over and killed little GIRL Jim smil-
ed and went out and tried to con-
vtnco the Smiths that the driver
really ought to 20 to prison and that
they should help send him there. and
not protect him In the fear Of being
held for damages by the little gtrl'4
parents. And ali through the long
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