Evening journal., 1913-09-12
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Why John SwintOn'S Salary
Was Ten Thousand Dollars
BY Holland.


In my earlier days Of association
with journalism in the United States |
remember to have heard with amaze
ment that there we're two editorial
writer's who we're receiving salary
each of hundred dollars a week
These men were William Henry Hurl-
burt and Ivory Chamberlain. who were
writer's on the New York World under
Mantcn Marblcs's editOrship.
So said the late John SwintOn TO
me AT the time when he was the chief
OF staff of Charles A. Dana of tho
New York sun. Mr.. Swinton was
born in Scotland. He came TO the
United States when he was a young
man and gained an excellent repu-
tation as a writer I'm the later years
Of his life he accepted as sound the
philosophy Of Carl Marx, the Social
list. and was in fact a disciple Of
Marx when he was serving under Mr..
Dana i'm the editorial offices of the
Sun. He did not, however. permit
his personal views upon social and
economical questions in any way to
affect his Judgment or to tinge the
editorial articles which he wrote
81 never dreamed" said Mr.. Swim
ton. "in the days when ! used to
think with something like awe of a
salary of hundred dollars a week
TO an editorial writer that I should
myself receive nearly twice that
amount. But the fact is that ! did
after some years secure a honorarum
for editorial services which was
nearly. but not quite, 5000 week
The arrangements which I made
with Mr.. Dana called for a yearly
salary payable each week If I chose
to draw it in that way.
81 saw. during my long service
under Mr.. Dana. many evidences OF
pre-eminent qualifications for the
great position he occupied in Amer
ican journalism. Ono was the univer-
salty Of his knowledge and his pro-
found conviction that there is no de-
partment Of knowledge which cannot
he made at one time or another of
great service to a journalist.
Another characteristic of Mr. Dana
which | often observed was his cor
dial recognition of something I pro-
foundly believed in, namely. that the
laborer is always worthy of his hire;
or. in other words. the man who
works should receive what his work
is worth Mr. Dana was exceedingly
economical. and in little things some
times almost penurious. but his theory
was that in the greater affairs Of
journalism the true economy usually
involved the payment of large
amounts Of money
IN may be because I am little
vain, or properly proud. that one Of
the characteristics which. especially
appealed TO me was brought out at a
time when he was somewhat criti-
cized for paying me the salary that
he did
''He was asked if q we're true that
he was paying John Swinton nearly
ten thousand dollars year. and he
replied that It was. lie was asked
what time Mr. Swinton came io the
Sun Office and he replied about {
o'clock IN the afternoon and stayed
there until the paper went to press
on the first edition about O'Clock
in the morning. He was asked If Mr..
Swinton wrote much and he replied
that he wrote very little: sometimes
for days together he wrote nothing.
"Thon he was asked this question,
What on earth do you pay this man
nearly ten thousand dollars year
for when he simply spends the after
noon and the first part Of the night
In the sun Office?
81 pay John Swinton that salary.'
Mr. Dana replied, simply for his
Judgment of what my iuGgmen;
would he I'm any case II were at my
desk az the Sun Office after o'clock
] have the utmost confidence that he
would judge in every matter exactly
as I would II | we're there. And il
is worth that salary 10 feel that
have in the Office "A man whose iudg-
ment would he exactly what mine
would he in any given case
That answer illustrates the char.
acter Of Charles A. Dana AS a jour
nalist. said Mr.. Swinton.
(Capyright 1913, by r. J. Edwards
All rights reservedl.
Tomorrow Mr Edwards will tel
How tho Presidents from New NOrl