Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-02

An Important editorial In y Newspaper is
the composite production Of msny minds.
The newspaper as an organism, not the In
dIvIdua1 speaks. Editors are not malicious
scoundrels. They are the Accelerators Of
Progress.
"XTOU are, sir malicious scoundrel and
i ought to be burning in hell is an eX-
cerpt from letter recently received by the
editor. The occasion for such violent lam
guage was this newspapers vigorous support
of the national honor and its criticism of
those persons, in and out of Congress- who
advocated a policy Of scuttle and praised
cxpediency as supreme wisdom in the con-
duct Of our foreign affairs.
There seems to be an idea prevalent among
people who know nothing Of the inner work
! ings of a newspaper that some square-jaw
dyspeptic individual with chronic crouch,
the editor spends his days and nights think
! ing up means Of venting his spleen Others
imagine that the cruel barbarian meets the
| emissaries of foreign Governments in dark
! places late at night to receive from them
| in cash the price for his betrayal of his own
country. Still others living in their own
| little circles are convinced that the editor
is going out Of his way viciously to attack or
misrepresent them.
AS matter of fact, there is one goal toward
which a newspaper is constantly aiming, and
that is the truth. 1t is forever seeking it. Its
scores of reporters are engaged in that pursuit
exclusively. Not only is truth in relation to
facts eagerly sought, but in arriving at an
opinion as to the correct view when any great
controversy Is raging the most extraordinary
care is taken. An editorial article is seldom
the opinion of one man. 1t represents the
composite expression of many men, who have
been trained to think and weigh with the con-
nP tba n
There is a council of the editors of the
EVENING LEDGER every day, at which there
is full and exhaustive discussion of current
issues. When conclusion has been reached
as to the position to be taken by the paper,
the writing of the editorial is assigned to the
editor particularly fitted to do the work. 1t is
then subject to revision. Every important edi-
torial, therefore, it finally appears in the
paper, is the product not of one, but of many
minds. It is the expression of the newspaper
and not of some particular person on the news
paper. So, in the preparation of cartoon,
although the Installation Of the point TO be
made is peculiarly the artists own expression,
\ it is the paper and not the man that speaks.
But no matter what the care in editing,
errors are certain. There are occasional mis-
takes in judgment. But the precautions taken
to avoid such mistakes are stringent. Violent
partisans, acting on the theory that those
who are not for us are against u.s." construe
anything not distinctly favorable to them as
inimiCal. Occasionally some ignoramus, who
thinks he knows it ALL finds error which Is
obviously typographical, but he does not fail
to write in to say that whoever wrote the
article was an ass" Not long ago type
setter who thought that he knew more than
Shakespeare changed a quotation from the
great bard to conform to his own ideas. 1t
appeared in the altered form in one edition
only, but that edition had not been on the
streets hour before the office was deluged
with corrections by telephone. But not one
of those offering a correction assumed for
moment that the error might be typographical.
They were all convinced that some editor was
ignorant and did not know his business But
Philadelphia evidently knows its Shakespeare.
Not long ago publisher came from large
American city TO Philadelphia to ask this ques-
tion: TO what do you attribute the great
success of the EVENING LEDGER" We were
inclined to tell him that the sngeness of the
papers purpose namely its devotion to the
interests of Philadelphia, and its fairness
doubtless were contributing factors. During
the long and sometimes bitter fight for transit,
for instance did not, believe receive
even one letter of protest against our presen-
tation of the news our Interpretation of it,
The EVENING LEDGER is, in fact, largely
edited by its readers and always for them,
For every knocking" letter received there
are score containing commentator and
helpful suggestions. Sometimes the COM
plants are very peculiar One man was par
ticuarly indignant and accused us of blgotry
because we had no account of a certain re-
ligous gathering i'm which he participated.
He was very shamefaced when shown that
STORY" had appeared in all editions under
display head He had been searching for 1t
so eagerly that he had missed it.
The EVENING LEDGER is the peoples news
paper and welcomes criticism, favorable un-
favorable The more of the latter it gets the
more helpful the morning mail. The editorial
policy is militant whenever mtancy is re-
quired. The exposure Of the liquor "slush"
fund in the 1914 campaign was made, for in
stance only because publicity alone could
prevent contamination of the ballot As
result of that exposure. the Grand Jury in.
vestigation in Pittsburgh is now under way
So, too the EVENING LEDGER took up the bat
that further delay in this matter would work
untold injury TO the city. But we have been
able to accomplish many things quietly Mayor
Smith did not hesitate moment to take up
the suggestion of lighting Father Penn" and
before the Associated Advertising Clubs of
America meet here in June City Hall will be
bathed in light every night
The editors are not malicious scoundrels"
They are Accelerators Of Progress.