The Republican journal., 1916-07-13
Delane OF The Times.

The first VOlum OF a series, Makers
Of the Nineteenth Century, (Henry Holt
& Company, New York; is Sir Edward
Cook S "Delane of The Times" The
general editor OF the series says that the
period chosen for the series is roughly
from the year 1880, when the French
Revolution was almost accomplished,
till the death of Queer Victoria in 1902;
and Sir Edward Cook says in his pre-
face; "a complete study of The Times
Of Delane would require history of
English journalism during a large part
OF the last century and involve also all
the political, and much of the social,
history of those thirty-slX years..
This book, however, is neither history
of The Times newspaper, nor chronicle
of European affairs during the years of
Delane's editorship, nor yet, in the ordi-
nary sense, biography of him. 1t par
takes, in some measure, of all these
characters; but though this is a neces-
sity of the case, the measure is strictly
limited. 1t is impossible to make any
study Of the life and work of serious
journalist without touching both on the
history of his journal and on the public
events of his time OF his comings and
goings it is also necessary to say some
thing.
Of The Times under Delane Ralph
Waldo Emerson wrote: "No power in
England is more felt, more feared, or
more obeyed. and his biographer
says that in the greater part of the
nineteenth century The Times was not
SO much first as sole and supreme. -
The newspaper stamp duty was heavy;
the paper duties We're still in force The
hVe-penny Times 90 cents held the
field Golden calculated that until the
duties We're abolished and the penny
papers came into being, four-hfths of
the Whole daily newspaper circulation
of the country issued from The Times
press. People dubbed together in order
TO read The Times, or paid for reading d
copy which went from hand to hand.
1t was the public court of appeal, the
exponent of popular sentiment. Any
one who had a grievance or wanted a
reform in any direction wrote a letter to
The Times and thus brought the matter
to public attention. Its Influence was
sought even by royalty. No newspaper
at any time in any country has spoken
with such authority or welded so great
al influence. This was true of The
Times in a degree before the days of
Delane, but was emphasized under his
management, and his biographer truly
says OF him that he was zone of the
great personages of the Victorian era.
John Thaddeus Delane was born on
October II, 1877, in London, and was
brought up at his fathers country home
in East Hampstead. Berkshire. His
early education was in private schools
and under private tutors, and III October,
1886, be matriculated at Magdalen Hall,
Oxford. His passion for horses was one
of the causes that led him into journal
ism, His father made him but small
allowance at Oxford and to provide
means for stable expenses he engaged
in journalism, in which, to quote his BIZ
ographer, he achieved more success of
the kind he sought than, except in
America, had ever been accomplished
before by any lad under age" 1t is
thought that at this time he contributed
articles to The Times among other
papers. At all events, Mr.. Walter, the
chief proprietor of The Times, had his
eye on the lad, had formed high opin-
ion of bis character and abilities and had
marked him down for the service of the
paper. Delane's father and MIR. Walter
were neighbors in the country and the
sons education, by Mr.. Walters friend
ly interest, was directed with view to
his subsequent employment on the staff
of The Times. Young Delane took his
degree in 1889, and in the following year
entered the office of The Times. He
worked hard in whatever journalistic
duties were entrusted to him, and in
1841, at the age of %, be was made the