New-York tribune., 1918-08-18

e""' "4euoi'' proDlty and sc.,
virtue uniquely inhere in the TIL. IVA. sa
1unceion OF editor we do not snaS
why the owner of paper should No, '* -
opinions, nor why his opinions shor,s
so open to suspicion that they mu.. %
barred from the premises beforehans "a
though he is Thomas W. Lamont. of 'sa
Morgan & Co."
"The Indianapolis News" on :.
other hand, declares that the pubv,;.
given the matter is the best yuar.,s'
that the paper is to be kept "free f,ss
Wall Street influence" sThe N,r1s
writes: when control is sought bv ~.
interests it is in secret. Mr.. rsm.-s
is known to be man of character with
a sense of responsibility to the puh;oa
"The New York World" con,mentss.
at must be said in all franknsss th..
Wall Street banker, however excellent Il.
reputation, is not the ideal owner of
newspaper. It is good omen that NJ,
Lamont himself should so keenly annrs
cate that fact
And of the trustee plan "The Wo,lds
wrote that is based on "sound sense. test.
ed by all the experience of America,
journalism"
Colonel Watterson is the subject of j..
kind of chorus of affection and resneo,
on the announcement of his retiremsr.
from active service. His years and n.
fires Of war time have only served n
give sharper edge to his voice. and HE
Ito hell forever with the Hohenzolens
and the Hapsburgs" has given him
place in the index Of editorial writers
along with more youthful Interpreters
of the time. "The Philadelphia In.
quirer" calls him "a national figure for
fifty years, a field marshal in politics
and an independent fighter with an un.
paralleled reputation" Out Of the
South, from Savannah, comes this der.
claration in "The News" that, "incor.
ruptible, he has at times appeared pit.
less in his denunciation of wrongdoinp
social, political and business. He has
stood sponsor for more lost political
causes than one can remember offhand
and, by the same token, he has cham
pioned many successful issues" The
Boston Transcript" thus characterzes
him:
"The gallantry and grace of the man. his
genius for friendship, his passion for lib.
erty, his sympathy for human kind and his
rare gift of understanding have made the
product of his pen the mirror of his char.
acter, his conscience and his intellect"
"Tht New York Herald" contributes
an interesting accumulation of facts
with regard to the longevity records of
American editors, on the occasion Of
Colonel Watterson's retirement:
"In no spirit of boasting, but with
proper pride, Colonel Watterson mentions
the fact that he has served at the head g
a leading daily newspaper longer than any
other person connected with the press in
larger cities of the United States The
span of his active editorship covers hall
century lacking only three months. James
Gordon Bennett, founder of THE Herald
was the editor of this newspaper for thirty.
one years; James Gordon Bennett, the son,
was its head for forty-five years; Hor-
ace Greeley, founder of The New YORK
Tribune remained at it's helm for thirty
one years; George w. Prentice, founder Of
The Louisville Journal who was sue
ceeded by Colonel Watterson when 'The
Courier-J ournaP was born of consolidation,
had seen thirty-eight years Of editorial re-
sponsibility. The span of Joseph Medill's
activity as editor of 'The Chicago Tribune
was forty-four years. William Cullen
Bryant was editor OF The New York Even
ing Post for almost half a century, his
record being the only one that can chal-
lenge that of Colonel Watterson on the
score of longevity. General Felix Agnus
has seen fifty-three years of active service
with sThe Baltimore American Of which
he is editor and publisher, but the early
years of his connection with the newspaper
now so closely identified with his name
were in the business, not the editorial, end
"But the best part of the Louisville SIT
uation--t is in fact national situation
is that no 'finis' has been written. Coonel
Watterson is not through. At his own
sweet pleasure, not from the compuslon
that goes with responsibility, he will con-
tinue to write, and as long as he does write
he will give JOY and be, as in the past an
inspiration to the virile patriotism OF thS
land"