The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-08
The Hundredth Anniversary
Charles A. Dana's Birth.

Charles A. Dana's Birth.
The hundred years that have passed
since the birth Of CHARLES A. DANA
have been a cycle Of remarkable
change, generally progressive, In most
of the arts and sciences. In Journal
ism the century has been one Of COM
plete revolution, for when DANA was
born the newspaper, as we know 1t
to-day, may be said not to have ex-
listed. 1t was his fortune, alone of
the great journalists Of the nineteenth
century. not only to participate in the
development of popular journalism
but TO look upon its perfection-so Tar
5 as perfection may be measured with
out looking into the future.
In 1910 the greatest newspaper OF
(, the English speaking world had cir
culation of perhaps 1900, and that
wns an English paper. In New York,
where the editors were content to fol
low the general form and the devotion
to politics of the London Times, one
family in fifteen took q newspaper
e To-day the newspaper sales In this
\ city are four to family, or practi'
cnlly one newspaper for every person
!. There was little TO attract readers to
the newspapers of 1919, and still less
to draw men of ability to the profess
sion. 1t was too generally accepted
that newspapers were read only for
their politics. If the general public
would not read solemn articles or
government, why hope to have 1t read
4 Mt all? 1t was not until BEN Day
< who either did not understand this
magnificently false view of the rela
! lions between newspaper and either
or else had n hearty contempt for II
began to print the first enduring
low priced daily newspaper that other
and In a way better, newspaper mer
saw the real place and the great pos
sibilities of the newspaper.
When DAY started THE SUN, blaz
ing the way for BENNETT and hii
Herald and GREELEY and his Tribune
DANA was a boy of IA clerking In 6
store in Buffalo. The men with whom
his name Is linked in the history o.
Journalism were considerably older
GREELEY, 20 BENNETT, 80. Every one
of the three had his own particular
Z place IN the improvement Of the news
paper. BENNETT, who did not found
;. the Herald until he was 40, was abls
to bring to that newspaper the rip,
experience of studious and perse
; vering youth and to apply to its sue
= cess his knowledge of popular writ
4 ing, of politics and of finance. DAYS
success with THE SUN made BENNETT
forget his own earlier failures rs 1
newspaper owner, while his particular
genius for news and his enterprise
made his great individual success pos
sible. GREELEY was of distinct!
different type: less the practical news
paper owner and more the burning en-
thusiast In political matters. Fo
BENNETT, news, and more news; To-
GREELEY, the necessary news, and tn
opinions that went with IL.
4 If DANA, coming later into the felt
where these two radically oppose,
( men were striving, had been oblige'
to choose the way Of one or the other
unquestionably he would have take
the Greeley way. Fortunately no sucl
I, choice had to be made. He was abb
{. at once to pursue the enterprisin
course Of BENNETT In the way Of get
ting the news and to be as deaf to
wrong majority as GREELEY was
More than that, DANA, when he cam
z 10 control a newspaper, had n bette
general education than either BEN
NETT or GREELEY, and had enjoye
broader view Of life In experience
that ranged from selling mink trap
tn Indians to reporting great wa
for President Of the United States
What was more important to his pre-
fesslon, he had studied the leadin
! newspapers and their editors.
The attitude of DANA toward tn
newspapers which grew up, in some
what haphazard fashion, during tn
years of his youth was merely tina
Of the bystander. When BENNETT an
DAY were fighting for supremacy 4
the field of penny journalism DAN
was studlous boy preparing 70
Harvard. When GREELEY, after a va
riety of misadyentures, was preparin
to launch the Tribune DANA was Ell
terlng upon that brief but happy pt
riod which he spent in the paradis
OF the intellectuals, Brook Farm
Meanwhile he had learned to thin
and to write, but 1t was not unit