The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-11-02
The Cleveland Press

half century ago today in a side street OF Lake
Erie city, little newspaper was born.
The beginning was humble, as the beginnings
of most men and most institutions that achieve great
in America
little money, lot of energy, a basic idea, and an
infinite capacity to inspire men were the tools the
founder of that newspaper brought to his task.
Those we're the days of party organs. Newspapers
served political groups or social cliques business
blocs special interests of one sort or another.
That newspaper should serve only it's readers, all
its readers, rather than any group of any special in
terest-such as was the idea behind the Cleveland
Press.
Today one of the worlds most influential dailies,
the Cleveland Press expresses it did in November,
1873 that journalistic principle with which E w.
Scripps pioneered. Independent journalism has
thrived in America since then, the journalism that
prints the news unnhuenced by those who want some
thing put in or something kept out, and then cCm-
rents independently the that has been chron-
icled.
It would be impossible accurately to estimate the
full extent of the influence that w. Scripps and the
Cleveland Press exerted the journalism of America.
But certain it is that the influence was tremendous.
And from the success of the Cleveland Press grew the
other twenty-five members of what is now the Scrpps-
Howard group Of newspapers.
and file of readers had little mony. To carry out his
purpose of the greatest good to the greatest number
E. w. scripps sold his little paper for penny, to
reach the greatest number
E. W. Scripps possessed deep and abiding faith
in the future of America through the capacity of the
common man to better himself. He believed the col
lective effect of such individual betterment would
raise the standard of all, and that the newspaper
which best would serve its community and the nation
as whole should marshal its editorial influence in
behalf of those who most needed its help.
Not as a matter of arraying the poor against the
rich but to concentrate his energies where they would
do the most good he applied his rapidly growing edi-
oral strength to the job of improving the lot of the
95 per cent.
"The per cent are able to take care of them
selves" he said
In an era when low wages were thought to be the
only route to higher profits, E. w scripps half
century ago advocated the economic theory Of high
wages and prosperity-the theory which today is &C
cepted by the great industrial leaders the formula
responsible forfthe general material welfare of the
nation
He believed that the American people, presented
with an unbiased and ntainted chronicle of events,
would find their way.
These special interests which for so long had been
accustomed to being favored by newspaper publishers
could not at first understand the journalism that
served the mass without regard for the influence and
the pressure that the few able to bring to bear
But as the years went that journalistic thought
of a newspapers responsibility running to its sub
scribers as whole rather than only to those who
were infuential--took hold. Today that idea is &C
cepted in journalism generally
And the Cleveland Press is great.
AS one of the sister newspapers in the Scripps
Howard organization wish the Cleveland Press &
happy new half century, and many Of them.