Year: 1872

literary personalities.


THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE IMBROGLI0.


The family jar which is now going on inside Of
the New York Tribune Office is very unpleas-
ant one, and its parade before the public still
more 80. If it had been kept within doors, as it
should hare been, it would have been Of no pub
lie concern, and no det1iment to itself. As,
however, like man and wife quarre11ing upon
the street corner and appealing to the bystand-
ers, the disagreement has been made public, it
is now matter for open discussion. The New
York Tribune is one Of the half-dozen most
important papers in this country, both in inf1u-
ence and income, and the result Of the recent
political campaign has not lessened the interest,
either Of the public or the politicians, in that
paper. The day has gone by when political
campaign can decide the fate Of
newspaper, or even influence it's busi-
ness. The prosperity Of the newspaper
now depends upon it's comparative merits
with other papers in collecting and arranging
news, upon the excellence OF its editorial mat
ter, and it's general adaptation to the daily
wants Of the community in which it is published
and circulated. Men buy newspaper as they
buy other articles Of daily consumption. When
politics is the uppermost thing in their list OF
wants, they select newspaper for its politics.
When news and market reports, and general
instruction and entertainment are wanted, they
select the paper which comes nearest their
tastes in these respects. a political campaign
is only an incident in the business Of great
paper. Its principal aim is to gather the news,
accompanying it with editorial comment, and
present it to it's readers in attractive form.
The New York Tribune is not in the Repubi-
can caucus as it WAS formerly, but, as an organ
Of public opinion and purreyor OF dssemina-
tor Of news it stands to-day wherei it always did.
With the exception Of b1r. Greeley's loss, the
general status OF the paper is unchanged. His
loss Was purely fortuitous lit must have hap
pened ..at Bome time), and does not affect the
policy Of the paper in its relations to the public.
It's object ia still the same, and the most prudent
course to preserve and increase its prosperity il
to take it up where he left it, and continue it in
the course which he marked out for it, or rather
which it marked out for itself, for the twain
cannot be separated as regards that.


It appears now that clique Of the stockhold-
ers, headed by Mr. Sinclair, who urged Mr. Gree
ley to run for the Presidency during the recent
campaign, il striving to divert the Tribune from
the course previously mapped out By Mr. Gree
ley and himself, and to convert it once more into


party organ, under the management Of Hon


Schuyler Colfax. In such course, the Tribune
has everything to lose and nothing to gain. If
the employment Of Mr.. Colfax as its editor is
simply method OF signifying the repentance Of
the Tribune for its political sins, and q request
for absolution, then that paper for
feits its solf-respect, and acknowledges
itself to be moral coward. 4 paper, like an
individual, which has not respect for itself, can
not command the respect Of others. 1t has
nothing to gain from the people, for the people
are not now buying newspapers chiefly for
politics. certainly not for political tergiyersa-
tion. It has nothing to gain from tho politicians,
because the politicians furnish no material sup
port to metropolitan newspaper. While it can
expect no support from the politicians, it can,
however, earn and receive their contempt. A
newspaper which can be forced to it's knees to
ask pardon from the politicians, can only expect
to be regarded by them "a servant to fetch and
carry without pay.


If, On the other hand, the employment Of 1ir.
Colfax is an attempt to place an experienced and
able newspaper man at the helm OF the Tribune,
then the stockholders can do better. They have
already as the manager of the Tribune gentle
man who ia better qualified for the position than
Mr. Colfax. We have no desire to prejudge
Mr.. Colfax as 8 Journalist; but it is patent to
any man in the newspaper business that he has
not been trained for the place. He has had no
newspaper experience, and has shown no news-
paper capacity, though as a politician he has
shown striking ability. Prior to his pubiccareer,
he edited small country newspaper, which
did not succeed in attracting notice outside Of
the village in which it Tas published until its
editor had become prominent in tile national
councils. During his public career, he has


written essays for the New York 11dependent
and various Sunday School journals, and de-
hyered Odd Fellow lectures. This is the sum


total Of his literary experience and 1t does not


contain the special qualifications Of the conduct


OF 3 great metropolitan newspaper like the New
York Tribune. But every one to his taste.
Meanwhile, the daily publication Of these
intestinal wrangles in the New York Tribune
Office is injurious to the paper. Family jars


are never pleasant to the public or profitable to
the family. 4 few days after the election, when
Mr. Greeley resumed editorial control Of the
Tribune, he printed q card setting forth the


policy Of the Tribune in the futur g,


which was marked by such eminent good sense
and wisdom that it received favorable comment


from almost the entire press Of the country, and