Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, December 14, 1924, Page 24

BRR LATA «=e Lae // ff 1/07 hd VI Astth 7s tee bl The following paper was re- cently read before the Casper Literary club, as well as at a meeting of the Rotary club. Mr. Fuller, before coming to . Was for many years en- gaged in the newspaper business, both as a reporter and editor, and as a business manager.—Editor. In the introduction of this sub- ject the author acknowledges a feeling of considerable responsibi‘ity in discussing a questiop that has been constantly before the Amerti- can public since the beginnings of newspaper publishing in this coun- try. He makes no apology, how- ever, for presenting this paper. If the donclusions reached seem to favor somewhat of. personal . posi- tveness, please bear in mind that they are made in good faith, and . that they have only been reached after twenty years’ experience in and study of the newspaper business and as a result of considerable cor- respondence and many conversa- tons not only with publishers, jour- naliste and business office execu- tives but from contact with hun: dreds of advertisers and thousands of the reading public. So that, ofter all, ,these qoncfusions pnay properly be set forth as q digest of the views of a composite group of newspapermen on the one hand, and a similar group of laymen on the other, To appreciate the Influence of the modern daily newapsper in the United States, {t seems necessary to retrace. briefly the steps of his- tory as it has affected, or been at- fected by, the creating and develop- ment of the news journal. We commonly look upon the newspaper as a development of tho seventeenth century, with the founding of the “Frankfurter Jour- nal" by the German, Emmel, in 1615, the year preceding Shake- spesro’s demise. (Had this great playwright lived a few decades later he inight also have become a fa- mous editor) English journalism be- gan with the London Weekly News in 1622. However, the Hollander, Coster, or the German, Gutenberg, invented movable type and the printing press sometime between 1420 and 1439, the latter being gen- etally acknowledged the real nator of the 1498 the first w y nothing ews pampir Jets) were founded 4n Vienna and Antwerp, carrying as tir first ‘big foreign news stories for the, edi- fication and entertainment of their Urban and suburban subscribers, the voyage of Columbus-@nd his discov- ery of America. Doubtless many a fond mother, after perusing the most recent despatch in her even- ing paper, crooned her youngster to bed with some such cradle rhyme as: “In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blu Tnasmuch as there were no A lantic cable, news assocaitions, lease@ wires, telephones nor air-mail gervice in those days, we may pre- g@ume that foreign despatches may have ‘wen several years late in reaching the office of publication. ‘Occasionally, even nowadays, we tind a newspaper that seems a. num- Ber of years behind in getting the pews. But while popular opinion credits the seventeenth century with the founding of the news journal, we find that twenty-five centuries ear- Yer there is a record of a daily Newspaper published in Peking, China, under the title of ‘News of the Capital,” containing official" in- teliigence, and distributed to offi- elals of the « ronment each day. While in the early years of its pub- lication, ber s about 741 B. G., the ° u “s hand printed by 50 B.A e., the Chinese | » process of printing on paper from engraved blocks, which process undoubtedly ‘was later used in the publication of this journal. Incidentally, it continued in publication as a daily ‘until about 1900, when it was sus- pended. Thus we eee the foundation or forerunner of the modern news- paper. Two centuries after the story of Columbus’ discovery “‘broke’’ tm the European press, the first newspaper story “broke'’ in the ‘United States, with the ,establish- ment of a journal named “Publick Occurences" in Boston in 1689, about 76 years after Emmel's Frankfurter paper had begun the real history of journaliam: The so-called radical tendencies of the Boston newspaper, however, caused its suppression by the state government in its infancy. ‘The eral view in which the early functionaries of government in the colonies held the press may be sum- marized in the words of the English Crown's Governor of Virginia, Sir Willlam Berkeley, who in 1671 made this declaration: ‘Thank God, we have neither free school nor printing press, and I hope may/not have fora hundred years to, come." ‘He ‘proved a poor prophet. for a century later there were one hun- dred and seventy-three newspapers scattered throughout the colonies. The famous “Boston News Lette was founded in 1704, and in 172 Benjamin Franklin established the “Pennsylvania Gazette.” The ‘New ‘York Gazette” began publication tn 725; and the “Annapolis Capital" in int, “The latter ts still iasued—the oldest. newspaper in the United With the beginning of these news- papers, American journalism was really born. Local postmasters were frequently the editors and publish: e Incidentally, bos et saakond ad begun to appear in European Lapecticoy: bai as early as 1648, so that the commercial phase of the news- paper business had already been ¢ tablished when the early American journals were founded. However, the matter of purveying news was the dominant consideration. From politics, both dom: tic and foreign, from shipping and from important Jocal happenings, early news stories svere first drawn, although it must tbe said that the need xpreasion of political opinions doubtless formed: the framework of the early news paper. In the Colonies, as in Eng- ‘and, newspaper editors were not at this period -held in -particularly good repute. Frequently, they were jailed for expressions of opinion at vari- ance with general sentiment or with public policy; their newspapers sup- pressed, and every effort made to muzzle: the publication and circula- tion of printed intelligence and pinion. - At the opening of the Revolution- ary war there were a considerable number of newspapers being regu- larly published throughout the Colonies, and while not all, by any means, were favorable to separation from the rule of the British Crown, there is small question but that the public press generally played an im- portant role, ndt only in bringing about the Declaration of Independ- ence, but in preserving the morale of the Revolutionary army through the years of the war to its trium- phant end. As a matter of fact, Gouverneur Morris, the first, said that the first seed of American free dom was sown as a result of the prosecution for sedition of John Peter Zenger, publisher and editor of the “New York Weekly Journal,” which he founded in 1733. K In 1788, the first regular daily newspaper came into existence in New York City, under the name of thé “Journal and Register.” By 1820 there were a total of eight jailies in New York, then a city of considerable population, with an aggregate daily circulation of less than eleven thousand copies—about the same total as is now enjoyed by the Casper Daily Tribune. During the period between 1820 and 1850 there was a comparatively apid growth in the establishment of newspapers throughout the United States, marked, however, with a high. percentage of suspensions through lack of public support, poor business administration or from other tauses. It must be borne in mind, however, that the percentage of persons unable to read or write because of the dearth of schools, the lack of telegraph, telephone and postal facilities, the absence of news associations and other handicaps made the publication of a newspaper a precarious undertaking indeed, from -,. commercial standpoint. However, with the removal’ of dome of these obstacles, we find that tn 1860 there were a total of fifty- one daily newspapers, with a com- bined circulation of two hundred and fifty thousand copies, being publish- ed in the United States, In 1831, William Lloyd Garrison founded the famous ‘Boston Liber- atot Although this was nearly a hundred and fifty years after the founding of the first American jour- nal, we find that the ways of the newspaper editor had not yet settled into peaceful routine, for the Massa- chusetts state assembly, becoming incensed at Garrison's flaming ‘edl- torlals on the slavery question, of fered a reward of $5,000.00 for his apprehension and) trial. Later he was convicted on a libel charge, and unable to pay his fine, committed to jail. ‘The Influence of the press of both the northern and southern states in bringing to an issue the problem of slavery is too common a fact. to need mention, and the .discussion of more*recent events and phaseg ‘of newspaper development precludes the possibility of giving time to the period of the civil war. It may be sald with some degree of accuracy at least, that the be- ginning of so-called “yellow journal- isin” was simu'taneous with the ap- pearance of the New York Daily Sun.” as a penny paper, with Ban- jamin Franklin Day as publisher, in September, 1833. ®A. principal feat- ure ‘éf. news in this journal was piq- uant police reports. Beginning with a circulation of about six hundred copies, {t had reached a circulation of over thirty-six thousand copies by /1864. James Gorden Bennett, the elder, established the “New York Herald” in 1835, In 1855 it had reached a daily circulation of about thirty-six thousand copies, five times greater than that of any London newspaper excepting the ‘London Times." Bennett. was a sensationalist, not only from the standpoint of news policy, but in the means used to advertise his paper and to obtain advertising patronage. So far back as 1882, when the days of really big newspapers were not yet begun, the Herald in one issue printed about one hundred columns of advertising, containing four thousand separate advertisements. ‘Tlie World. estab- shed tn 1887, had many characteris- tice similar the Hera Both were progressive though sensational —both made money. In 1841. Horace. Greeley the "New York Tribune.” It was a penny paper, but a good one. In opinion of present day journalis as among students of newspaper do- velopment, it {s generally conceded that the Tribune was America’s first truly great newspaper, and Greeley our first great editor. The Tribune's policy was vigorous, both politically from an editorial stand- point and in the conduct of its news department. It warred upon slay- ery; {t advocated co-operation and conciliation in labor disputes rather than untons and strikes as a means to justice; it organized and led many movements for public betterment, Greeley was not always fair; he was intensely partisan; he made many bitter personal enemies; but he was thoroughly a man, human in his Passions and prejudices, but with « strong moral sense that made him usual'y advocate. the right. In 1851 the Tribune had a circula- tion of about nineteen thousand copies, half of which was outside New York City, m fact which ac- counted in large part for its then wide-spread influence. It was the first newspaper in this country to use to any considerable extent the Atlantic cable, by means of which Its news reports of the Franco-Prussian war were received The “New York Times." now sanding in the minds of many pub: Ushers and thousands of readers as kreatest dally newspaner in the World, was established in 1851, at a fime when metropolitan journalism Was still a precarious venture from & Commercial standpotnt. During founded Preceding thirty. years, thirty- ‘wo dailies had been founded and abandoned in New York City alone. Further on, the Times will again be referred to, as its’ continuing Influ- ence has been and is now-a big fac- tor in American journalism. Meanwhile, in Chicago, as well as In other of the large cities of the country, had been established a considerable number of dailies. The Chicago Tribune, now claiming ths distinction of “the world's greatest newspaper,” had ‘its humble origin on a Washington handpress in ‘1847. By the close of the Civil war, the march of progress had reached from coast to coast, and the period of re- construction . found jundreds of dailies and weeklies scattered throughout the union. With thé increase in educational facilities, from 1865 to the end of the century, the growth of news- the United States was er the daily and week- ly was the immediate cause for liberal education, or whether.the es- tablishment of new schools was the prelude to more newspapers, it* is difficult to ascertain. However, it is probable that the desire for know- ledge, the ability to read the. pub- Uc, print, was then, as it is now, a chief incentive to literacy.’ With the advent of the Eighties, the newspaper business in this country had become an important enterprise, though little gauging the magnitude of the same industry to- day. Up to 1885 there were few dally papers in the country making any considerable amount of money, but about this time such papers as the New York Sun, New York Herald, Chicago Tribune, Cincinnati En- quirer and a few others, were reput- ed to be making each in the neigh- borhood of $100,000.00 net, yearly, a tremendous newspaper earning for those days. While the average size of metropolitan papers was elght and ten pages, the Néw York Herald Was occasionally issuing as many as thirty-two pages. Approximately ten years later, when the’ silver-tongued orator of the Platte was making his eloquent and vociferous plea to the American public for a change In the monetary system of the United States, daily newspapers had not made especial Progress in the matter of develop- ing circulation or advertising vol- ume. It may be interesting to note that in 1896 the circulation of the New York Times, now, one of the largest newspapers in the country, was only about 20,000 copies daily, just about twice that of the Casper Tribune. On the other hand, its advertising revenue. per -page was about three and a half times that of the Tribune's making an adver- tising rate per thousand circulation of nearly double the latter’s. And in these days of high production costs we complain of high advertis- ing rates. ’ In the late nineties the Times, fol- lowing the lead of some other of the larger papers of the country, which had weathered the innovation of cheap subscription prices, drop- ped to one cent a copy. Its circula- tion immediately rose to somewgere near ithe level of the other penny papers in New York City; such ‘as the Journal and the World. (The Journal was established by Hearst in 1896. It now has the largest week- day circulation of any newspaper in the United States.) This period marked the first real impetus given to circulation and advertising vol- ume, which despite the advance tn subscription rates of these same pa- pers at the opening of the world war, has continued {n phenomenal manner. | The great \ development of the newspaper business has come in the last twenty-five years; more decide: ly in the last ten. The sudden out break of the World War caused a tremendous leap in the circulations of both metropolitan and. smaller journals. Advertising rates were advanced; money was made freely. Before the war ended, however, a dearth of trained newspaper men, shortage of print paper, and exces- sive costs of production compelled the Inauguration of more rigid econ- omies and better business conduct, with the result that during 1920 and 1921, especially, there were many newspaper consolidations. and sus- pensions in various, parts-. of .. the United States. Those that survived, which of course, number ‘by far the greater. portion, are today for the most part on a substantial business foundation with long years of prot perity apparently before them. The days when the newspaper publisher ‘Was sympathetically alluded to as;a “poor editor’ have passed. Even the owner of the countrs® weekly {s approaching the, “plutocratic” ¢s- tate through intelligent application of business practices to-the conduct of his newspaper and job printing plant. ui Thus briefly is the history of journalism brought down to date. In order to give time to discussions which the author believes both inter. esting and important, much h: been omitted. The development of news associations and feature syn: dicates; of advertising agencies; of modern mechanical equipment, al; form an Important group of factors in the progress of the modern press. But let us turn rather to the e! fects which follow cause, and 4 duce, {f we may, the influence of the modern newspaper. And though for illustration, we may use the larger newspapers of the country, let us not forget the important role that is played by the nearly fourteen thousand weekly newspapers of the United States upon the life and pro- gress of the country. There are today nearly twenty- five hundreq newspapers now being published throughout the states of the unfon, of which more than elghteen hundred are evening news- paper: It is safe to say that enty-five million people read them and that directly or indirectly, those of reading age of the remaining pop- ulation are by this means influ- enced {n thelr thoughts and thus in their daily conduct. Tt might be well here to briefly state the functions of a newspaper, taking in consideration only {ts news and editorial side, as present- ed by Iending students of ‘the Fourth Fetate.” ‘The art of Journallem may wel be defined as that of securing,. writ-| ing and publishing legitimate. news. of interest to the general public, curately, swiftly and fairly. 2 first*consideration should ‘be: infor- mation rather than éntertainment. Sound: moral. force: should” fall editorial comment,’ which in) country should first of) all be; Amer- ican, and'to continue‘in the words | | of Melville E. Stone, .written : more than’ 25 years ugo—“a: force :that is in favor of our constitution and the declaration of independence.’ — ‘The business ‘of newspaper. pub- Ushing is,-however, broader “in {ts scope. As much or ‘more space in| the newspaper is deyoted.to adver. tising than to news, the former de- partment ‘bringing by far the great- er share of revenue. ae ‘There is in excess of a billion dol- lars a year expended for advertising in the United States, the major. por> tion of which is paid to newspapers. The New York Journal, with its Week-day circulation “of” over six hundred fifty thousand” copies, ‘re- ceives over $2,500 dollars’ for each Page of display advertising per id sue—a rate of about $16.00 a column inch for one insertion. 0 Tribune, a close second, ‘with over half.a million daily and about eight hundred“ thousand Sunday circula- tion, receives an advertising’ reveriue somewhat less in proportion.. The Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Led- ger, New York World; New York Times and other big papers, conduct various. subsidiary enterprises as well, for prifit. They own their own print paper mills; con- duct news and newspaper feature syndicates; publish various statis. tical works, which altogether mal gross’ incomes foreach corporation of from fifteen to twenty-five mil- lions or more a year,.the larger ones comparable to the entire annual tall» business of . all of Casper’s stores. The larger papers-each erh- ploy from 1,500. to 2,000 or-~more men and women. The important part that newspaper advertising has played in the development: of Unit- ed States commerce, especially dur+ ing the past quarter century, need not be detailed. 2 2 As incidental informiation.{t may be stated that the AssociatedPress, the oldest and greatest non-profit news association in the- world, serv- ing 1,200 daily newspapers.in 1933, received in‘ payments from:its.memy bers for news last yea? over ‘six and a half million dollars. The newspaper owner controls both the editorial and advertising departments. Unless-he is endowed with an independent ‘income, or un: less_he chooses to serve.the public cause with little or.no.remuneration, he must make his paper profitable— and ‘after all without profit, the erage newspaper will cease to be’of any great benefit to a community. ‘What, then, are the ‘requisites for publisher who is -to’ gain’ material success and at the same time make his: newspaper a real: factor in th true education and: betterment’ of his* commynity, ‘ | The-author maintains’ ‘that” the publishing of a good newspaper. calls for the highest. type of citizen, js Important that the. minister of the gospel, the school teacher and col- jege professor, the physician, the lawyer and the public official be Persons ‘not: only: of intelligence and training, but of high ideals | with quickened conscience, because they ure dealing in moral and mental in- fluences ‘rather «than ~in:~material commodities. Then it 1s apparent that the newspaper .owner ; or ‘pub- Usher should be doubly capable and doubly honorable, because he is dealing in both influences and com- modities, with unquestionably a greater power for g6od,or evil than any of the foregoing . professional classes. Undoubtedly our earlier newspa- Per owners and editors for the most part were men of higher type:so far a8 moral fabric was concerned—for pne thing, there were more genuine Americans engaged inthe business; for another the {idealistic -s{de of newspaper publishing was: general- ly paramount to the materialistic. Today ithe average newspaper owner considers his business chiefly from the standpoint of income, .«x- pense and net earnings... ‘There: has been a rapid influx-during the past 15 years to the Proprietorship or general! managership of daily: news- Papers, especially from. among men of'large business acumen, who have seen the possibilities for ney- making on an enormous scale; "and ge it seems is an opportune tlie ‘0 explain that proportionate’. to other businesses the’ modern news. paper requires a tremendotts amount of capital. . The physical-tn- vestments of the larger. metropoll- tan newspapers range ‘from five to en. millions of dollars, besides the enormous investments in franchises, subscription” lists, etc.’ There {s growing trend towards the news- paper business on the part of Jew. ish men and womeh,: whose. com- mercial ability as a race is outstand- ing. Chiefly as owners or! publish- ers, a8 advertising and circujation men; are the members of ‘this entering the field, although the-edi- torlal side has its fair share of rep- resentatives, i > It may be—it fs to be: hoped, at least—that’ out’ of this~transforma- tion; from. the material - puccess which scientifically. applied business methods have” gained, there will emerge a new generation jof pub- Ushers who will ‘combine. business akiity with editorial -attainmerits and idealistic principles to such an extent that there may,be nd place pei a {eb rngpeca without a standard of rvice first—the fits follow.'" nips mn The author would not hére by any means convey the impréssion ‘that there are not hundreds ‘of daily newspapers, in every “respect suc- cessful from a. financial standpoint, whose standards of leadership and service are high, placed above the dollar, and unpurchasable at. any price. Nor on the other hand, would he intimate that there are more than a handful of newspapers’ so bad but t’ they have accomplished more good than evil, even though the scales may be only ° slightly tipped on the side of justice. It is apparent to him who thinks long that this country could not ave made the forward leap it has. educationally, economically, “socially patrons_on .whom it relies for sup: Port.” ‘Thus we come ‘finally to the crux of ‘the situation. Does the newspaper, make its‘own ing public, supplemented by the com- petitive influence—one way or an- other—of the ‘opposition. journal? ‘The author's conclusion is this: ‘There are three classes of news- papers. . 2 First—The_ newspaper that is pub- lished primarily for revenue and net profit, and adjusts its news, editorial and advertising policies as it thinks best’ meets theese requirements. runs along, or that is tically, or. by an “angel” the town should have a newspaper to express his own verbose’ opinions; or -that 1s sponsored by. a religiou! or commercial, or some other group organization, ‘principally for propa- Third—The newspaper, whether of recent: or early’ establishment, ‘that places public .welfare ahea@ of finan: celal returns. : b Now to deal with the first \class. It‘is after ‘circulation ‘first—advertis- ing volume will® follow... To’ gain circulation, it must. appeals to: all classes; at least |to\the, class.of the greatest. number. Good at ‘heart though they may, be, ready to rally round the standard of justice ‘ard right—given’ t! proper leadership and’ support—is' that: grotp'of vast number who read with iavidity,;ecan: dal, »fake» stories, flamboyant) edl- torials, denunciation—so long as he are about the other fellow, hee rs iy the rich or the prominent.’ Graphic headlines," racy - stories; ~inflaming editorials make their mark and leave their impréss.): And hand.in, hand with this: news pdlicy goes the work of the hig! Brite hl bi ane i vertising .managers, innoculated + heritage or train! ‘ against scrupul- ouimess, who~ first’ lie,» then ‘coerce, ant finally: threaten. 3 ny’ ‘a private: indivi- business ‘and. profes- stonal ~man,~who--has~ been ruined predatory - power. ar yet, with: all thelr “badness,. these astute iper publishers put over for the Tae aM ore lh ae rojecta of vittue to; éarn 3 bok i) cine their’ constituen! And it nfay be; tial in the ‘final class? ‘Its: owner “mhy "be ‘ reason- ably honest; Itg-editors’ may ‘be.en* dowed with a high sense of public duty; its; business. manager may be a, typica] good fellow—but n verthe- less its calibre Ix’ soon ‘measured by ain astute composite public, and from this:time on, to, use’ an..expression more forceful than, elegant, hell 1s to pay. An advertiser's son is ar- rested on the. charge of ‘a: felony: "The advertiser: asks for omission of the story. It may not be omitted, but ‘it is soft-pedaled.) A friend of tie editor suggests athat it would be. better, to. say nothing about the defalcation of a certain club's treas- urer the olub {s. putting on a drive for membership, and besides it would be ‘hard on the‘ defaulter’s family. “A+ promoter with fake ‘Proposition, contracts for, a - large mount of.advertising space at:the top. rate—and then. casually slides in @ lot of frée. publicity’ under * the guise of news stories. Several’ sub: advertising; as community, pressed, and at the same time de* light n- seeing the name « of, our neighbor‘ blazoned in bold faced type just- because we want a senational thrill. On the other hand, we de- mand greater accuracy in the news ot the day; ‘information ahead “of entertainment; fairer editorials; less and/a little more vertising than it accepts of the samé.nature; suggests more reforms, by word of mouth than by print; and favors: to’ measure suctess by service’ rather than by dolldrs. ‘ It may be that we can profitably study some of the great and good newspapers of the country—not se- lected ‘as ‘great by any’one man or woman, but. conceded by publishers and laymen alike as leaders in good thought and excellent precept; as purveyors of legitimate and accur- ate mews; as constructive developers of business and social improvements; au /encouragets of fair and ethical state and nation builders. There are ‘thousatids “of ‘srialler’. newspapers ‘with. only ‘a local reputation, that in their,own spheres of influence will stand as high—Wyoming even need not-be .excluded—but now time ‘per- mits, naming only a few of the most outstanding. « ot ‘)The New York Times,’ . Boston “Pranécript, Philadelphia’ - North American, Atlanta Constitution, Chi- cago Tribune, Kansas City Star, Cin- einnatt Enquirer, Portland \Oregon- jan, and .Los Angel Times are among. those perhaps most. ofte: mientioned. if The: ‘Boston Transcript," .estab- shed in)1830, unswetvingly follow- ing high principles: through. the course of years,.yet with a compara- tlyely small circulation, is of .un- questioned ‘standing in newspaper- dom., Its editor, when asked by the thor upon what policy the Tran- script stands,’ replied that its pro- nouncement upon a certain occasion twenty-one years ‘ago, is atill effec- tive. Here,are brief excerpts: ‘It plumes itself as ‘much for. the matter. it omits as, for the matter whichiit admits.,...:. It presupposes your preference. for . decency,,. and your, lack of interest in, scandal and crime. .,. . For the circulation that t yellow stories,in red ink, the a3 jpt_ makes no, bid. Its appeal iecto the reader who appreciates real page, al- young friend's acceptance of a post on so mon: strous an exponent of yellow jour- nalism, whereupon the young man repaired again to Mr. Hearst's office and withdrew his acceptance. Mr. Hearst. smiled, we presume some- what cynically, and detaining the erstwhile reporter, called a stenog. rapher, and in the young man’ Presence dictated a letter to the col- lege professor requesting a fite hun- dred word signed article for the next Sunday’s isste*of the Journal, and instructed the stenographer to have a check-for $250 enclosed .with the Aetter. The le appeared in the Journal under the name of the pro- fessor the following Sunday. Thus, sometimes, are youthful and high- minded newspaper men converted Into cynics. But after all, the worth of a news- paper'can pretty mtich be measured by the worth of the men who con- duct t,.and-the: standard of their Joint: product is very likely to be higher than the standards of the in- dividuals creating it. ‘The failts a newspaper has, the errors it makes, are largely human, for the human’ element {s, most naturally, the dominant one. The reporters ‘who meet you. on the street,'the correspondents who write the Associated Press dis-|. patches, the editors who weigh and deliver opinions, “the advertising salesmen, the business managers, the owners, are+men and women with the same human instincts pos- sessed in common’ by man-kind, and it would be strange indeed ‘if ‘the making of a newspaper could :on- tinue with never an fota of personal though written upon.distinct convic- |~ tion, 1s conducted in full apprecia- tion of “the other side.’ ” ¢ And this same cditor graciously and-frankly admits that the “New York Times” is the best newspaper in the world, an unusua! admission for the editor of one paper to make about another. The’ Times a striking example’ success to be attained by.a truly great newspaper. It is .prob- able that the net profit of the Times newspaper-excluding its. subordinate activities—are in the rieighborhood of from one and a half to two mil- Mons a year. The keynote of its news policy is ‘‘all the news that’s fit to print’'—with accuracy ; first. It has consistently been. -newspaper of public service since. years gone by when: it emasculated the power of acribers stop ‘their:papers, because:of |: ‘an. editorial * opposing, a move -by ‘union, labor—and the paper suddenly reverses its policy. c ‘Perhaps a “graphic | example—and there are by far too‘many—of this ‘class ‘of. newspapers: may be:.found in an excerpt from the, following ry printed ‘some years ago in tlantic Monthly” ‘under the title Confessions of-a: ProvinelalsEditér’': ‘After relating ‘his unsuccesstul al tempts to miaké money) by publish- ing a legitimate newspaper, and his financial success when he took other.tack,. he: says: , . 5 | “Bo T my. perspective. I was Ito the political game*of. others. “I had ‘to: play it: supported by indirect, bribesi-* As, a ‘straight by, saying many more,-T could get such. share of .patronage ; as ‘would support the paper. © © © My! publié * care writing. /It has-no regard -for,reason.. * * * I reached the masses.’ -I .can occasionally ;foster a good work, almost underhand,: {t would: @em." At least ‘this editor at one time had a conscle: nd -perhaps when his confession was’réleased ‘from the secret chambers of his sdij/,he may have regenerated. Who knows? Now.for the third class—-the, news: paper that uC public” welfare first. The author believes that ‘even though. this class ray ‘net: cutnum- berithe other'two, its-influence ts/of 80 positive «! nature as to. more than. offset the. corrupting Influences ot-the first and.second types... Thus does the march: of progress forge ahead. | After‘ all, ‘firmness, of character— and’ a newspaper .certainly has a ¢haracter as much as-an individual >is pretty apt to'win'the way. Po. tical organizations, public ‘corpora- tons, commercial» advertisers: and subscribers are ‘quite apt to respect the.principles of a good newspaper, specially when they have met with geveral kind and-tactful, but ‘tirm, rebuffs, And to the credit of the dred per cent in his fight during the Boston police strike a few years ago, a fight which the better element felt to, be right, though perhaps danger- ous. Adolph Ochs, the publisher. and chief ,owner of the “New York is a Jew, but certainly as an Ame n patriot, as a man of high principles, he ts a shining example, not only to the members-of his own face, but ‘to every other American citisen-as-well. “ «In this discussion we are.not con- gerned with political ’affitiations>=— the author, by the way, does. not be- long to. the political party that is sypported by the Times— but are considering newspapers and judging chetr-.conductors upon the.’ broad principles of integrity and service. ~ In Chicago, the Tribune has .con- aistently fought, though. sometimes unavailingly, for clean. government and’ practical Somraunity develop- WYOMING MAP AND BLUE PRINT CO. + peseeets Petroleum Engineers re, » Bl i > All -work confidential: The Book Most | Desired Books from time immemorial have been’ given ‘as gifts—but the Book: of.all Books most cheerfully acce mas time:is the It's the one Book that becomes more valuable with the passing years for the principal is’ con- stantly drawing interest. this year. ON eee at Christ- Give_such a savings account The Citizen’s ational Bank “Consolidated Royalty Bldg. tion of private pe: matters of public concern; let his editorial policy be fairer and broad- er; let him scrutinize closely the kind and character of his: adver. tisements, and truly will the Ameri- can press rise to even greater heights, feared only by the doer of evil, respected’ and trusted by the great mass of freedom-loving Amer- ank Book. TRAIN SCHEDULES Westbound No. 603 ____. No. 618 _ Eastbound No. 622 _ team nn nan so - ~~~ -~—-5.45 p. m. CHICAGO,-BURLINGTON & QUINCY Arrives CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN 1:00 p.m: 6:00 p. m. D 4:00 p. m. 8:35.p, m. Arrives ~-1:30 p. m. ---=-----11:00 p. m. Arrives 350 a. m. 7:10 a.m. ~+-=---9:55 p. m,