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Show o Mr. Pearson, tho English publisher, owns a popular magazine, a weekly paper, and nine newspapers, all in England and distributed between London, Lon-don, Birmingham, Leicester, and Newcastle. New-castle. His list Includes papers of diverse di-verse styles, sizes, politics, and deportment. de-portment. He appreciates and owns all kinds, Tory, Liberal, Unionist, Imperialist, Im-perialist, Conservative, and Radical. When ho acquires a new paper ho alms to keep it In the same groove in which ho finds it, and to sell it to tho samo readers. Therefore ho makes no sweeping changes in tho staffs of papers that ho buys But In ono particular par-ticular all his properties aro harmonious. harmon-ious. They all support Mr. Joseph Chamberlain's protective policy. Ono of the latest of his acquisitions is tho old conservative, free-trade London Lon-don Standard. Ho desired that it sho''V. xemain old and conservative, buf free-trade proclivities have made mblo. Not that he pressed the point with undue ardor. He asked all tho Standard's editors to stay, and most of them stnyed. Ho was willing to let free trado and protection go undiscussed un-discussed for a time, hut oven that did not satisfy Mr. Curtis, the Standard's old editor, who declared that ho must bo outspoken, either against Mr. Chamberlain or for him, and that ho was not for him. So Mr. Curtis resigned, re-signed, and wrote to tho Times ox-plaining ox-plaining why, and tho matter has given tho other journals and their correspondents cor-respondents a topic on which thoy have relieved their minds profusely and with glowing candor. It is an interesting situation. If a publisher wants to own a lot of newspapers news-papers with conflicting views on various var-ious subjects, there is no moral reason rea-son why ho shouldn't. If ho has a talent for management, ho can man-ago man-ago a group of papers to somo advantage, advan-tage, buying his Ink and white paper and even his news in larger quantities, quanti-ties, and therefore cheaper, than if ho had only ono to provide for. Ho can make all his papers reflect more -or les3 his energy and tasto and knowledge knowl-edge in many particulars without disturbance, dis-turbance, but if ho undertakes to make them all support a detail of political po-litical policy about which there is intense in-tense feeling and abrupt disparity of public sentiment, of course ho must look out for squalls. Ho has changed tho situation. Tho readers of a paper don't care who buys tho Ink, so long as it is black; nor do they greatly caro who supplies tho Ideas and convictions, convic-tions, so long as thoy aro to thoir tasto and accord with thoir expectation. But to swap convictions on them In a vital matter Is a critical oxporiment and usually fitter to bo made for conscience con-science sako than In tho way of business. busi-ness. All England knows now, as tho result re-sult of tho affair of tho Standard, just what papers Mr. Pearson owns, and that they all support Mr. Chamberlain's Chamber-lain's policy. If hb Intended to publish pub-lish papers of opposing politics, ho ought not to have allowed himself tho luxury of having political views. Somo of our capitalists havo understood tho matter better. Thoy havo been for both sides. But thoy havo not been jffl successful as nowspapor owners, and H nono of them that wo know of has at- i H tempted to own a string of assorted - iH papers. Mr. Hearst owns a string of j papers, but thoy aro not assorted. Thoy jH all bohavo alike, and their owner pro- ' 1 H vides them all with convictions out of ' " ffl tho samo chaldron, just as lio provides , H them all with pictures, poetry, moral j flf homilies, sporting news, and ink. Wo ' 1 15R think Mr. Hearst's method Is wiser ;'i iffi than Mr. Pearson's, but perhaps tho ; 'I 'MR distances in England are not great iMjHf enough lo niako them practicable -H there. Each ono of Mr. Hearst's pa- pors needs territory. Bring them as '''9 near together as Mr. Pearson's pa- J'BI pors aro, and tho combustion of omo- Si tions might bo greater than would bo M consistent with tho public safety. Harper's Weekly. . ;HH' |