Chicago Tribune

“ For a variety of reasons, however, A.P. is the decisive agency. It is rather hopeless to try to compete with a major paper on the basis of U.P. or I.N.S. service.
Field could not get A.P. The by-laws of the “cooperative” permitted the Chicago Tribune to blackball his application for membership. He could not get I.N.S. because it is available only to the Hearst paper in Chicago, the Herald-American. He had no choice but to publish on the basis of United Press service only. ”

“ Returning to Chicago, she became the literary editor of the Chicago "Tribune." In 1888 she opened a United States claims office in Chicago, and she has done a large business in securing pensions for soldiers or their families. She is now living in Chicago with her brother, he and one sister, who lives in San Francisco, Cal., being the only surviving members of her family. She is interested in all the work of women, a member of the Chicago Woman's Club, and president of the Municipal Order League of Chicago. ”

“ This one article, indexed as “Society Letter” is one hundred per cent war propaganda. The only feature section not contributing to war material is the comic section.
What has been true of the Chicago Tribune was true also of nearly all the important newspapers of the United States. Nothing was permitted to come before the most insignificant bit of war information. The196 newspapers made all news subordinate to war news. Day after day no other intelligence than war news appeared on the first page of our metropolitan sheets. ”

“ James Kelly, one of the original founders of The Chicago Tribune, and one of the early pioneers of Cook County, Ill., died Sunday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. O. Parker, at Winnetka, Ill. The cause of his death was old age. ”

“ The social service work of The Tribune, of Chicago, has been selected for illustration chiefly because that newspaper was a pioneer in the field and blazed a trail along which many other papers followed. An examination of the dailies in the larger cities, especially of the evening papers, will show that almost every edition has numerous departments which aim to make bad homes good and good homes better. There can be no question that the introduction of such features has made the newspapers better advertising mediums and doubtless numerous newspapers adopted them for that reason. ”

“ It obtains information from them and seeks their viewpoint on serious matters. We regard items describing constructive work by the Negroes or items indicating their advancement as better news than articles indicating degradation or criminality on their part. The Daily News endeavors to appeal to all readers alike. 556
Chicago Tribune.—The following is taken from the replies in the questionnaire returned by Mr. Joseph M. Patterson, editor of the Chicago Tribune:
The sources of Negro news are the same as sources of other news. ”

“ Lands in Boston. Becomes Washington correspondent of the Chicago Tribune. 1866. January 3. Marries Fanny Garrison. — To Europe in July, as correspondent of the New York Tribune in the Franco-Prussian War. Winter in Munich. 1867. In March to Paris as correspondent of the Chicago Tribune at the World's Fair. 1868-70. Home in Boston. — Secretary of the American Social Science Association. 1870-71. To Germany, with mortgage-bank plan. 1871-72. First employment as expert in American railroad affairs. ”

“ Horace White (b. 1834) was a reporter on the Tribune in 1856, and was its editor and one of its proprietors in 1864–1874; from 1883 to 1903 he was editor-in-chief of the New York Evening Post. In 1858 the Daily Democratic Press, which J. L. Scripps had established in 1852 with William Bross, was consolidated with the Tribune as the Press and Tribune; in 1860 the name became the Tribune again; the Tribune Company was incorporated in 1861, with J. L. Scripps as its president. The first newspaper published in Chicago, the Democrat (November 1833) , was merged with the Daily Tribune in 1861. ”

“ Ill-health compelled me to visit Europe in 1889; there I remained fourteen months, that time being divided between England, Germany, Holland, and Belgium. My residence at present is in Buena Park, a north-shore suburb of Chicago.
My newspaper connections have been as follows: 1875-76, city editor of the St. Joseph (Mo.) Gazette; 1876-80, editorial writer on the St. Louis Journal and St. Louis Times-Journal; 1880-81, managing editor of the Kansas City Times; 1881-83, managing editor of the Denver Tribune. Since 1883 I have been a contributor to the Chicago Record (formerly Morning News) . ”

“ As I have said before this club on another occasion, the citizens of Chicago are fortunate above those of any other great city in the United States in the average high character of their newspapers. They may have their faults, but who has not? Let him or her who is without fault throw stones.
If the newspaper press is as bad as some people always pretend to think, how comes it that every good cause instinctively seeks its aid with almost absolute confidence of obtaining it? ”

“ Such reductions in the amount of local news printed released newspaper workers from many offices. The condition at Chicago, typical of that in metropolitan cities, was thus set forth in The Scoop, the official publication of the Chicago Press Club:—
The European War has created a condition in Chicago which has seriously affected the working newspapermen of the city. ”

“ The Chicago Public, which is the most intelligent political journal in the United States, sees nothing satisfactory in the outcome, except the lessons convincingly conveyed by it, lessons that will scarcely be heeded by the political managers. ”

“ No frigidity here; people give free play to their sentiments. If I had to name the most sympathetic of my American audiences, the warmest [4] and promptest to seize the significance of a look or gesture, I should name the one which I had the honour of addressing in Chicago.
At seven in the morning every man is astir and at work, whether he be millionaire or poor clerk. As I have mentioned elsewhere, only the idle are outside the pale of respectability in Chicago. ”

“ In one instant the crowd that had been yelling like mad became so silent that a pin could have been heard fall to the floor. Every face, bright and eager, was turned up towards us, instantly every hat came off, and then a burst of applause resounded through the immense hall. People can say what they please about Chicago, but I do not believe that anywhere else in the United States a woman can get a greeting which will equal that given by the Chicago Board of Trade. The applause was followed by cheer after cheer and cries of "Speech!" ”

“ The country gets its impression of Chicago largely from the Chicago newspapers. In my observation, the impression is wrong. The press is able, vigorous, voluminous, full of enterprise, alert, spirited; its news columns are marvellous in quantity, if not in quality; nowhere are important events, public meetings, and demonstrations more fully, graphically, and satisfactorily reported; it has keen and competent writers in several departments of criticism—theatrical, musical, and occasionally literary; independence, with less of personal bias than in some other cities ”

“ I did not comply with your wish, not as if I were disinclined to oblige you, but because I consider it a matter of doubtful propriety to confront the President, at the moment of his arrival as the guest of the citizens of Chicago, in a Chicago newspaper with the criticism pronounced by all sorts of men upon his public conduct. If that criticism is favorable, it will be apt to appear as a mere compliment for the occasion. If it is unfavorable, it ought not to be thrust at the President where he appears merely as a guest. ”

“ Stories of romance—by mail.
Short human-interest stories, things that will bring smiles or tears to men and women everywhere, are always in demand. It is a perverted notion that all newspapers are eager to get so-called scandal news. The “cleaner” the story, the more likely it is to be printed.
For a newspaper published, say, in Chicago, events involving residents of Chicago have a special value beyond their ordinary worth as news. In such cases street addresses should always be sent. ”

“ Of course you will find thousands of free, thoughtful people in New York—people who think and want others to do the same. So, there are thousands of respectable people who are centuries behind the age. In other words, you will find all kinds. I presume the same is true of Chicago. I find many liberal people here, and some not quite so liberal.
Some of the papers here seem to be edited by real pious men. On last Tuesday the Times-Herald asked pardon of its readers for having given a report of my lecture. ”

“ The sentiment of wonder is taxed when one visits this great American enterprise. It is said that before the year is over ten thousand people will be comfortably housed and living in this city, the work of a few weeks. No wonder that the Chicago people are enthusiastic about their city, though they are apt to be somewhat tiresome in the details which they give of its greatness. ”

“ But Chicago may not be comprehended in the usual scamper of the tourist; for the interesting thing about this city is the people, and they require [136] time. I do not, of course, mean that they are all worthy of individual scrutiny, but rather that the very fact of so many human beings collecting there, living cheerfully and harmoniously, laboring and aspiring and illustrating the pressing, changing problems of our democracy awakens at once the beholder’s sympathetic interest. Chicago is not New York, nor is it London or Paris: Chicago is different. ”

“ I know of no single club in New York where one may meet at luncheon a group of men more alive, more interesting, or of more varied pursuits, and I may add that I ab [ 189] sorbed while there a very definite impression that between men following the arts, and those following business, the line is not so sharply drawn in Chicago as in New York.
At the Cliff Dwellers I met a gentleman, a librarian, who gave me some interesting information about the management of libraries in Chicago.
"Chicago is a business city, dominated by business men," he said. ”

“ Newspaper men who are doing such excellent work in keeping the people informed about what improvements are being made to better the conditions in the city, demand a great deal of a civics room. For example: A newspaper man writing a series of articles upon how to improve Chicago, wishing to write an article on housing, sends in a call for information regarding Schmidlapp houses, and it is our business to get him the material. ”

“ I believe Chicago has a great heart as well as a great head. I always mistrust people who make the most noise. Beware of men and women who are out for themselves. That’s what keeps us all back—that awful self. Yet these people very often frighten politicians. I am told not to mention this or that subject in Chicago, especially the League of Nations. Now, if there is one city in America where one should talk of the League of Nations—surely it’s Chicago. Look at your population. It’s a City of Nations in itself. When you welcome other nationalities here, you want them to be good citizens. ”

“ Chicago keeps an eye on them. The press is alive to the fact that every citizen of a great city, even a hotel manager, should do not merely his duty but more, should practice counsels of perfection, perform works of supererogation, deliver letters which are not asked for. ”

“ The Press Club of Chicago is a democracy. Money holds but little influence within its precincts, for its ablest members are generally "broke." There are no rules hung on its walls, no cool ceremonies to be observed. Its atmosphere invites a man to be natural, and warns him to conceal his vanities. Among that body of men no pretense is sacred. ”

“ The eastern and the old world tourists come here, with narrow views and criticism, to which the true Chicagoan has neither the time nor the interest to so much as listen. When this type of man enters into the spirit of Chicago, and feels the new life, he often becomes wonderfully enthusiastic. ”

“ The contribution you make to the success of the business communities with which you are identified is large and indispensable. I do not doubt that one of the strongest props of Chicago's commercial greatness would be destroyed if you were withdrawn from the commercial forces of that great city. [Cheers.] The growth and development of Chicago has been one of the most marvellous incidents in the story of American progress. It is gratifying to know that your interest is enlisted in this political campaign. ”

“ The actual working force upon the average large daily newspaper, as well as an outline idea of the work done in each department, and of its unified result in the printed sheet, as such newspapers are operated in New York, Chicago and Boston, may be realized from an exhibit of the exact current status in the establishment of a well known Chicago paper. ”

“ If you will go over the list of young men who wrote for Chicago newspapers twenty-five years ago you will be convinced that the newspaper business is the greatest business in the world for getting out of. Let us here resolve to treat the reporter kindly, because in a few years we may be working for him. ”

“ We cannot hope to have the daily newspapers give our viewpoint and the aspirations and struggles that we are making, and some of the things that we are suffering. I am very much interested in having the editorial feeling of the newspaper get to the white people. Sometimes they may be termed as radical. I found in recent months that some of the weekly papers published in the South are saying things editorially that I would question about saying 564 even here in Chicago, and, as we say in common parlance, getting away with it. ”