The Story of a Page Thirty Years of Public Service and Public Discussion in the Editorial Columns of the New York World (1913)

THE STORY OF A PAGE THE WORLD, AS ESTABLISHED BY JOSEPH PULITZER MAY 1O. 1863. AN INSTITUTION THAT SHOULD ALWAYS FIGHT FOR PROGRESS AND REFORM, NEVER TOLERATE INJUSTICE OR CORRUPTION, ALWAYS FIGHT DEMAGOGUES OF ALL PARTIES, NEVER BELONG TO ANY PARTY. ALWAYS OPPOSE PRIVILEGED CLASSES AND PUBLIC PLUNDERERS, NEVER LACK SYMPATHY WITH THE POOR, ALWAYS REMAIN DEVOTED TO THE PUBLIC WELFARE. NEVER BE SATIS FIED WITH MERELY PRINTING NEWS. ALWAYS BE DRASTICALLY INDEPENDENT, NEVER BE AFRAID TO ATTACK WRONG, WHETH ER BY PREDATORY PLUTOCRACY OR PREDATORY POVERTY CONTENTS PAGE I. THE NEW WORLD 1 Mr. Pulitzers Salutatory Curious History of The World Religious Daily Paper and Copperhead Organ Its Suppression for Four Days in 1864 General Conditions in 1883 in New York City and the Nation Civil-service Reform in Its Infancy Bal lot Reform Not Begun The Conditions of Journalism in New York Bennett, Greeley, Brooks, Webb, and Bryant Gone The Unique Position of The Sun Brief Sketch of Mr. Pulitzers Career His Platform The World Utterly Changed Over Night Its Dedication to The Cause of the People. II. TRUE DEMOCRACY 12 The Worlds Energetic Beginning Not a Jack Cade of Journalism Political Conditions in New York City Preparing for 1884Tho Fighting Issues The Southern Brigadier, Still a Bugaboo Tho Seymour Tariff Plank of 1868 Randall Democrats and Reformers Mr. Tilden as New Yorks Favor ite Son Resolved, That We Must Have Money. IIL GROVER CLEVELAND 21 Mr. Clevelands Remarkable Rise to Political Power Tildens Weakness as a Candidate Cleveland and Hoadly as a Ticket No Free Whisky Blame and Republican Principles Theodore Roosevelts Dilemma Tammanys Unavailing Oppo sition We Love Him Most for the Enemies HeHas Made Butler and the Prohibitionists The Fisher Letters Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion Belshazzars Feast The World Not a Cleveland Organ Mr. Clevelands Public Tribute to The World Mr. Pulitzers Insistence Upon Independence. IV. LIBERTY 37 The Statue of Liberty, a New Colossus of Bhodes How The World Raised the Pedestal Hill and the Mugwumps Civil service Reformers Dissatisfied with Cleveland The Hungry Horde of Office-Seekers Tariff Reform Delayed by a Divided Congress Jako Sharp and the Boodle Aldermen The Labor Troubles of 1886 Henry Georges Candidacy for Mayor Theodore Roosevelts First Defeat, vi CONTENTS PAGE V. DARKNESS 52 Mr. Pulitzers Great Misfortune How a Blind Man Edited a Paper for Twenty-five Years His Methods of Work Friend ship for Roscoe Conkling Presentation of the Gladstone Me morial The Pacific Railroad Frauds Off-year Election of 1887 and Clevelands Tariff Message Harrisons Nomination and Election The Murchison Letter and the Campaign The Great Question of War Taxation Left Unsettled. VI. THE SHOPPING WOMAN 66 Blaine a Great Figure in the Harrison Administration A Forward Policy in Samoa and Hawaii The Mafia Murders in New Orleans Mr. Pulitzers Wiesbaden Despatch Tammany Returns to Power in New York A Century of Protection Closing in Gloom McKinley Bill Stirs Republi cans to Revolt The DSb cle of 1890 The Silver Question Begins to Trouble Democracy. VII. DAVID B. HILL 79 Mr. Hills Election as Senator His Long Tenure of the Governorship Disputes Clevelands Standing as Favorite Son of New York The Snap Convention The World Forces Clevelands Nomination Its Course During tho Home stead Strike An Incident of Editing at a Distance Blaine and Chili His Retirement The NextPresident Must Be a Democrat Chairman Hacketts Search for Discreet Men Clevelands Election and Its Lessons. VIII. REACTION 93 A Period of Disaster The Panic of 1893 and Its Political Consequences Hawaii, and the Beginnings of Imperialism A Bought Embassy Tho Betrayal of tho Wilson Bill-John Y...