An anonymous writer in _The Independent_ tells the following story
as illustrating Mr. Hearst’s belief that “money will buy the fruit of
any man’s work”:
Some time ago a young writer applied to him for employment on
his New York newspaper, and was engaged to fill a position which
would become vacant at the end of a week, but in the interval
the fact came to the attention of a university professor who had
always taken an interest in his advancement.
“I am sorry,” said the good man, “that you should have chosen
that particular school of journalism for your professional
start.” And he proceeded to descant upon the responsibility
a journalist owed to society, the influence of one educated
youth’s example upon others of his class, the tone a writer
inevitably took from the character of the journals he worked
for, etc. “And your untarnished sense of self-respect, my young
friend,” he concluded, “will be worth more to you, when you
reach my time of life, than all the salaries an unprincipled
employer can pour into your purse.”
So imprest was the neophyte with this lecture in morals that he
called upon Mr. Hearst the next morning and announced that he
had changed his mind about accepting the proffered position.
The editor scanned his face shrewdly, and then inquired the
reason. After much hesitancy the young man told him the whole
story, and started to leave.
“Ah,” said Mr. Hearst. “Be seated a moment, please!” And,
turning to his secretary, he added: “Write a letter at once to
Professor X. Y., present my compliments, and say that I should
be pleased to receive from him a signed article of five hundred
words--subject and treatment to be of his own choosing--for the
editorial page of next Sunday’s paper. Inclose check for $250.
“Now,” he remarked, with a cynical smile, as he bade his caller
good-by, “you can see for yourself what comes of that.”
He did. The Sunday issue contained a signed article, which gave
the paper the reflection of a good man’s fame, and spread the
influence of his example among other university professors,
and--did what to his self-respect?--all at the rate of fifty
cents per word! (Text.)
(1574)
See INJUSTICE.