behind the types, the man who pockets the profits, or empties his
pockets to make good the losses--his will, his judgment, his conscience,
his hopes, necessities, or ambitions, constitute the ethics of one
newspaper--no more! There is no association of editors, no understanding
or agreement to formulate ethics for the press. And if there were, not
one of the parties to it would live up to it any more than the managers
of railways live up to the agreements over which they spend so much
time.

The general press prints what the public wants; the specific newspaper
prints what its editor thinks the class of readers to which it caters
wants. If he gauges his public right, he succeeds; if he does not, he
fails. You can no more make the people read a newspaper they do not want
than you can make a horse drink when he is not thirsty. In this respect
the pulpit has the better of the press. It can thrash over old straw and
thunder forth distasteful tenets to its congregations year after year,
and at least be sure of the continued attention of the sexton and the
deacon who circulates the contribution-box.

What are the ethics of the press of Chicago? They are those of Joseph
Medill, Victor F. Lawson, H. H. Kohlsaat, John R. Walsh, Carter Harrison,
Jr., Washington Hesing, individually, not collectively. As these
gentlemen are personally able, conscientious, fearless for the right,
patriotic, incorruptible, and devoted to the public good, so are their
respective newspapers. If they are otherwise, so are their respective
newspapers.

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? And how comes it that the
workers of evil just as instinctively aim to fraudulently use it or
silence it, and with such poor success?

To expose and oppose wrong is an almost involuntary rule among newspaper
workers--from chief to printer's devil. They make mistakes like others,
they are tempted and fall like others, but I testify to a
well-recognized intention of our profession, the rule is to learn the
facts, and print them, t