Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/321

 A LABORATORY EXPERIMENT IN JOURNALISM 305

Roosevelt's Cabinet," in which the rumored appointment of Bonaparte was the occasion for describing the gradual change of the cabinet from a McKinley legacy to a personally sympathetic council of the President; "Democracy in Unionism," a comment upon the autocratic methods of labor leaders, and the apathy of the rank and file, as illustrated in the existing teamsters' strike; ""Two Kinds of Reformers," in which the attitudes of Mayor Dunne and of James Dalrymple, the Glasgow traction expert, toward municipal ownership were contrasted. These leading editorials having been tentatively decided upon both as to subject- matter and length, a column or more space remained available for topics to be suggested by the news of the next day. It was agreed that no copy should be actually written before 9 o'clock on the morning of June 6. With the exception of the book reviews and one or two short special articles, no manuscript was prepared before the designated hour.

The editorial offices were opened June 6 at noon in the rooms of the University College. The managing editor had prepared a preliminary schedule, and had assigned to the city, news, and department editors the approximate space available for each. This distribution was understood to be subject to change with the news developments of the afternoon and evening. The paper was to be a four-page, seven-column sheet, with solid minion as a body type. The editorials were to be set in leaded brevier. This make-up called for almost exactly twenty-five columns of matter, practically the amount carried by an eight-page paper which has good advertising patronage. In spite of all these careful prepara- tions, there remained the inevitable uncertainty as to the news which would have to be handled. " Suppose the Czar were to be assassinated ? " " How could we handle such a thing as that ? " Avas the sort of question raised now and then by the anxious editors. The chief stock stories of the day were: the Russo- Japanese War, the rumors of peace, the Zemstvo's appeal, the interned ships at Manila, the French cabinet crisis, the Prussian wedding, the Spanish king in London, the Philadelphia revolt, the Equitable scandal, the Chicago traction situation, and the strike of the local teamsters. Some of these were active, and