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 his lecture in morals that he called upon Mr. Hearst the next morning and announced that he had changed his mind about accesting 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 recieve 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.)
The "Mr. Hearsts" of our world only prove men to be vulnerable to their sins. However, they can not disprove the character of Christ, who died for His pure principles of love and for our souls. Young people, make Jesus your ONLY hero and you will never be disappointed.
It is also the nature of "Hearsts" to draw the attention of an audience away from those young people who do show integrity onto those men who are easy to trip-up because of egotism. Note, the young man did walk away, even though his professor failed to do the right thing. It just goes to show that a good sermon, will do its work for those who truely believe, even if it's preached by a hypocrite!
