"Maybe it will. You won't know it if it does. Anyhow, it'll live on suppression and distortion and manipulation of news, because it'll have to, if it's going to live at all."
"You mean that is the basis of the newspaper business as it is to-day?"
"Generally speaking. It certainly is in Worthington."
"You're frank, at any rate. Where's all your glowing idealism now?"
"Vanished into mist. All idealism goes that way, doesn't it?"
"Not if you back it up with work. You see, Mr. Ellis, I'm something of an idealist myself."
"The Certina brand of idealism. Guaranteed under the Pure Thought and Deed Act."
"Our money may have been made a little—well, blatantly," said Hal, flushing. "But at least it's made honestly." He was too intent on his subject to note either Sterne's half-wink or Ellis's stare of blank amazement. "And I'm going to run this newspaper on the same high principles. I don't quite reconcile your standards with the practices of this paper, Mr. Ellis—"
"Mac has nothing to do with the policy of the paper, Mr. Surtaine," put in Sterne. "He's only an employee."
"Then why don't you get work on some paper that practices your principles?"