, 1865-09-02
TIE BANQUET AND TIIE nEPORT-
EkS.

Gentlemen connected with the press attend
public meetings and banquets either as pH-
rate individuals, or as reporters. In The form-
er capacity they do not ditlcr from other pr-
vate individuals. A certain Difference has
been accorded to members Of the press in
their private capacity in the matter Of free
tickets to AL sorts of gatherings, which We
would be glad to see abolished. Such tickets
are given, Of course, upon the supposition that
the presence Of the members Of the press Is de-
sirablc- We shall, nevertheless, rote most
heartily to hare tho dead-head system abol-
ishcd, SO that an editor may always be free to
stay at home when he chooses, and always
free to pay his money at the door like other
people when he wishes to eat prairie chick
ems, OF drink champagne, or hear Miss Kel-
1ogg sing, or Mr. Forrest roar.
When member Of thepress attends pub
lie banquet or meeting In the capacity Of d
reporter, he goes moi for his own pleasure,
but for the pleasure Of other people. In q
majority Of cases 1t is presumed that his pres
ence is desired uy The parties having
the management Of the banquet or other gath
| eripg, for that which Is not recorded In the
newspapers nowadays might as well not be
u.
| ings Of public meetings and banquets are gen
crnlly interesting TO the readers OF news-
! papers, and hence publishers find 1t TO their
interest To give considerable share Of atten.
tion and space to them. A reporter at such
meetings Ia entitled to the most favorable
! position foz the discharge Of his duties, and
Of course to gentlemanly treatment like any
person. The idea, so far as It exists, that 1t
is any favor 10 the reporter to he allowed to
put his legs under pine tablc and write
phonogrophy two lours, preliminary to
writing ont his notes five hours longer, afse1
the rest Of the company hare got fuddled and
gone TO bed, Is absurd, aud can oaly exist In
the lowest range Of intellect
At the Board Of Trade banquet on Thursday
evening,-the largest and most crcd1tahl'
affair OF the kind erer gotten mp tn the countr,
"a most unfortunate circumstance occurred
and We allude to 1t hers to express the regre
which we feel In common with the gentlemen
of the Board who had c1ctted themselves 6,
strenuously to make the occasion one Of pleas
cut memories to all concerned. The report
crs Of The city press deemed thcnselve
tnsnited, by member OF the Ban4ue
Committee, and lefI the hall In body rs III
speaking Ind just commenced. Consequent,
the banquet proceedings were not reported
They fell as dead as the sybilline 1eayes, and Al
impression is created abroad that the aaas
was somehow failure, and had disg,acefu
termination. The difficulty occurred throng,
some misnauas cement as to the place to
occupied by the speakers. The reporters n
| enestea that they Uhc speakcss} might b
assigned place at the head OF the table
where they could be heard, instead of stand
ipg On their own chairs al yasions distances
where the gathering of thousand dishes, ant
the talking Of q thousand people rendered. 1t I'm
possible to hear them. 1t was supposed tina
this reasonable request had been com
piled with through the politeness and thought
allege, person wearing the badge Of the Ban
quet Committee, took upon himself to rcgu
late the reporters aud applied an oprrobr1
ous cpithet to the person designated as thci
chairman
The gentleman referred to L. Mr.. Cla1y
Mr.. Clary is man Of mblemlshcd reputatio,
in the community, has been himself Prasiden
of the Board Of Trade, is Of a somewhat In
pulsive Temperament, and was troubled abou
many things on the occasion referred to, a
was inevitable to one In his position. Wsowl
version Of the difficulty with the reporter
differs somewhat from theirs. It seems hardl
probable that al of them would hayo con
strued h{s conduct as insulting without SON
Modification, yet we do not believe Mr. ClarJ
under ordinary circumstances, would be capa
bic Of giving m a8ront to anybody. What
ever may have been the provocation, we regre
4 4 hAyv