Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-01-03
JOURNALISM.

| hr. Greeley, in the last number of his
,h-coi!ecuons, concludes history OF the
/ IN IHae as follows The T,7J,,ge. as il first
appeared, was but the germ Of what sought
70 make It NOjournal sold for cent could
[ ever be much more than dry summary of
! tbe most important or the most interesting
occurrences Of the day; and such is not a
| newspaper, IN the higher sense of the term.
| we need TO know not only what is done, but
what Is proposed and said, by those who
sway the destinies of States and realms; and
to this end, the prompt perusal Of the mani
iestoes OF monarchs, presidents, ministers,
legislators, etc, Is indispensable. No man
Is even tOlerably informed in our day whe
does not regularly keep the run" Of events
and opinions, through the daily perusal Of
a: least one good journal; aad the ready ca-
VII that no one can read all that a great
| modern journal contains, only proves the
ignorance or thCughtlessuess Of the caviler.
no oa1. person Is ezpected.to take such an
interest in the rise and fall of stocks, the
| markets for cotton, cattle, grain, and goods,
the proceedings Of Congress, Legislatures,
and Courts, the politics Of Europe and the
ever shifting phases of Spanish American
anarchy: etc, etc, as would incite him 70 g
daily perusal OF the entire contents Of a met
JrC0po!ltan city journal of the first mark.
Ihe idea Is rather to embody in a single
sheet the information daily required by all
those who aim to keep ''posted on ali i'm
portant occurrences; SO that the lawyer the
merchant, the banker, the forwarder, the
economist, the author, the politician, etc,
may hnd here whatever he needs to see, and
ne spaftd the trouble Of looking elsewhere.
copy OF great morning Journal contains
more matter than an average l2mO volume,
and ITS production costs far more, while il
Is sold for tortieth or fftieth part Of tho
volume price. There Is no other miracle
OF ch5 apness 10 comparison with its cost
which at all approaches It. The Electric
Telegraph has precuded the multiplication
OF journals in the great cities, by enormously
increasing the cost of publishing each OF
them. The Tribune, for example, now
pays more than 500, 600 per annum, for
intellectual labor reporting inciuded) in and
about rs office, aud 500, 900 more for cor
resp0ndence and telegraphing-in other
words, for collecting and transmitting news.
And while its income has been largely in
creased from year to year, its expenses have
inevitably been swelled even more rapidly;
so that at the close Of 1866, in which its re-
ceIpts had been over 5000, 600, its expenses
tad been very nearly equal in amount, leay-
ing no profit beyond fair rent for the
premises 1t owned and occupied And yet
Its stockholders were satisfied that they had
done good business-that the increase in
the patronage and value Of the establish
nent amounted to a fair interest on their
investment, and might we'll be accepted in
lieu Of a dividend. In the good time COM
ing, With cheaper paper and less exorbitant
charges for cable dispatches from the
Old v World they will doubtless reap where
they have row faithfully sown. Yet they
realize and except the fact that q journal
radically hostile to gainful arts whereby the
cunning and powerful few live sumptuously
without useful labor, and often amass
wealth, By pandering to lawless sensuaiity
and popular vice, can never hope to enrich
IT'S publishers SO rapidly nor so vastly as
thongh 1t had a soft side for the liquor
Traffic, and for al kindred allurements to
carnal appetite and sensual indulgence
Fame is vapor, popularity an accident
riches takes wings; the only earthly certainty
Is oblIVi0n-no man ca. foresee what day
may bring forth, and those who cheer to-day
wIiLotten curse tomorrow; and | cherish the
hope.that the journal | projected and estab-
lished will live and flourish long afterI shall
have mouIdered into forgotten dust, being
guided by a larger wisdom, a more unerring
sagacity to discern the right, though not by
a more uniaitering readiness to embrace and
defend It at whatever personal cost; and that
the stone which covers my ashes may bear
to future eyes the still intelligibe inscription
Founder 0fthe New York Tribune. y"