The Portland daily press., 1869-08-05

Wnicn SAAiAct cliAe Tue anKee nave made an
other maxim essential to successful Journalism
IA maxim which Thurlow Weed who first
taught its power in the columns of the Albany
Journal, epitomized in his instructions to an
Assistant-to boil down. boil doaon, BOIL DOWN
Weed carried this rule of condensation to such
an extent as to make it point never to print O
leader over two sticks-full in length; and GER
tainly no journalist in America in his palmy
days exerted SO wide an influence. tsiWhile yet
. boy l had this peculiarity eff, the average
American 50 indeIlihly Impressed upon my
mind by q Shrewd Yankee, sti1Iin business in
a neighboring county, when he once said that
he couldn't wait to read the long stories, but
always found time to read the short ones, that
when cane to have the management of a
newspapef, mTfirst direction to my assistants
was beware st ;loEg lstories30 Nothing is
clearer than that lengthy articles should be the
rare excep ton and short pithy paragraphs the
rule in successful editorial management I
know of no more successful exemplification of
the essential importance of making news the
staple. and bresity the rule in journalism, than
that of our favorite New England newspaper
The Boston Journal. The difficulty is not to
obtain matter enough to fllup anewspaper---
as some accommodating Corresponds who
frequently write, 81 forward the Enclosed to
fill up your columns," seem to imagine, but
to reduce what ought to 60 in to make the
newspaper complete, to such q compass as to
obtain space for all. Hence public men who
have been trained in the editorial harness az
for example, Colfax, Raymond, Greeley, James
Brooks and our ewn Blaine, have q vigor and
iclearness of style and a condensation Of state
'ment in striking contrast with the wots3y 9
spread-eagle effusions of our national orators,
who imagine that discriminating public
measure speeches, as the merchant does his
tape, by the yard.
III. / have spoken thus far of some of the
most important conditions of mere material
journalistic success-those which bear upon
the subscription lists rather than the moral in
fuence which the press should WELD. Circu-
lation is necessary, but not the most necessary
essential to.power. Underlying all other con-
ditions, and adding to the strength of each,
there comes the indispensable requisite of that
permanently established, clearly defined and
straightforward course which in the individ-
ual we call character, SO essential to, the high
est success of the press as of the individual.
1t Is this stable, undertaking, straightforward
line of policy unbroken by the demise of man.
aging editors, and unchanged in prinoiple.
however changed may be the application Of tho
principle, that brings confidence in and influ
ence 10 any journal and makes il mower in
the land. Those conductors of the pfess who
in practice draw distinction between the ac
knowledged value Of character in the ipdiyid-
sual and its value in the press. confound prin-
ciples identical in themselves as thoroughly as
did the English bishop of whom the Church
historian speaks. MY lord, why will you cast
reproach on your high office asked q poor
curate OF his bishop, as be heard profane words