Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-03-12


Washington Irving, ln Doe clever lulfa-
tation oil the 80 tiizen 'i the World, Ha-
gwen us very illr IDEA 1I Tile rana''i'" "i
the press during the aa,v- Of .1r glanliat-ar-.
Inc " sang"anger-' a- hr li'e.l'n-iE tnfm-
the editorial iaieif 'F oi taat um'' "e..
cou'tiessly very important 'f-'7a-,-. Nui
unfortunately i'r tHe.r iair iame memorials
Oh tleir greatness have n't descended % U.s.
while i1e sarcasm OF tne critic has passed me
% a standard SorA. Douhtess.y, While The
country was Do state of political turmoil,
journalists. operating AS stump orators. We're
lot over choice lu tar use OF enitheI-, ac1
consequently easily offended thc taste n.
critic trained 10 iastldiousncss- bcsIccs- with
the limited means Of communication winch
then existed, and the dearth Of general ntelii-
gence the quarrels of politicians hecame tho
cardinal staple for comment. But with the
introduction of railroads, of steamships. oi
telegraphs, and q. other inventions, the ncw--
paper changed is character and therefore It
Is unfair to compare trc iournals otfitv years
since with the s-upFldou. cn;erprize~ ll now
a-days, when fortunes are required 90 keep
pace with the exigencies Of the times. From
a humble commencement, our cry pros has
grown o. be power in tie land. and editor
ship received as among the learned probes
sions.
To Hugh Gains, printer holding forth 9t
the Bible and the Crown, colonial New ork
was indebted for Journal which bore some
resemblance TO news sheet. During the
political excitement preceding the revolution
this paper contained essays and editorials ola
marked ability, which gave rise To- q host Of
pamphlets written 10y men of note. The
trade of pamphleteer was then both ancient
and honorable, as from that fountain comes
the stream of journalism which has swallow
ed up every other channel for expression of
opinion. But Gaines had esuOused the cause
OF royalty. and notwithstanding the iact of
hs throwing away his crown and holding
fast 90 the Bible his newspaper could never
regain it, forfeited popularity In opposition
TO him some cnterrrisng patriot started III
val Journal, or rather gazette for the word
Journal can only he legitimatcly applied to
daily newspaper, and from that time forth
lourished that reign Of yituperation SO COM
noa to those engaged in political warfare.
which has only died out within few wears
hack
Even if our immediate PREDECESSORS had
possessed the inclination and enterpri-c ne
cessary to produce first class daily. the me
chanical appliances were denied them. TYNE
presses and even paper were Of a primitive
character, wholly inadeouate To the require-
ments of modern times the mails were un-
certain. and the cost Of collecting too heavy
for an establishment with limited circula-
ton labor was scarce. and the printing Of
fee preseuted an uninviting field for steady
employment. With these impediments in
the way. we should be frank enough to con-
fess that journalism has made mighty strides
during the last half century. For instance
imagine the publication of a folio sheet. the
work of half dozen men. worked of by
hand at the rate ola thousand copies per hour