Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-11-10
MODERN JOURNALISM.


York dailies have beer badgering
each other about the excellence.
genuineness and length of their
special cable dispatches from the
seat of war For long time the
Tribune claimed to have the only
reliable correspondents at the
French and Prussian army head
quarters. The Herald paraded a
statement Of the immense sums of
moneT it was daily expanding in
keeping up large corps of reliable
correspondents on the battle field.
The Trit.ne boosted that it had
paid $4,000 FOR the cable dispatches
of a single day-the Sunday the
news came Of the Emperor's surren-
der at Sedan. The World conceding
that its dispatches were not so VOL
luminous "a those of it's rivals, claim
ed the distinguishing merit Of perfect
accuracy reliability for its cable
news. The truth is that all these
papers have exhibited a spirit Of
enterprise that is without parallel
in the history OF journalism. 1t has
happencd more than once during
the war that the first news OF impor-
tant military events IN France has
reached the English public by being
telegraphed and published FIRST in
the New York papers, and then
sent back to England, where it ap-
peared in the London papers Of the
next day. In the matter of CORES
pondence, however, the English pa
pers are far ahead OF our own. The
large number of thoroughly educated
men employed as journalists in
England enables the papers there to
have always at command corps of
correspondents whose letters are
models of tie best English style,
and are in tue main free from the
ludicrous exaggerations which are
such distinguishing feature Of
American letters. The English news
paper correspondent ts-alv avs ex-
cepting DR.. RUSSELL of the Times,
and Of Bull Run uotoriety-are in
dustrious in collecting material,
which they present to their readers
in good style without unnecessary
elaboration. They state facts fully
and clearly, but do not .slop over"
in political lectures and moral
homilies concerning the duties of
kings and subjects and future events
which are likely never to come to
pass. The average En- glishman, or
PEillistine as MATTHEW ARNOLD
terms him, mist have his facts
They AREAS essential to his exis-
lance and well being as his roast
beef and plum pudding. His INTEL
ectual food must be OF the substan-
tial kind. He has little relish for
such highly seasoned delicacies as
are served up to the American pub
lie by such writers as GEORGE
ALFRED TOWNSEND and D0Yy PlATT
The journalism of England and the
United States reflects the peculiari-
ties of the two nations. Our people
alert and speculative impatient of
delay, do not care to have news un-
less it is the latest sent and the ear
lest received. The dispatches are
about all the reading that our most
active business pen have time 20
do. The click of the telegraph an
nouncing fuctua.ion Of a few cents
IN the price of stocks and grains is
the signal for action, and in few
minutes, transactions involving mil
lions of dollars, are begun and
closed. This feverish activity which
constantly stimulated by the extent
Of our system of telegraphy is tell
ing upon our national characer. In
cities like New York and Chicago
tie money and product markets are
constantly the scenes of the widest
excitement Nor is this confined
to our large cities. Every railway
station and shipping point in the
land has its men who have their
margins up on wheat, pork, wool,
corn and oats in the great centers of
exchange. Wherever the daily pa
per comes, or the Geographic wires
run across our broad land, the spirit
of speculation is rife. Not slothful
in business is part Of the apostle
lie rrecept which is well needed by
our people, whatever may be their
course as to the remainder Of the in.
junction We have hundreds of
men in America who have made
fortunes by the use of money bor-
rowed a. ono per cent per month.
Men who do business in this way
would not be satisfied with the hum
drum ways Of John Ball.
The average Engli shman is content
il he can place his surplus in Gov
crnments yielding three per cent.
"Slow and sure" is his motto, and
he wishes bis daily paperto conform
to his notion Of thought and bust.