Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-06-15


it is easy to avoid all this and at the same
time maintain the raciest style and the
most unlimited research, it is not so easy
to be faithful to truth and principle in
matters involving no alternative of moral
ity and turpitude, but when the opinions
of men are divided and their political and
religious prejudices have strong sway. In
such cases the country journalist is too
as an editor, and that regardless of his own
convictions and those which he believes
are entertained by nine-tenths of his read
ers. it is his duty, nevertheless, to honest
ly report what he chooses to oppose.
| Without this, how can those who depend
upon his paper for intelligence form any
we'll grounded opinions If he persists
in showing them only that side of the
years and in making only ridicule Of the
other, how can he hope that they will
honor his fidelity or respect his opinions if
by.and-by they chance to discover by
other means that they have been both
blinded and deceived? The journalist
should have his opinions, but they should
never exclude from his paper all the facts.
Better, thousand times, the facts with
out the opinions than the opinions with
out the facts; but we may have both, and
the broader and more catholic our spirit
in this regard, the more extensive and en-
during our patronage will be.
Have we always practised this doctrine
here in Vermont Suppose the question
of abolishing the death penalty were to
become an issue before the people as it
did in the Legislature at the last session,
and Horace Greeley, Lucretia Mott and
Others of their class were to come here by
invitation of their friends and discuss it
in all our principal towns would not the
well known convictions-not to say preju-
dices-of our people on the subject lead
two-thirds of our papers to ridicule their
arguments without reporting them, and
to brand them with the opprobrium OF
intrusive reformers," seeking to corrupt
our ''pure mountain air." without doing
them the common justice to acqusint the
people with the essence of their reform"
You think not, and yet, Gentlemen, very
fewsof US can say we have not pursued
the anne course with regard to other ad-
vocAtss and other themes. Argument is
proper, denunciation is proper, ridioule is
proper, and even appeals to passion and
prejudice may not always be improper,
prOgided you will give the facts but il
there is anything else in the world SO i'm
proper, so hateful, 50 out of all keeping
with the character of newspaper as the
suppression of fair and unbiased nara
tive of what is editorially held up to
scorn, then have not found it, even in
the cowardice of politicians, the conserv-
atism of kings nor the bigotry of pops
Time is a great avenger. 1t turns the
world completely over every day. You
and I may hold our umbrellas up if so we
choose, or if we conceive that to be ouI
office. but lateral light will still stream
in. Be it oura, rather. to shed the light
and to reflect il all around. Ii it be true
we then Rlorify ourselves and it. If it be
false, the sooner it is known-sll known
the sooner it will be condemned Moth
ing less than this, then, is the duty of the
presto give, like the harp of E Jus
the varying sounds of different winds
while at the same time it maintains its
high position regardless of them all.
Another duty which the press owes il
to it's contemporaries and to itself; tc
them, courtesy, fairmness in debate anC
honorable competition in business; t.
itself, independence of Judgment, dignity
of feeling and the security and enjoy
ment of fair and even generous reward
, of toll.
OUR DUTY TO EACH OTHER
believe is governed far less by that higf
esprit du corps which chsracterizes the
other professions than it should be. II
be sure, we are not spare of compliment
when deserved, but we are as quick al
others to handy epithets or toss reproach
even when we know, as none others can
how the million voiced press intensifies al
it touches, and hardens words which, i
merely passed from mouth to mouth
might soon become softened by smile
The slight mistakes of q contemporary
should never be held up to scorn, for al
of US are liable to them every day. Moth
a brothers steel, and then if there is bit
defence. In this connection l cannot for
bear to urge that the press should be
!. IIPERsoNAL.
A newspaper is greater than any man
because it is often made up by severa
men, and if prudently conducted, is al
ways the voice of many more. If to-
free use of the editorial "we" makes th
egotist,
C so great above the common span,
1t takes the plural to express the man,
it makes the paper itself so small below
the common run, it takes a dozen to at
tain the dignity of one. have case il
mind where an editor was bitterly assailet
2 through the columns of another period
3 cal, for what an associate wrote, and onl,
recently one of cur brethren, in passing
compliment to another for something il
bis paper, shit the wrong man." corrected
it, and hit wrong again, and at last CAV
it up because the matter was of too littl
consequence to dignity with type for tn
third time. In journalism, therefore, W
should know journals, and not those wh
? grind them out. The aid of a great ar
, brings even to our little utterances som
? dignity and some respect, but fear tha
in some cases it is equally true that ''fa
miliarity breeds contempt" You remem
Der the story of the two woodsmen VIII
= saw locomotive for the first time Afte
= looking it all over, and even venturing t
4 touch it, one said to the man in the oat
o "Be you the engineer ?" Being answere
: in the affirmative, the innocent surveye
9 him from top to toe, and then turning t
r his mpanion, said, "It don't take muc
n of man to be an engineer, do it, Bill
r Therefore, I say, gentlemen,
t Accept all our journals for Just what they are
:, And mark him Unknown" who sits in the cnai
y = HURTING ONES SELF IN ORDER T
HARM OTHERS.
it In Vermont most editors are also pre-
d prietors, and have, therefore, not enl
IS their intellectual standing to win an
= maintain, but their pecuniary success
is achieve and advantages to secure. The
10 are often in sharp competition, and as a
a the rewards of the press are very small
v in order that they may be many tn
,e competition is in danger of descending
,r humiliating trifes and becoming tainte
d with dishonor, unless it is counteracte
d and upheld by high sense of profession
" dignity. and by charity which "bearet