The New York herald., 1871-02-18

these soulless monopolies.
Proposed Gathering Of Press Magnntcs In
Ohio.
We take pleasure in acknowledging the
| receipt OF very polite invitation from the
officers Of the Ohio Editorial Association to
attend, as the guest of the city, press con-
vention to be holden in the city OF Akron on
the 23d instant
While expressing our regrets at our inability
to be present on this interesting occasion, we
cannot forbear congralulationg our brethren of
the Ohio press upon the prospect of their
having jolly good time on the 23d, and hope
that instead of the festivities occupying but two
days, as suggested, they may continue a week
or still longer if the spirits of the participants
can be made to hold out 1t is good thing,
this meeting Of our friends of the country
press They are harassed with pressing
Office abors all the year, and it is a pity il
they cannot be allowed now and then to join
hands and indulge in mutual congratulations
and general fraternal wassail oil round But
we hope they will in this connection take
iiIIlS HOOu-udtuTtQ duVlCe ITOLl us III tuS
friendly spirit it is extended. They no
doubt have experienced the hardshps of
a journalists life, and we trust the techni-
calities of the printing Office will be pardoned
when we express the belief that they have
occasionally been ''out of sorts" when they
have had no ''quoins" in the drawer, or had
their ''forms" 'battered" by some ''squab-
| bling" loafer. On the other hand, they have
no doubt presented smiling 'faces" when,
| having no fears Of ''lock-up" before their
eyes, they have
"Chasedn the glowing hours with nylng "feet,n
and returned to their 1'beds" before old
'Nick" has put the 'devil" into their heads
We wish them all manner of happiness and
success in their proposed gathering.
| But we must confess that we do not like
the personal publicity which some members Of
the press on occasions like this and at other
times are prone to encourage. 1t is dangerous,
and demoralizing to the profession. The jour
nalist should be like sensible actor, who,
when he is off the stage, discards stage lodges;
in other words, he should resemble discreet
business men, who ''sink the shop" when
| they are out of it, In short, he should be
impersonal. He has responsibility to bear
before the public which should impel him to
do his Office work in his sanctum, and when
he is abroad he should be as modest
and quiet as possible, making no pre-
| tensions to superiority in any respect
| over any other class Of men. Then
| he may be considered as ''wise as
| Solomon and as brave julius
| Casar'-(who, by the way, was one of the
earliest members of the editorial profession).
| But if he should ope his mouth too widely
there is danger of his being mistaken for one
| of the race of Balaam's celebrated Scriptural
| companions, and his courage, instead of re-
| sembling that of the great Roman warrior and
original commentator, be made, like that of
Bob Acres, to ''ooze out at his fingers ends"
Besides the impropriety of personal publi-
city among members of the editorial profess
sion, we regret to notice by the postscript to
| circular accompanying our invitation to attend
this convocation of the editorial magnates of
Ohio another Objectionable feature. We refer
to the statement of the committee that they
are Sin correspondence with the leading rail-
roads Of the State in regard to passes, and
presume there will be no difficulty in obtaining
free transportation for all who may desire to
attend the Convention" This means that
those who attend will probably be ''dead-
headed" through not unusual mode Of rail
way transit, unfortunately, nowadays.
Now, we hold that if there is anything con-
/ IN %ho ;a 10 colo IS.
professional journalist seeking to pass free
over railroads or in steamboats,, and sponging
his board and Lodgings from hotel keepers.
The whole system is disgraceful, and should
not be tolerated by respectable journals; yet it
seems to be spreading like an epidemic, as if
it were the smallpox among the older or the
measles or mumps among the younger men,
bers Of the newspaper family. What shame
| 1t is to see founders and conductors Of in
fuential newspapers reducing themselves to
the level of members of Congress and State
Legislatures, and accepting paltry bribe in
the shape Of free railroad or steamboat
pass! Cannot they realize that it is the mis-
sion Of the newspaper press, aided by that
mighty lever, Public Opinion, to move politi-
cal worlds, make and unmake statesmen,
cause crowns and dynasties to tremble, re-
veal and lay bare corruption in high places,
inspire enthusiasm in religious communities;
that it is becoming more potential in all
that works the moral, social, POLITICAL re-
ligious-indeed, all practical improvements of
mankind-than any other agents under the
sun? There are newspapers in existence that
do as important business and with as much
promptness and regularity as many Of the first
banking and commercial houses in the world.
| Their credit aud standing are as good at home