Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-06-30

a decided success, the interest constantly growing
sni the attendance increasing with each success
sive session
Vt. Editors and Publishers Association
TIE ADDRESS.
! Tho pressure On our columns hss compelled
US TO deer from DAY to day, our report of the
litersry exercises Of the occasion. We should
he glad if cur space would permit us To give
entire the very interesting aal excellent address
by Capt Albert Clarke, of the st Adams .'fes-
senge-. The extracts We give below will give
an idea Of its scope ami tone.
Announcing as his subject, 3. Our Rights
and Duties the orator mentioned as the first
da,y,
FIDELITY TO TRUTH AND PBISCIPLE.
Higher and more potent than all the other OBJ
legations Of the journalist is that to keep his pa
ptr pure Ia the wide donsin Of news there
are numerous details which have demorslizing
tendency. Il is bot TO the credit Of human na-
ture that this kind Of reading is relished and
sought after, and it is to the positive dscredt Of
tine press that it is ever given. Il is not neces-
such a manner as shall 10 no hsrm. II the edi-
tor will think Of this rather than Of the ssle Of
his papers, he will DO the world a greater ser
vice than by suy amount Of enterprise There
is nothing else in the profession so much 10 he
athorrei rs the thin disguise Of condemnation
under which some papers give All the shameful
/ particulars Of certain classes Of news. They
thereby only fatten the satan they affect to sb-
/ hlr, Snd excite IN others the taseness they con-
i,mn in one
q" sESsAIIoS'' SEwsrArFRs.
The two greatest dangers that journalists have
90 encounter are that Of becoming too pharisai-
cally TespecAt'e, and therefore dahl. anil that
Of becoming t-o seusarioua,iy dey.l.sh, srl
F therefore unsafe. By the former extreme they
l1se that which they most would gain for hu-
man nature is 60 perverse that men viii no. res
pee, them enough 70 take their psper aud by
the latter they forfeit that Whica 10 every nan
should De most dear, the approving judgment Of
enlightened conscience, and therefore 20 10 the had
f themselves more ap1ly aud more surely than
they SEMI others, f1- " what shall 10 profit a Ilsn
if be gain the whole world and Lose his own
e0ul .' FlclIis ee,egsHs Grerui-'' il is easy
70 lsscenl into hell''-ssys the old maxim, and
i any one is anxious 20 take the ride he vii
F hui the press, once turned in that direction g
vehicle o. unsurpassed velocity. Every seusa-
t.onsl item that IS perpetrstei at the expense Of
truth or Of principle is lard for the ways and a
hammer ior tlc stays, and all the hIiei renOwn
ani sll the tainted goll which tempt the jour
ney. ioat only as mockery when the victim
duls himself abandoned by the moral Judgment
Of maukiud, iu the realm where " the worm
dieth not Obscene prints which are barred
by the statute, are 10 worse in their effect than
soue Of toe slmost lsily uttersnces Of certain
Infamous paper whose motto is TO be So anything
but dul, =" and tho occasional .icSly ami Ecken-
ing attempts Of a few weeklings in the country
% bolster Up q lettering existence by appealing
20 the tastes of the Elums, by tanning men
passions and making fool Of mems prejulices.
are ell of On order which disgrace journalism
ami deserve the apprehension Of mankinl.
RIGHTS of rHE sugoRrY.
Bur while, If man. heart be not Impure, IL
is easy to avoid all this AMI a, the same tiut
maintain the rsciest style And the most ual.mit
Ell research, it IS not 60 easy 20 he faithful %
truth snl principle in mstters involving no S.
tentative OF morality Snl turpitule, bur when
iac opinions Of men arc divided and then po.i-.-
c2l and religious preiliices have strong sway.
In such cas5s the country journalist IS tee apt q
forget that he is reporter as well as IN editor
and that regardless Of his own c0lv cti0ns and
those which be believes are entertained by nine
tenths Of his readers, it is his duty, nevertheless
20 honestly report what he chooses 20 oppose
Without this, hos can those who depend upon
his paper for intelii -ence form any well croundet
opinions. Il he persists in showing then Cnll
that side oi be shield upon which hey has,
looked for years and in making only riiicule o
the other. haw can sc nope that they Will honor
lie fidelity or respect his opinions if by-ani-bl
g. D.. ~ +har
have been both blinded and deceived Th
journalist should have his opinions, but thel
sh0u.lue exclude from bis paper al the facts
Better a thousand timef, the facts without th
opinions than tie opinions without the facts
bu' We msy have both. and the broader an,
more catholic our spirit in this regard. the mor
extensive aad enduring our patronage will be.
The speaker went On to discuss the duties o
courtesy sud fairness in debste, and the tempta
tions in the management Of newspaper bushes
under sharp competition, to cut below TAI
price,. on enc hsad or to be exorb'isat on ia
other.
But while seC such evils as this will oc
cssioually infest fsi- and legitimate journalism
e for wsys that are dark and for tricks that ar
vain" these
PAPERS WIN FOREIGN BOWELS
are peculiar Within a very few years com
panies have been organized in some q the Westerl
cities and IN New York for editing snd printing
ore entire side Of full sheet. and then, insies.
Of sending It out as other city publishers DO, 6
actual subscribers, they furnish it to certain
feeble country offices cheaper than regular pub
fishers can buy their blank paper The con
panies can afford to DO this because they secur
remunerstive Advertisements, for many ousincs
men are green enough 10 suppose that they eui r
: 4 tremendous circulation. The same half PRINT
Ell sheet is furnished 10 large number Of differ
ent Cfoas SO that the cost of eiitofisl labor Al,
cf fcompositon is saved. To suit all the difIeren
shades of opinion, a certain number are worke.
oil containing one or two strong Republican
articles, then saother batch with those article;
left cut and strong Democratic articles, writtei
by the same pen, insarted, so that at lengtl
these ready-msde opinion moulds have actualll
edvertscd their productions as either Republican
Democratic or Independent, to suit purchasers
Such an accommodating disposition would hard
ly secure them much patronage if they had to 9
before the sturdy people for it, but it serve
them profitable end, since their only patron
are those country publishers Of prostitu te,
principles, who are willing to deal out the pro
duct Of such hash mills at second hand Wha
is it that people take paper for Partly for it
news partly for its views, and partly for its ad
vertisemeGts. And yet the news of these " in
Sides is always q week or more older than ths
of legitimate pspers their views are those o
men who publicly proclaim that they ride thre
horses in different directions a; the same tim
and their advertisements are of necessity al
foreign from the locality where the paper pur
ports 10 issue Therefore, so far as one entire hal
Of the paper is concerned, it falls far below thA
STANDARD OF interest which freshness and nearnes
always give, and as for the other half. it is wha
might be expected from men who find it impos
sible to make whole newspaper, and are there
fore willing not only to deceive their patrons bu
to disgrace the profession, which has Away
been accredited with some principles and som'
brains, by going into the market to hawk abou
other peoples wares. So far as my knowledg'
goes, not a single newspaper establishment il
the country, Of any recognized standing and in
fuenoe, has adopted the system, and in FL gre.;
majority Of cases the pspers are dated at it'll,
villsges where in fact they are not ssuei, am
are isfued from places where they sre not in sufi
cent demand to support an establishment. They
are fraud on advertisers, fraud upon sub
scrihers, fraud upon the government in the
mstter Of postage, and scandal on the honest
and lsborious press.
The duties Of fearless and honest criticism and
protection Of the public from humbugs, werC
next considered Proceeding, the speaker said
At lsst come to speak Of
OUR REWARDS,
and the rewards, notice, generally come last.
Why is il that as a class, editors ofVermont are
comparatively poor Why do they grow prems-
turely old, and finally retire, not as the pru-
dent merchant can, to princely estates. but to
some other business that will be less cumbersome
with cares and yet afford sufficient income to
keep souls that have grown great in bodies that
have grown shrivelled and small There is no
other kind Of business, requiring the same capi-
tai, equal talent and as much labor but Whist