St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-06-16

John Cain Courier, Rutland.
J. Mclean, Independent, Rutland.
Henry Clark, Herald, Rutland.
III. &. Tuttle, Herald, Rutland.
y. y. Earle, Standard, Barton.
l.. +. Knapp, Register, Middlebury.
The Proceedings OF the last meeting
were read, after which business was sus-
pended, TO listen to the literary exercises.
The president introduced Col Albert
Clarke, Of the ST. Albans Messenger and
Transcript, who delivered the following
well prepared aud suggestive essay on
ORR DUTIES AND RIGHTS.
Mr. President und GcHthnlo4 Of Tire
Pres Two years 900 one of our num-
Der informed H. of the demand OF the
times upon he live journalist, and last
year another dwclt upon the power and
influence OF the press it may not be un-
profitable now to consider some OF our
duties and our rights
Collectively. we represent the main
source from which the majority of the
people OF Vermont derive their current
intelligence and almost the only source
Of information as to home affairs. 1t i
easy To see, therefore, that we owe dulic,-
TO truth, TO principle and to professional
honor and dignity which dcvoivc upon
no other class Of men in 80 hi.h degree
and upon our fidelity 10 which depend,
more than we can tell, the tone and in
tlucncc "i our people III the world.
Churches and school-hOusv~ have hpl
almost the sole credit heretofore of max
ina the Puritan peculiar, and of furnish
ing the ''lcavrn' which is supposed TO he
always aggressive, and yet always sweet
and never too much pulled Up. They
have indeed done much AMI viii cantin-
ne to do more in proportion 10 the pro-
"r.SS which they keep with the march Of
modern thought hut while the, two
arms OF the >cryicr-thc artillery oi the
pulpit and the infantry of tie -cho, l.
houSc-hava been iightiu. against dark
hess. another arEl, never ut rest. has seat
ont It's icarlr-~ vidcttc~ miles To Tia. front.
and ol!cntimcS single handed. sometimes
in sIuadronS ma~-cl, ls- cleared the
rougher way, found every foe AMI iuught
them in detail. This is precisely what
i expected OF the presto know every
fac; and TO faithfully report. and when
We have done this, and not Till then,
have we any right to express our hl:-~
or expect il to be influential Here. !h,m.
arises our first duty, AMI that i
FIpEIrN To TRUTH ANp rLI>, UIE
Higher and more potent than all the
other obligations OF tie journalist j. that
to keep his paper pure. In the wide do
main OF news there are numerous detail.
which have Il dcmolalizing tendency Ii
is not to the credit of human nature that
this Kind OF reading is rcli,hcd and
sought after, and i, is TO the positive dis
credit Of the pres that it i ever "iyru.
1t is not necessary to omit the ncws-
only let il be detailed i'll such Il manner
as shall do no harm. Ii the editor will
think Ut thu rather than the sale Ui hi
papers, he " i'll do the world Il greater
service than 10y any amount OF enterprise
There is nothing else in the profession 80
much to he ablorred as the thin disguise
OF condemnation under which some pa
pers give all the shameful particulars OF
certain classes of news. They thereby
only iatten the satan they affect to ab-
hor, and excite III others the haS..nc>.
they condemn in one.
''>EN>AuoN" NEWSPAPERS.
The two greatest dangers that Journal
isis have to encounter are that of bee, M
ing too Enthusiastically respectable, and
therefore dull, and that OF becoming too
sensationally devilish, and therefore un-
safe. by the former extreme they lose
that which they most would gain. for
human nature Is 80 PcrvcrSc that men
will not respect them cnou IA to take
their paper; and by the latter they for
felt that which TO every man should be
most dear, the approving judgment of
enlightened conscience, and therefore 90
TO the bad themselves more rapidly and
more surely than they send others. for
''what shall it profit a man if he rain
the whole world and lose his own soul >"
fdctLs dcsceHSHS urCjm lit is easy TO de
scend into hcll'-says the old maxim,
and if any enc is anxious to take the
ride. lie will find the press, once turned
i'll that direction, vehicle OF un>urpass-
cd velocity. Every sensational item
that Is pcrpctrated at the expense oi
truth Or of principle is lard for the ways
and hammer fer the stays, and all the
brief renown and all the tainted cold
which tempt the journey, float only as Il
mockcry when the victim finds himself
abandoned 10y the moral Judgment OF
i'll the realm where 1.-THE worm
dieth not" Obscene prints. which are
barred by the statute, are no worse in
their effect than some Of the almost d;,:-
Iy uttcranceS Of Il certain infamous paper
whose motto is to be anything but dull
and the occasional sickly and sickening
attempts OF 4 few weekliugs in the coun-
Try to bolster up Il lettering existence by
TO the tastes OF the slumS, by
tanning mems passions and making food
Of mems preiudices, are all of an order
which disgrace journalism and deserve
.he apprehension OF mankind.
RIGHTS OF TIE MINOEITY.
But while if Il mans heart he not i'm
pure, 1t is easy to avoid all this and at
The same time maintain the raciest style
md the most unlimited research, il is
lot so easy TO be faithful TO truth aid
in matters involving no alterna
i've OF morality and turpitudc, but when
he opinions Of men are divided and their
political and religious prejudiccs have
trong sway. In such cases the country
is too apt TO forget that he is
| reporter rs well rs an editor, and that