The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-07-04

IS Zoo much 1hclined to assail the mott YES
or those who 1lffer from him. He is too
apt to pronouece his opponents either
dupes, rogues, or fools This is resorted
to frequently TO impair the influence Of
those whom he deems to be false leaders
But L would say to one and all, from the
| experience Of five and twenty years, that
charity Is one Of the greatest virtues in
our profession We must all admit that it
is rarely pTactised, because we fear that
people may pe misled, if we admit, that
those whom we oppose are acting from
good motives. But as the instinct Of
each mans heart teaches him that he
needs charity for himself, so let it be
metcd out to others, whether divided or
not by party lines. Let US not forget
that we are all members Of 50 great o
profession thaf we should feel profess
ional pride IN not belittling it by person
alltles or unworthy depreciation We
can DO great deal more good in the flu
ture il we act with that charity. It pleas
es me to say that in the past twenty
years there has been vast change for the
better in this respect. Newspapers con
tain one line of personal defamation now.
where formerly they contained ten These
personalities 8re justly considered as uu-
worthy of our high calling and editors,
instead Of being engaged in filing their
newspapers 18th abuse of their rivals are
now seeking 10 render them replete with
suggestions for the. qualification of every
conceivable want Of our complex modern
civilization. I would say further to my
brethren, let rs be more devoted to our
| profession thht no offers can tempt us TO
leave it /; thst no ambition can be higher
than to fill TIE post Of an intelligent, use.
full and inhaestiaI editor.
I can never forget the remark of one OF
the most Distinguished and phiFsophic
of American editors, when he was con
graduated on being offered the mission to
Spain by President Lincoln. He declared
with a proud gravity, that there was no
Office in the 81 1T Of the government that
could tempt him from his profession
When editors seek office they are CON
strained TO descend to the tricks Of the
politician, AID it is n6t too harsh to
say that the trade Of a regular politician
has become stencil in the nostrils Of
honest mep
Editors especially need moral courage
IN times of high partisan excitement. By
this we mean the determination to dofull
justice to every one. If anything hap
pens wrong in the body polite, we are
too apt to charge all the fault upon our
opponents, whereas the spirit of true up
rigbtness would dictate to mete out blame
to those who deserve it, whether they be
friends or opponents. OF course in
speaking Of our friends we would natur-
ally be more charitable; but the upshot
should he,whonever n wise political meas
ure is defeated or delayed by q combiDa-
ton OF men, some of whom we like, and
some of whom we dislike, we should not
cast all the blame upon our opponents
But as one looks over the the press of
America one cannot tail TO come to the
conclusion that even in the journals of
the widest circulation and those supposed
to be conducted in the largest spirit of
liberality, it is almost uniformly the case
to ascrjbe either bad motives to opponents, |
or to denouqce them as the cause Of thel
defeat Of any favored measure. This un-
fairness is committed when even before
their eyes is the very record which shows
that many. Of their political friends voted !
on the same side. Certainly the true edl.
tor, while seathing the conduct of. his op-
ponent, should speak with a grave regret
at the action Of those whom lie calls his
friends. That is u millennium Of Journal
ism which has not yet been reached in
our country, and for which we should all
strive For when it is known that the
condEctors of the press are fair and Just
to every one, then will its influence be
larger, deeper and more enduring. indie
pendence in thought aud action is the
new world which journalists should seek
to discover. The more fair and just the
criticisms of the press are, the higher will
it rise above the schackles Of the local
politician sa
Forty years ago, the editor was in most
cases, the mere pendent of the politician,
the rule has now been revers-
ed and the politician has become the pen
dent of the editor. Yet this forces o new
duty upon him, which ia, not to have un
worthy favorites who may climb into Of |
flee through the influence Of their editeri-
al friend. An editor must new act in
somewhat judicial capacity. He must
weigh the ability, motives. and the integ. |
rity of chose who approach him, and it is (
his duty not to urge upon public consider $
alton, men whom he would not choose as {
trustees of his private affairs. IF the
press should adopt this candor, we should {
have higher, purer, and better men in Of
fee, and the perpetuity of the great Re '
public would be ensured. g aflglH3 I
POSITION OF EDITORS IN DETERRENT :
COUNTRIES. slt.t8 84 ta ..
II is q noticeable fact that though the
press, Of England is edited with really t
great ability, the social and political po- +
Iition of the editor does not rise to that /,