The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-05-22
Personal Journalism.
what We'll known Editor hos 10 Soy
About II.


Nh. Henry Watterson of the Louis
Vile Couricr-.Journol delivered an adj
dress before the Indiana Press Assocl-
alton ut indianapolis, from which the
following extract is taken -
We have heard deal of late years
about personal and impersonal journal.
ism. In the press of America we must
needs have an abundance OF personal
journalism it is an appendaage to our
condition as well as a result OF our char-
acter. During our civil war, 1t was re-
marked by foreign officers OF experience
who had come here to observe the pro,
gress of military events that lndlvloual
yalor and exploits not merely counG lor
more with us than they do with Euro
pean armies, but that they are required
by our soldiery, who keep close watch
on their leaders. This is republican
habit and, as far as editors are con
cerned. it is rendered the more scrutln-
! ling and inevitable by the comparative
smallness of our towns, which are not
large enough to afford concealment TO
an Individual occupying conspicuous
local place. Those who read newspa-
per are pretty sure to find out who 1t is
that edits it there is no possible es-
cane the mans simple comlngs IN ana
poinrs out will discover him and just
as he happens to be person OF eXcep-
tional character or characteristics is he
likely to be marked and talked of, until,
being pretty well known, and having
himself charged with all the virtues and
all the offenses of his journal, he is, in
voluntarily, personal journalist. Ihere
is impersonal journalism in England,
because the English press is conducted
by scholarly dummies, who, dwelling IN
London, to which the press IS confined,
are able to lead reclusive lives, and
who. being for the most part the EN-
ployees O. men who publish newspapers
as thew would traffic in breadstutfs, are
not paid enough or permlttedto display
a costly and offensive individuality. In
America the power of the press IS not
consolidated in single great city, All
the larger towns have their journals and
their journalists some of them OF the
richest and most notable. In this way
journalism with us, as in France,
though for an opposite reason, opens :
road to wealth and fame which IS closee
to the journalist of England, who, iron
/, necessity and not from choice we ma.
q be sure, leads an obscure life and goe
= to his grave "unwept, unhonored, an'
t unsung." Men of vigorous parts an'
4 sound understandings do not willlngl
!. part with their identity. This is por
# ton of the heritage which God has Civ
It ell to mankind, our finer part, for
e causes us to strive, to labor, to aspire
# to keep ourselves honorable and pure
a to seek the good will and good report
% our fellow-men. Personalism is onl
=, Objectionable when it becomes physiH
le ally blatant or absurd, and degenerate
" into mere childish vanity or idiotlc col
IS ceit. 1t is considered, and it is, mos
il ennobling and admirable quality, whe
d it causes Morton and Schurz to detac
themselves from the rest in order thf
to they may tell millions of their country
" men what they think on this qutstio
er and on that. The journalist does no
J. in his most personal moments, dlspla
,e himself half so much as these, ant
st while he is to be warned against usln
ly his great vehicle to the mere tickling {
rs his own vanity, he is surely not to /
blamed for going in at the front doc
q, instead of creeping round by way of IL
It. back alley, nor stigmatized for holdir
of his head up in the face of all the worl
III non sibi, Sed toto genitum sc crede