New-York tribune., 1873-05-03
WATTERSON ON JOURNALISM
AN EDITORS VIEWS OF HIS OWN PROBES
SION

SION.
THE NEWSPAPER IN LIEU OF THE DRAMA AND THE
NovEL-JoURNAIIsM Personal AND LdPERsoNh,
OLD AND NEW.
Mr. Henry WGttersOn Of The LOuisrile Courier
Journal deve on Thursday an address before the
Indiana Press Association at indianapolis, of which
the following some of the more notlceaDie pas
sages:
LITERATURE AND JOURNALISM
Every ace has It's Interpreters there was the OF the
drama; there the of the pamphlets there was
the age OF the novel, This is the OF the newspaper
The Journalist is day what but little while ago tno
novelist was; what little while before that tho u
matis was the observed OF all Observers for he 10 al
exceptional creature, creation man. indeed o
his fellow-men, but possessed with strange ihVSlOi
powers which affect mems lives, fortunes ana ehaia0
ters; not merely an abstract and brief chronicle Vi ~
time, the player used to be said 10 De sonio''e
more than myth an almanac Ihere wiz he'.' ~
another Dickens. Tho romance OF yesterday wiz" "
moving incidents and real figures will engage the luvo
est OF vigorous writer's they engage thatOi tne P"p
and as fictitious situations and conditions are Pre
well exhausted actual situations and conditions, Dr
ianty written out for the daily newspaper VIII 'aAo ~
place Of imaginary scenes and passions. AS None
and sheridan yere as Dickens and Thackeray were ne
journalist may be, and partly is already inau ~
whom a public interest, great or less according W w
genius is taken; who, loving his feow-men' mas"
i'm his mower 20 be loved by them The process Is very
simple. To be kindly. honest fearless capaDie' '"V
all; and name kindness first, because II newspaper
would be popular 1t must, like an INDIVIDUAL carry
pleasant aspect IL must be amiable aud unpretehtou
speaking the language and wearing the habimehts VI
the peope bone Of their bone and flesh OF their nes
sincere as well az an effective devere Of their thoughts
wishes and fancies II Sha kespeare lived III our ume'
conceiyiug hm to have been robust Dthe, ana hearty
person conceivIng him to have been what we unuoI
stand by an able person and an aDleDodled' ANU "'n
a most gay and festive person. take leave 10 u"uo'
whether he would find the drama the best vehicle Ior
his oyernowlng wisdom his exuberlnt W.T. huhor' auu
fancy his amazing activity and wonder that ih'u
Of such varied aud large resources of such vigorous cur
rent and racy faculties as Dion BOucicauIt' hhou'u "
comparatvely Door man, wandering about the Woru
and writing plays when he might be, had he bent MN
self that way, the editor OF The London HHeS
Personal JOURNALISM.
We have heard deal Of late years about personal ana
impersonal journalism. In the press OF America we
must needs have an abundance Of personal JouFhaSD
il is an appendage condition as well as res' %
our character. During civil war, II was remaIkeu
by foreign officers OF experience who had come mere 10
observe the progress Of military events tha hdNdua
yalor and exploits not merely count for more with us
than they do with European armies. b1t that they are
required by our soldiery. who keep close watch on
their leaders This is republican habit ami as lar as
editors are concerned IL Is rendered the more sciuh~
ing and inevitable by the comparative snallness OF our
towns which not large enough 70 afford conceaeh'
10 an individual occupying conspicuous Local place
Those who read newspaper are pretty sure TO nnd out
who it is that edits it; possible escape the
mans simple comngs in and gOmgs out viii discover
HIM and lust rs he happens 90 person OF exceptional
character or characteristics is he likely to be marked
and talked Of until being presently very wen known, ana
having himself charged with ali the virtues ana all the
ohcnses of his journal, be is, iny0untary personal
journalist There is mpersona journalism in England,
L.
dummies who, dwelling IN Ieldon, to which the press
is confined ARE lead reclusiye lives and who being
for the most part employees who publish news
papers as they would traffic IN bcadstuhs not paid
enough or permitted TO display costly and offensive
individuality In America the power OF the press Is not
consolidated in a single great city. All the larger towns
have their journals and their journalists; some OF them
OF the richest and most notable this way journalism
with US as in France though for opposite reason
opens a road wealth and fame which is closed to the
journalist OF England who from necessity and not from
choice may be leads obscure LIE and goes to
his grave "unwept unhonorcd, and unsung." Men OF
vigorous parts and sound understandings do not willingly
part with their identity That a portion the heritage
which God has given TO mankind finer part, for it
TO strive 10 labor 20 ASPIRE TO keep ourselves
honorable and pure, to seek the good will and good
report of our feow-mcD. Personalism is only objection
able when it becomes physically blatant or absurd and
degenerates childish vanity diotic coucet
quality when it Morton and schurz to detach
themselves the in order tina they may tell
millions OF their cOuntrymen what they think on this
question and that The journalist does not, IN his
most personal moments, display himself half so much
these and while he is be warned against using his
great vehicle to the mere tickling OF his vanity he
is surely not be blamed for going IN at the front door
instead creeping round by way OF the back alley, nor
stnazed holding his head up in tho face OF all the
world, Sibi sed toto geHhtol Sc credere muHdo.
THE OLD AND TIE NEW JOURNALISM.
Curious and comical periodl when Ricnard Smith
unbe,0minc roundabOats, ana William Hyde instituted
the black art Of selling newspapers on the banks Of the
Ohio; when Walter Haldeman kept books for George D.
Prentice; when Joseph Medill pulled press at Ceyc
land when II. ID. Potter wheel5arr0wed the forms Of
ms paper through streets Greeley, Raymond.
and Bennett obscure and the press gOrdcd Itself
in persons Of half hundred forgotten worthless VINO
wrote fierce nonsense and fOught dues, and ccOughed
Fourth OF July oraons every day in the year IN
ing bad grammar journalism in those days a sort
inebriOus knght-crrantry; big joke, considerably
drunken and bloodstaned. Now and then turn back
10 II and contemplate It. whenever do begin
10 choke M between laugh aud cry; u was 80 funny,
it was so tragc have had the advantage, and may
say the happiness TO be intimately Associated with
great man of the school of journalism and the very
greatest OF the Old school aud TO mark, by compar
ison, the ideas ana methods OF both The comparison,
Instructive ITSELF shows the changes which have
into the life OF the American press within quar-
ter OF century. In the Old time the journalist was
mere player struttug and frettug his nOur upon the
stage acting part by command Of his lege lOrd the
party leader. He about as much N earnest IA his
role OTganist" Mr.. Booth s IN his role OF Rchccu
or Hamlet; that IT, II suited him and hc adapted himself
to It.. JIo the pOtciau's squire and the pdftys
hackuegectrd rewarded according TO tine caprice OF
his master. That Prentice. with all his g1tts-
his wit sagacity and cOuTage-Prenticc lived the life OF
"A slave. Realizing the fact always he only realized the
toward the end Hdldemau. on the other hand set
out in life at different gait he was seltrehant a
singular compound Of mOdesty, industry aud ambtiun
he went slow" and trusting 10 his own necessarily
crude and IDEAS the ideas and the Of