The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1874-07-31
The Pay Of Newspaper Men.

The suppression OF half of our daily
papers would greatly advance the art Of
journalism in the United States. Five,
six, seven daily papers in q city of less
than one hundred thousand inhabitants
Some Of these have corps consisting Of
one individual; and where there are
three persons employed, the paper feels
itself entitled to some rank in the world
Of journalism. One consequence is that
two-thirls Of all the working journalists
in the country receive less than the wa.
ges Of good mechanics I; and another con
sequence is that the daily press published
in the midst of an intelligent people, is
sometimes a daily miracle Of calumnious
insanity. Falsehood and folly in daily
papers are, repeat, not 80 much an evi.
dence Of depravity as of poverty. In
telligence and character are costly friv.
olity and recklessness are cheap. The
incessant abuse of individuals is one of
the few resources of an empty mind. 1t
cannot discuss principle; it cannot com.
municate knowledge; it cannot enliven
by wit and good humor; nothing remains
to it but to assail character. And even
where the decorums Of the press arc
strictly observed. we find in the columns
Of newspapers which are struggling for
/ lite amazing exhibitions of helpless ig-
norance. The nauseating trial of fifteen
dollars a week is seen all over them, a
sign of that agonizing contest for exist
ence which goes on wherever ten are
trying to subsist upon means insufficient
for five. Ard really when / look down
the long payroll of a complete newspa.
per establishment, ! am inclined to won
der that such a large number of daily
papers acquit themselves creditably with.
out being able to afford one-fourth of the
expenditure which excellence costs. In
New York, where alone in the United
States newspaper offices exist in which
poor-devilism has been extirpated, the
editorial force of daily newspaper, ful.
ly equipped, consists of about fifty indi-
viduals, of whom twelve at least receive
compensation which approaches that Of
the lower grades of the other liberal pro
fessions. The press has advanced so far
in this one city of the western continent
that competent and well-traiued jour
nalist receives as largea compensation as
a lawyer. doctor, or clergyman Of the
fourth rank, and nearly enough to pay
the rent of small house in a. second
rate neighborhood. This is u considera
Bile advance from the time when Horace
Greeley let Mr.. Raymon leave the :sy,
bme rather than add Eve dollars TO tis
weekly stipend of twenty. The editor
in-chief Of New York daily PAPER o.
the first rank receives from four to eigh
thousand dollars a year, with the assist
ance of shorthand reporter, and the us,
of cab. His leading assistants receiv,
| about half rs much. In Lendon, as Mr.
, james Grant informs Us, the established
salary of the editor Of a morning papel
always excepting the princely Times
is thousand guineas a year. There /,
not likely to be for some time to come
more than one newspaper in any coun.
try that can safely go much beyond this
scale of compensation And, indeed. it
is almost high enough to admit of the
gradual ormatio,ACf corps capaqle Of
holding its own against the dense swarm
of lies always struggling or scheming for
admittance into the press. .In every
service under the sun the rank and file
must of necessity work hard for little
pay. 1t is onl y necessary to have few
great prizes to stimulate the whole body
by rewarding the excellent few.-James
Parton in Harpers naga,ine for Jly.