The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1875-12-29

from the N Y uara,a1

hAcA lou, cucll uSeiul Ill lUS pltlce. ODe
is that quiet, industrious, unpretending
class which stays at home, edits It's
newspaper and minds its own business.
The other Is the statesman class, which
never seems to be happy except when
away from home, and feels that its
function IS to let the paper run itself
while 1t runs the country. Of course IL
Is not for us to criticise our gifted con
temporaries, who believe that journal
ism Is only u means toward political
end. We read also with interest Of the
occasional appearance OF these press
statesmen ut Washington and other
places, OF their conferences, of their
plans for Saving the country" +"
In one Of the graphic pictures of the
weird and beautiful correspondent Of
the World we had a delightful etching of
Light Horse Harry" Watterson, the
editor Of the Louisville Courier Journal.
taking nap ION the sofa i'm Speaker
Kerr'S room, after the fatigues of the
day." with Mayor Wickham beaming on
him. Then we had u convivial picture
In the Rubens manner of Mr.. Bowles,
editor of the Springfield Republican, a
distinguished statesman. and Mr.. Hal
stead. OF the Cincinnati Commercial,
who has attained the rank Of field
marshal, and several other journalists
ut the board Of u member Of the Cabinet.
Now there Is no reason why journalists
should not dine with members Of the
Cabinet. especially il the dinner Is good
nor should we discuss the matter had II
not come to us ia the daily press.
We note that these Cabinet dinners,
these pilgrnages to Washington, pro-
duce certain results in the shape Of
favorite statesmen who are brought
out = by these journalists. The Cincin-
natl movement, which ended SO disas-
trously for Mr.. Greeley, was u newspa-
per movement. Every month or two
dency groomed and rubbed down and
trotted on the course. Now IL Is Tilden,
again II Is Bristow; and the singular
thing is that those nominations for the
Presidency. this grooming Of favorite
candidates, are, rs u general thing, con
telnporaneous with the visits of the
newspaper statesmen to Washington
and the dinners around the boards Of
aspiring statesmen.
But the favorite business of the news
paper statesmen Is to separate Gen
Grant Cabinet into sheep and wolves.
The President stands between two In
tary Chandler. and the sheep. headed
by Bristow and Jewell Bristow and
Jewell. we are told, are always on the
point Of being turned out Of the Cabi
net. They are fighting whisky rings
and postoiIice thieves" They are zen
deavoring TO purify the Administra.
tion." Grant Is angry with them, :"
aud they are Striving to sustain the
honor OF the country in spite Of the
President" so steadily has this no
tion been fostered 10y the newspaper
writers that there is an actual impress
sion in rural communities that Bristow
because of his war upon the Whisky
Ring. How far Mr. Bristow and Mr.
Jewell are responsible for the impress
sions thus created it Is not for us to
say, but 1t looks rs IL these two members
of the Cabinet are newspaper statemen
of the same class rs the newspaper
generals who became SO familiar during
the war. The newspaper general was
an officer who gave more time to writ
ing letters 10 newspapers than to fight
ing. He kept correspondents on his
staff He saw that his portraits were
sent to the illustrated newspapers, and
letters describing his achievements to
the daily press. But the poor devil
dropped into retirement before the war
was over and has not been heard Of
since. The newspaper statesman spends
most of his time on Newspaper Row.
He hangs around the correspondents
IT in the Cabinet he drops mysterious
hints as to his desires for reform" and
his difficulty In controllingthe Presi-
dent" Ii he il In the Senate he takes
pains to have his independence" pro-
claimed to the world, along with his elo-
quence and virtues. He Is diligent In
season aud out Of season writing
letters and sending packages and
dancing around the lobbies of news
paper offices. In time the truth
comes out as I'm the case OF Schuy-
Ter Colfax, who was probably the
greatest newspaper statesman that ever
the carefully puifed prodigy has been a
fraud from the beginning, and not sim
ply fraud as politician. buta corrupt,
shameless jobber.
We believe with grand old DIR. John
son, that nothing IS better than to purge
the soul of cant. Let us commend this
advice to Washington correspondents.
This cant business from Washington
has become u great nuisance. Core
spondents are men like all OF us open
to cOlrteses and gracious manners. 1t
is not surprising that they should give
half column to the newspaper states
man who betrays secrets to them and
plies them with champagne, and ignore
the modest, retiring statesman, who
does not know them after six introduce
tions. But when that ordeal comes
which tries statesmen as well as soldiers,
the champagne giving officer is nearly
always us much Of humbug as Schuy-
ler CoIfax, while the distant, silent Of
fetal Is the real man after all.
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