The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-12

Worh In various Countries specials.
There - scarcely "a profession which is
not exposed to abuses, and has not some hard
ships to complain or But certainly no profes.
sion is 60 much abused or bjected to so many
hardshps as journalism. Tho lawyer and tho
medc1l man, for instance, are often greatly
scored AZ, and people are afraid OF them, as oi
men whose professional services are often likely
20 lead TO the grave or TO ruin But when their
assistance Is needed, both the doctor and the
lawyer become something like savlors to their
clients at all events they are courted, conn Ii
hcn'cl, and honored as such. Besides, II the
LAWYER and the medical man must remain poor
until their regulations have become established,
then at least they get for their work and expert
snce an ample reward. Their avocattons may
not nay them at twenty-five. but II they are COM
petent men fitted for their professions, thoy
arc sure to amply make up for the delly at forty.
The Journalist has no prospect OF this kind.
The moro Ia works, tho more he IA likely to
write himself out; aud unlos3 he obtains place
In the practical Management Of paper, his
ehances Tor making his pursuit more remunera-
i've can only decline with the growth OF years.
The abuses to which he is exposed are also
more numerous than those Of any other profess
non. The special knowledge and experience
Implied IN every branch Of science and art pre-
their judgment concerning the work OF the men
who choose any Of these branches "a their pro-
tession. The sculptor, the painter, tho must
clan. the surgeon, the historian, the naturalist
any specialist, In "A wpfd-does not run the risk
the ignorant and stupid nrst-comcr's critics.
ing the product Of his labor. lie Il left to pro-
fessi'nal criticism only which, In the long run.
noulis the opinion OF tho mass, and with II
hxes tho reputation of the worker. Bat In Jour
nalism II IL quito different Every cook, every
bootmaker, every old clothes dealer thinks
himself perfectly qualified to form and express
an opinion on the article which re reads in his
newspaper lie assumes that all that Ia wanted
Tor forming such opinion IA common sense,
and whero Ia the human being who does not
suppose himself possessed OF this2
All this IA the natural result Of the dis1dvan.
tageous position Of journalism among the va
rous branches Of human activity. The fact Is that
Il has no position AZ all for II ia not an art hxo
literature or music, IL Is not a science like anat-
omy orchemistry, II Is notan industry either; yet
Il has ia Itself something of science, something
Of art, something OF industry, ami even some
thing OF trade. This many. sided and many
headed nature Of journalism Is its gre itest dis
advantage. \ LAWYER is not necessarily supposed
10 know anything about music or pilnting; the
musician or the painter IL perfectly justified In
being deficient IN legal knowledge; a mellcil
man I. all the better praised II he is ignorant In
poltics; tneologan Ia never expected to be "A
good judge OF hlstrionic art. the more all
these men are onc-sided, that Ia 20 say, the less
Informed they are In everything except their
own br'nches Of study, the prouder Ia their
profession Of them, the higher scars their repu-
tation, and the better are their labo rs rewarded
iouln list, on the contrary unless he happens
TO belong to one OF those great encvclopadical
newspaper institutions, which begin now to grow
up IN England as we'll a. In this country, must
know everything. On one and the same day,
sometimes within one and the same hour, he
must write on question Of morals, on the tran
sit ~ Venus, on the revolution in HERZEGOVINA.
and on he poisonous effects Of the municipal
mismanlgement Of the sewers. And 1t Is only
In proportion to bis capacity to do all this that
he "a aiied by his employers, esti mated In his
profession, and enabled to make living.
True. the time Is speedily approaching
when Jodrn llistic work Will be Just as much
diffsr, ntia' ed AMI specialized a. all other work
Ia but we have to speak here Of journalism IS
It h AMI was, not az IL Is going to DO.
am aware that many newspaper men will not
agree with the view Of the profession taken
here. But they are idealists. liboring under tho
delnsion of the p ,ramount Importance Of their
avocation. The sun, for instance, belongs to
this class. 1t occasionally speaks of the impor-
lance Il the newspaper calling. Quite recently
read Ia its columns the following:
IL ;e rewspaper the ideas are clearly and vigorously
eIpT'-s shaAru from the wing witt snch hreyify and
oecn O.. cache, sonetd.ns OF taeir soirit ami ruti
SOU, t'l, On which ~ found JlaEment. ltsla thls
Wy i Oh" dAlt press most W0rlly uCc0UNlish.s it.
oll re educator OF the genera mass Of men
Az 'A- 4,i agent Ia inspiring puonc seItmcAt.
AL ttis may be very true. ana very well told It
Il; bat . IL Imaginative. The editor Of The sen
ayf la I 4
da" press is really what 1t ought to be that the
newfpapcr writer Ia not only a teacher, preach
err and judge, but that he has almost slcerdp-
tai fuu. lions 10 perform. rhat will be % some
dGy, hA7s; but tits nowhere so yet. He has
wor, Tor over thirty years a. a Durn ilist. ana
IL l. only since he ohtaned the controlling m.
teresi # wi le'y-clr,ulaling newspaper that he
can enforce hia opinions AMI views II all. And
that al what nrre2 How longagD "a II sinrc his
denoun 'itious OF the Washington q oycrnment
as nest u rottenness aud corruption were
met witt nothing better than accusations OF i m
der nai warrant OF trrestf Now, thilty years Is
the aver &c length ofawhole gcner tion,nnd few
PEE. 4,-sesi the nerve, the phy-ich strength,
hi H1All add the patience aud patriotism. 20
do a work Of this liA1. The IN J1rlty Of even
the best disposed men would break dowa aud
fail as The slaves used to fail in the glldistorial
comb - in Rome with only this difference that
the ci.cus used to thunier with applause when
those slaves died, while in our days the uews-
pnp'r -ltIiators are often lef, 20 expire n a
hospt !, withoit any better rev ri for their
actiyi'y M IA mouta-ii!nl oath on Tho part
OF the 'iicih thieves anI scoInirels whom they
have eNao.ed
Dependent IS the view Of journalism Ken
here may seem, II 10 nevertheless correct Ia is
substance, and in America mora than anywhere