Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-21

The address delivered by Mr. whitelaw Reid,
edltof Of the A. =; Trseune aG the annual meet
In Rochester, Tuesday, was an elaborate and
exceedingly interesting discussion Of the past,
present, . ana future ct Americ an Journalism:
OF the causes which have produced a revolution
In the business Of journalfsm-the invention OF
tue last printing press, the extension OF the
Ing process, the employment of unlimited capt.
tai, and the changes in advertising, being en-
larged upon as the chief elements that have
IS. In regard to the question whether we are
likely soon to have cheaper public journals, Mr..
Keld argued cogently from existing facts-epi-
grammatic ally declaring that newspapers would
come down to ante-war prices when readers
are ready to accept an ante-war newspaper.
ana this he thought very problematlcal Sta
NOUS expenditure now undertaken by our lead lead.
ing newspapers In order to obtain the earliest
ana most complete news. AS an Illustration of
the "
PRICES PAID BEFORE THE WAR
for journalistic work, Mr.. Reid gave these fig
Something has been said of the enormous in.
crease In editorial expenses, but few figures Of
Individual salaries Will make it clearer From
an Old salary book the Tribune's) containing
from the first page some items that have now a
curious sound. The first entry Is Mr.. Sinclair
Dookkeeper. SIS; the next, Mr.. Strebeigh. assist,
anu oooktkeeR p So Then follows Mr. Dana,
Cleveland, ditto, SO; MIR. Snow, money reporter.
$l2; Mr. Davies, IN the courts, s. Mr.. Town,
aIow nrp police Gego g. M5 Augustus Mave
importations s14; Mr. March, Washington cor
respondent, $40; Mr.. Robinson, ditto. SIS.
Now skip to the last page of this same book
on the 3lst OF December, 1869. Very largely the
same men made the paper. 1t had grown as
Ihe record on the same page shows, from the
weekly use OF 1881 reams for the daily to the
use OF 494 reamS. Below these items stood the
personal list, more than double now In length.
put with the same leading names. Reading
keeper, s4S Mr.. Strebeigh, assistant ditto. $50:
MI. Dana, assistant editor, SIS; Mr. Ripley, dit
to, $25; Mr.. Gay, ditto, 500: Mr.. Towndrow, $l4;
news and importations, SIS; the WASHINGTON ton
correspondents, $3.50; the Count Gurowski
$50: But the latter was not weekly payment,
count who was only employed "by the piece"
were mostly for sums of S. or $40.
On the books, a little further back, George
William Curtis figures as City Editor at $40 per
week, and Henry j. Raymond, as second on
the paper, rose gradually from S. to $40. Rich
aTa h hl wrote 10y the
S2oO-sometimes more. In 1855 William Henry
Frye had risen to s25 per week; and the next
wear JAMES s. Pike Pike was paid for the
gross sum OF s2035 Bayard Taylor was
credited S. apiece for his California letters, but
vi us TctuFn Mt. GTeoley moved ana carried
an advance to $40 on the ground that "they
had made hit" II. G.'s own name appears
regularly on the lists Of those days at $50 per
week. He afterwards had it cut down to $40;
and there was never subsequent advance
which he did not resist. Once indeed there Is
an entry to the effect that ''Mr. Greeley pro-
tested at some length against the advance 1n
his salary, and gave formal notice that he did
not intend to earn any more than he was now
receiving" For ten or dozen years past, IT,
has been my duty to fix the salaries on this
same book. have found plenty OF gentlemen
last notice, but not another who made the pre-
Does the most rigid economist expect that
the newspapers will or can return to these
"pr1ces before the WARP"
THE NEXT GREAT REVOLUTION
IN Journalism, Mr.. Reid continued, is not likely
10 De In the direction OF greater quantity. He
old not believe that the daily newspaper OF 1890
VIII give many more pages than that OF 1850.
bookmak1rg Is not Journalism. Even magazine
making Is not journalism. The business of
DAILY newspaper Is to print the news of the day.
IN such compass that the average reader may
1alriy expect to master 1t during the day, with
out interfering with his regular business, When
IL passes beyond these limits 1t ceases to be q
newspaper, and 1t ceases to command the wide
support which Is essential to its success. The
great revolution OF the future in newspapers is
not, therefore, to be in doubling their size, I'm
coupling the quantity OF matter they give, or
already treat.
He believed that the rule of condensation
"o9lo next prevail. II Stanley is sent to
AFRICA, Macaulay will be sent to tell his story
Tor him. Why should not the impeachment Of
And ew johnson have been as we'll tod for US
as the impeachment OF Warren Hastings
In conclusion, Mr.. Reid gave reasons TO show
tnat the power of the press is not eclinlng.