Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-05-25
AMERICAN JOURNALISM.

When Charles Dickens was in
this country many years ago, he
wrote about the American press as
follows;
"When auy man, Of any grade of
desert in inlellec, or character, can
climb TO any public distinction, n
matter what, III America, without first
grOvelling down upon the earth, and
bending the knee before this monster
of depTavity; when any private ex-
cellence is safe from its attack; when
any social con fideuCe unbTOEen by
70, or any tie OF social decency and
honor is held in the least regard; when
any in that Free Country has freedom
of opinion, and prssumes TO think for
himself, and speak for himself, wI;h-
out humble reference 10 a censorship
which, for its rampant ignorance aud
base dishonesty, he utterly loathes sod
despises in his hear; when those who
most acuiely feel its infamy and
rspTOach upon Ihe nation, and who
most deDOunce IL to each other,
dare TO set their heels upon aud crush
Il openly, in the sight OF all men; then
I Rill believe its influence IL iesseDing
and mUn sTe returning to their manly
senses. But while the press has It's
evil eye in every house, and its black
haad In every appointment in the
state, from the President TO partisan
while, with Tibsld slaUdeT for its ouly
stock ia trade, it is the standard liteTs-
tuTe OF an enormous class, who must
find their reading in a newspaper, or
they will no. read at all so long must
its Odium be upon Tue cOuntTy's head
aud 90 long must the evil Of ia works
be plainly visible ia The Republic
This was what an intelligent Eng
lishman said, who formed his opin-
ions from what he saw on the sur
face. His criticisms were too harsh,
perhaps, but any man who has
studied American journalism at all,
must admit that they were not al
together without foundation.
In enumerating the achievements
of the press, We remember to have
once heard a we'll known journalist
in this State say at has made
Judges of men who knew nothing
about the law ; Legislators of men
who could neither read nor write /;
Doctors of Divinity of those who
never studied theology, and dis
tinguished physicians of those who
were ignorant of medical science.
This was, of course, a piece of ex-
travagance, but it bears a striking
resemblance to truth.
But newspaper publishers are not
altogether to blame for these things.
They cater to the appetites of their
patrons. Their prime object, like
the keeper of hotel, is to make a
living, and they furnish such bill
of fare as is desired by their
patrons. OF course, this does not
show high, noble standard of eth
les, but newspaper publishers are
good deal like other men.
And again, there are large mum
Der of newspaper editors in the coun-
try who can not say their souls are
their own. Their business is to run
an organ for some member Of Con-
gress or some one who wants to 90
to Congress or be Senator or
Governor of State. They are the
mercenary tools of ambitious task
masters, and everything they say
or do is with an eye single TO the
selfish glory of their lords and
masters. They laud and magnify
the most Insignificant acts of their
masters and try to make their pub
locations a microscope through
which the public may look at dwarfs
and take them for giants. What
does the public know about what is
going on after reading such jour
nails?
And then there are editors who
farm out their editorial columns to
whoever will pay them a stipulated
price. Their editorials do not ex~
press the sentiments of their editor,
but of some one back of him who
furnishes him money to write
up some measure in which
the payor is personally interested.
But there are great many news
papers in the country whose editors
believe that honesty is the best
policy, and who are bold and indie
pendent. They advocate measures
because believe them to be right,