The Portland daily press., 1880-09-15
Journalism.
A Practical Article for Young Men Who
Want to Be Editors and Weld Moral
Influence.
ISioux CITY Journal

Sioux City journal.
All the way from the university of a far
distant State, comes to US an application for a
position on the Journal as an editorial writer.
1t comes from young man who says he has
been pursuing special course of study with a
view of adopting Journalism profession.
He has about finished this course and desires
to enter Immediately upon his life-work. The
young gentleman writes that from early youth
his ambition has been to WELD a moral influ-
ence and he sees no hope OF exercising this in
fluence save as a journalist. He has tasted of
science, of language, of philosophy; has la
bored to form style which - could use with
effect has sought out new paths where he
found none. His knowledge of political. his
tory, law and political economy he thinks
would enable him to discuss the average ques-
tions of the day in treating questions of
social interest," his knowledge OF social
economy might not prove amiss. AS a jour-
nalist he would keep his life purpose ever be-
fore him. In his paper he would introduce
new features-to old ones he would give the
charm of novelty. In political discussions he
would shun insignificant partyisms or personal
etlections-everything save a fair presenta-
ton of party principles and party interests.
AS manager he would exercise judiciOus econ
omy, as editor, untiring energy and brain.
The young gentleman is no doubt honest and
sincere in his statements, but they weigh moth
ing with an experienced journalist. Journal.
lists are not turned out OF universities ready
made. Journalism is a profession which Can
ouly be mastered after long years OF active
service-on the same principle that to be "a
good lawyer, or successful minister, or q
competent mechanic, one must have practical
experience, land can attain prominsnce only
after long years of patient labor. Young men
on leaving college are apt to think they could
shape the destinies Of nation if they could
only get control of the columns of some news
paper. Perhaps young graduate does get an
opportunity to write editorials for some coun-
tiy weekly. He launches a bolt and then anx-
iously awaits the report. He generally waits
in vain, and is panied and chagrined to find
out that his majestic utterauces have attracted
no attention whatever. Perhaps he gets po-
sition on one of the big dailies and with a
proud heart he hands i'll to the managing edi-
tor a long article, over which he has spent sew
eral days and nights in writing and rewriting
only to be mortified almost to death by the
matter-of-fact chief telling him to cut that
thing down to two stckfuls, even if he does
not tell him the paper has no room for any
such stuff He may further tell the young
man whose ambition is to WELD moral infiu-
ence, that they only want news, and that in a
condensed, concise form. The conceit may be
further taken out of the young man by being
detailed to write up the stock yards or sent to
get the points in a scandal case and told that
he must get his report into half column and
have his copy in by IL o'clock sharp. This do
ing uncongenial work and doing it on the
jump, with no time to elaborate glowing peri
ods and eloquent perorations, is a new expert
ence, and five to one he makes a flat failure
and is chagrined beyond measure by being
told that he has no aptitude for journalism and
IS advised to seek some other vocation. Jour.
nalism is drudgery-plodding, transformations
drudgery. The individual work which makes
up complete newspaper attracts no attention