Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-11
Journalism and Authorship.

During the last thirty years New York
journalism has absorbed much of our
best talent, and well it might, for it de-
mands the best. No severer test can be
applied to writer than that of his
ability to furnish leading articles regu-
larly. More than one, who has sue
ceeded easily as bookwright or essay
list, has found his equipment and his
power of composition inadequate to the
off-hand production of compact, pol
ished, well-informed leaders, such as are
needed for the editorial pages of our
great newspapers. Journalism is an
art; but under our system it brings
little beyond his weekly stipend to the
sub-journalist. The stipend is sure,
and that means a great deal to one who
lives by his pen. Newspapers thus fer
have supplied the readiest market to q
writer, and the magazines next TO them.
In q chapter upon Hood, London's
Journalist poet, I have claimed that the
task of daily writing for the press,
while q good staff, is poor crutch; it
diffuses the heat of authorship, checks
idealism, retards the construction of
masterpieces. Besides, it brings an
author into attrition with members of
the craft who possibly know him so IA
military as to underrate MIN. He is
subjected to local iealousies, to the over
praise OF the newspaper which befriends
him, and sometimes to the unjust or
ungenerous treatment Of rival sheets.
All this may be thought an evil peculiar
to New York, and one which we shall
outgrow. But the same phenomena are
visible in the matrred newspaper life
of the capitals of England and France,
and must be accepted as part of jour.
nalist's warfare and surroundings
Edmund C. Stedmaaa, IN Scri6ner.
How LincOln's Message Was Stolen.
One of President Lincoln's MESA
ges was stolen once upon time and
given out for publication in advance of
its presentation to Congress. The affair
was considered so grievous that the
House ordered an investigation, and the
Judiciary Committee set about it. The
rumor gained credence that Mrs. Lin
coin was the enterprising person, and
one day, all unsummoned and unan-
nounced, the President himself ap-
peared before the committee. He said
he had heard the rumor, and proposed
to demonstrate to the committee that
madam could not have been the offend
er. A correspondent explains that it
was developed afterward that certain
Chevalier Wykoff, an iuustrious dead
beat of the Beau Brummel order, was
the culprit. Wykoff was a man of fine
appearance and suave address, who had
travelled ell over the world. He had
tickled the fancy OF Mrs. Lincoln, and
she had taken him,into the White House
as a sort of major domo. He was, or
pretended to be, very familiar with court
etiquette and manners, and Mrs. Lincoln
employed him to instruct her in this
unwritten and much-abused art. The
fellow had the Iun of the White House.
and was great deal talked about as one
of Mrs. Lincoln's silly fancies. He had
bribed servant to steal one of the
coveted slips, which he had used to
raise the wind" by selling it at a high
price to New York paper.
Col. OLD STYLE" This is, indeed, a
pleasure. I never see your Ladyshir
but feel that am ten years younger!
Lady New Style-(who hasn't been to
the lyceum for nothing" Indeed,
Il II