Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-26
LITERATURE AND JOURNALISM COZ
TRASTED.

Literature and journalism are not only
very distinct, they are. very far apart !;
they are in some particulars almest ire
concilable. The one point which they
have in common is that the professors Of
both express ideas by means of al phabetic
writing. Authors usually write short
articles before they write books, and these
are printed in newspapers. 1t thus hap
pens that there are few men of letters, par
ticularly in this country, who have not
written in newspapers. This is about the
sum of the connections between the two
pursuits. In almost all respects they are
separate. The success of man of letters
depends upon the high excellence of
his few productions. The success of the
journalist depends upon the average excel
Ience of his many writings. One, or ten,
or a hundred good articles no more make a
good journalist than one swallow makes a
summer. In the next place literature is
written to last But in writing for news
papers it should never be forgotten that
that which iswritten to-day must be printed
tomorrow, and will have been turned into
wrapping paper by the day following The
truth is that very fine writing is out of place
in newspapers. The capacity for doing and
writing is rather a disadvantage than an
advantage for the journalist The journal
lists who possess this ability succeed rather
in spite of it than on account of it. A
strong desire to say things perfectly is
hindrance to a news paper writer. There IS
not apt to be more than one perfect express
sion of thought, and a writer who has, or
who thinks he has, achieved this does not
care to express it in another and a cheaper
way. Now if there is one thing in which a
journalist must excel it is in the capacity for
iucessant and infinitely varied repetition.
The journalist should not, therefore, think
of himself as literary man. But he should
think OF himself as man of affairs. He
should write as if he were c0unsehng the
public as to what they should do in the
business of the day, and he should give to
that counsel the best reflection which the
well known and understood limitations of
his business will allow. A newspaper writer
should not make the writing of pleasing
articles the object of his life. The sole aim
of the literary artist, like other artists, is,
very properly, to please But it will not do
for the journalist to make pursuit of tick
ling mems ears he must. seek to effect
things. If the journalists object is merely
W WIltS pxdSibS dl GiCleS, ms 10 Oue VI GHc
poorest businesses in the world. This is
almost the only trade in which the worker
does not improve as he grows older. The
writer of pleasing articles is no better at
fifty than at thirty: indeed he is not so
good, for at fifty he has lost the zest in ink
and paper and a fresh proof which he had
at thirty. In almost all callings the mind
is constantly getting new thoughts, which
instruct it for the future, and the judgment
is undergoing from day to day, process
of education which never pauses. "Shall
| do this or that" the worker asks him
self almost hourly, and in his own mind
argues the "pros" and icons" of the case
with thoughts which are scarcely ever
turned into language; which, indeed, most |
men would be incapable of turning into |
language. 1t is only the journalist who
takes the right view of his business who !
gains with years this education of judg- |
ment. His facts increase rapidly his |
studiously formed ideas have been corrected |
and re corrected by the observation OF
events which have taken. place under his
own eyes; his opinion, therefore, is worth |
more at fifty than at thirty his judgment |
is stronger and he is an ADLER man, Not /
only will his writing be more profting and
instructing to the reader to serious read
ers it will even be more pleasing. -[Scrib-
ner.