New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-18
THE RECORD OF FIFTY YEARS
"REMINISCENCES OF A JOURNALIST.
by CHARLES T. coNGpoN.
XXXII
NEWSPAPER DIDACTCS.

RIAL NEWSPAPER Is-THE OLD EDIToRs-THE
REWARDS OF JoURNALIsM-Irs ASSOCIATIONS
AND DIGNITY.
said in my last chapter that men drift into
Journalism, / ought to have added that this Is
not so nearly true as 1t once was. Lads VINO
have been literally educated turn their backs
Oftener than was once common upon law,
physic and divinity and seeh employment when
they hope 10 make permanent from some
respectable public journal. l beheve that they
are rather astonished, if they are not met by
the editors with arms wide open and invited at
once to the higher seats and services or the
sanctuary. brisk young fellow may be much
% app ,hat 6er eG nohng for him but running
after fires and reporting rObberles that there
is no market In the newspaper ofhces Tor ms
Greek, Latin aud Mathematics and that he
must go through pretty stih and prolonged
apprenticeship before he can hope Tor promo
ton If lie I've wise. he does as well as he can
what is given him to do, exhibits all possible
industry, guards himself sedulOusly against
bad habits of life, begins at once the study oil
public affairs reads whenever he can find OPP
portunity the best books. and so prepares him
self for the higher business OF his chosen pro-
fession. This matter of training for Journalism
has been often discussed, and in many respects
the discussion has been profitable. USED TO
think that distinct and separate schools for
educating young men to the vocation would be
enlnently useful ; years ago wrote as well as
] could. an article, which was printed in Ihe
INDEPENDENT newspaper, suggesting such lnstltu-
tons Nobody paid the least attention to it,
and possibly 1t did not deserve any. | have so
far modified my opinion that now tblnk the
best school to be the newspaper Office Itself
Nothing so keeps men learning as the sharp
spur of necessity. Nothing makes men Thought
full like q, sense of responsibility. Ihele I =
nothing like the discipline OF being tOld
pumply that you have done bad work, ana
that there will be no more work for you to DO,
if You cannot do it better. i want those brisk,
minded lads, who have taken salutatOres and
lad
Der, TO comprehend that newspaper manage
ment is merciless and not III the least re-
specter of persons suppose that 1t was the sopn,
OmOric airs which these young fellows pleased
TO put on which made MIR. Bennett who had
fiji st rate journalistic instinct generally decline
to Give them employment. He used to say that
it would take longer to tram them than tney
would be We nth after training. Mr.. Gleeley, who
had fine literary taste, and warm respect Tor
men of letters was more consderate OF thelr
feelings, but he was not less a severe judge OF
their performance. lie was very sny ol 700
much writing, and no f1ux of words ever con.
cealed from his sharp intellect poverty OF
thought No article suited him which did not
have a real purpose, and was not written III
way likely to promote 1t. m.,e.
the best school of journalism. This is probably
the reason why i'll past times, practical printers
have sometimes made such good editors. lhey
had mastered the economy OF the whole Dusl-
ness. They knew while they were writing 1t,
how a thing would look III type. BUSINESS
brought them mo constant association with men
of ali classes of society. The " art preservatlve
of all arts was III itself LIBERAL education
Whatever happened in the world at large, was
brought directly to their notice aud was repro
duced for the reader, partly through the medium
of their own intelligence and SKILL In stormy
political times those who were hghting the
battle could not do without the newspaper, any
more than they can now. The printer became
an important person. He did not always, lndeed
not often, develop INTO a famous puo 9hc
lint Al ha 4 nntN
sign of "a gentleman, by his side, as Gutenberg
and Faust and the other eaIly printers did, 1t
was because everybody had given up such marx
of social distinction.
There are many things which it behOoves a
Journalist TO know which can hardly be learned
outside the office but there? is much not less
needful, which may ana mdeeu must NC
acquired beforehand Ii there be any young
gentleman, in college or elsewhere, who may
Iead this paper, and who intends to engage
i'm the profession Of which 1t treats. would
fain impress upon his mind the necessity OIL
full and accurate knowledge, especially OF
American history. At nineteen, 1t is easy and
pleasant to spend ones spare time III tne
desultOry reading OF novels OF poetry, OF nght
and amusing essays 1t is not so pleasant alter
ward when q man is thrown upon MS own
resources to find them wofully wanting, !
ought to speak knowingly, / am sure that
sneak feelngly' upon ts IS pohfh1 gsd 14 p aav
that all my life have been trying. and trying
in vain, to make up for lost chances. Only the
other day | attended, for the fist time IN
twenty years. coliGge con'n nt 2,n1nC
gentleman, the place III which he is supposed %
be preparing for the serious business OF HE.
was much astonished at the extreme scantlness
OF his library; but TO compeh::sa'9 lor WE
rightly one pianO-foTte, two guitars ana q
banjoi 1t was pleasant place, quiet, cIOlsered
and shady a good library was at hand there
was excellent tuition and perfect leisure a.
In ntS al
cares TO modest no divided duties to distract
everything TO make toll tolerable ana stddy
pleasant; and yet my young f1end ana NOT
seem TO appreciate my remark, When silu
@Ah what would we old fellows give IL we
could now have four years OF study III TINS
pretty little room, without grim apprehension
to modest us, and without linking sense ol
impending necessity to make us afraid !" could
not ask the unsteady minded young gentle
man if he was preparing for Journalism 10i
that might have smelt of the shop but iel'
certain If he ever was enrolled III our Once
that he would have a good deal to learn
and to unlearn
ing is doubtless cOmmOner than success. Bu'
the difference between journalism ana tht
other liberal professions Is that ID tlt
former a slow and stupid man has hardy
the ghost of chance. moderate
clergyman finds moderate congregation wei
enough pleased VIII his moderate sermons
There are the petty courts and the mlnol
services of the office for the small lawyers
There are people who VIII be dOsed ane
drenched by tie quack doctor rather than no
be physicked at all But quack, bunger
an ignoramus in journalism has hardly the
spectre OF chance and newspaper which
can only employ an incompetent editor wants
no editor at all 1t rubs along in d happy
go-lucky style and does much better without
original matter than it would probably dc
with plentiful supply of 1t. A real news
paper, full to Iepletion OF the very latest intei
eence from all parts of the earth ;palpitatint
with all that yesterday stimulated the worlt
to action or thrilled the heart of humanity
at home or in distant lands telling the story o