The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-04-09


over the desk OF every journalist, I
would take these words from Pericles:
Il q, sume the lists.
Nor ak advice IT any other thought.
But faithfulnefe and courage"
The journalist is the historian Of yes
terday with an alert ear for the premoni::
tons of the morrOW-a monarch OF
opinion if he dkcrown not himself. His
realm is the best on earth If he sways it
Alright, for he addresses the best i'm
pulses and staidest judgment Of his
readers. His utterances may not always
be welcome, but if they disclose virile
motive and just solicitude for social
interests they are certain to command
respect.
The greater the expenditure Of truth
by the journalist, the more he enriches
himself with capacity for truth, and
the more certain his value to the public,
as training hardens the muscles Of an
athlete, Wolsey, shorn OF his honors
and contrlte for his errors, contributes
the best Of admonitions to the Journalist;
-" b Just ani fear not. :,
Lat al thu ends thou aiNnA'i at DO thy c0untrye.
Thy Gods and truth'e."
The American press may we'll excite
wonder for its compass and resources.
Like huge spider its web spans oceans
and enmeshes events like flies which are
dragged into its covert, punctured with
pens and sucked dry.
Gladstone's frown, Bismarck's wary
smile. the new Irish or Indian ferment,
are rehearsed to us the next morning as
readily as the street brawl on our next
block. The whole enlightened world is
constrained to be candid. The telegraph
abolishes leagues, makes us jostle
elbows, imposes upon the statesman q
responsibility not limited to his own
country, and quickens all civilization to
q stern police-pOwer over all men who
stand upon forums, who seize the helms
of State or lead revolutionary vans with
an avowed purpose to serve it. The day
than political tract, or 2 statements
speech, or any other single agency o!
communicating thought-a great journal
is all this; it is the difference between
an occasional hammer and a trip-ham
mer that persistently smites. This is 6
great service. Cromwell dispersed par
lament: the press has shattered dozen!
on both sides Of the Atlantic. Vast
numbers Of men in mischievous civic Of
military organizations find more ehec
tual check In newspapers than in artil
lerv. because the newspapers are gener
ally loaded with just public opinion
And Just so long as the press right!
interprets and indicates that instinc
Of Justice and fair play which Is rootet
in every mans nature, just 80 long vii
it be q Stout, growing oak, drawing nur
ture from the moral soil in which it i
planted: its foliage and fruit will Away
be grateful and wholesome boons.
There is an evil In journalism, som
people would call it a minor one, bu
; which is all too prevalent I refer to tn
, cowardice Of some Journalists who's
, policy sits above conscience" VIII
write with an askant eye upon the 90
vertising columns and coin their opin
, ions to suit popular prejudices.
|, journalist worthy Of the name Is
teacher whose calling it is to expires
! what he c0nceives to be the best opinion
{ in the public interests. II he borrow
) opinions and Is mere echo OF hi
patrons, he is recreant to his trus
kTafieta phrases, silken terms precise,
r ipo for little. There must be the f1bl
= Of conviction in editorial matter, as II
.. were written, not with flaccid han'
hut with resolute fist. Truth deserve
r candid ayowal, and the journalist thu
. falters subtracts from it.
i And vet there is another vice-anoth'
8 need and place for progress: a journa
I as I have said, that so largely discharg!
. its functions as tract and speech, shou
: be strictly mindful Of it's literary metho'
!. Its sentences should be arrows, n
1 clumsy clubs. There Is too frequel
4 excess OF verbiage in our newspap'
Il columns, by reason of which the purpo'
/ conveyed plays q sort Of bO-peep wit
4 the reader. It is something like til
' Wind-swept snow, which drifts here ar
4 leaves the ground naked there. II
!. writer's duty is to incarnate his though
d and implant the sinews in its limbs,
J. order that it may approach the reader
i mind, rend open that minds door al
Q command intellectual hospitality With
e A thought limping under the burden
an ''alms basket OF words" Is an u
/ profitable messenger that cannot clai
d q guests rights.
b 10 arrest this prodigality Of words
. an especial need Of progressive journt
{, ism. A bullet can defend public rig
{, better than q thousand sponges. '
want the expressed wine OF events iii
y journal, not q mass OF grapes, hillsl
b and entangling vines. A thought wort
70 Of an editoria, should not turn ep
D upon itself, as did Brutus his sword, b
1e advance like an eager lancer, bearing
T: shining, incisive point for direct attac
70 A public teacher, as q journal is, cam