Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1881-11-22
Misc ELrAM:E Gus.
PRINTING OFFICE SECRETS.


Printers have never, we think. received
misrepresentation for tho honorable confidence
which they have preserved in regard to the
secrets with which they have necessarily been
lntrustcd. Suob case as this often hans
Pens.7 An article in a newspaper or mags>,
zine makes what ia called i'sonsation. - 1t
IL entirely anonymous, and pnblic curiosity.
is excited to the utmost to discover tho uamc
OF its author. The writer may be cabinet
minister, high official, oourtier, or any Of
the thousand and one persons Who if he
were suspected of writing for the press, would
at once lose his position, his oficc-pefhaps
his reputation. On the other hand the writer
may be a struggling author, o bard-workiog
journalist. or mere, literary amateur In
any case his secret is preserved his anoily-
nifty IS sale as long as it is contided to tho
printers.
Some years ago there was grost stir
made about book entitled, ''Ecce Homo"
1t was clever work and had had an unex7
ampied success "Who is the author ?" was
the question on everybody's lips. Some
score of persons wero named, and thew repu-
dated their participation in it. All sorts of
oOnjectures were hazarded, and no doubt
large sums would have hceD given bv seyeraI
conductors of journals for authentic in forna>
tion as to tho nnme of the author. Yet the
name was known to master printer. his
| overseer, and at least sOmo of the compost
tors, but it was never revealed. Whom the
name was published. it was not through the
instrumentality of the printers. but entirely
independent of tkom. They had faithfully
kept their secret.
Going back few years, the authorship of
the "Wnverly Novels" may be referred to as
remarkable incident of literary history. Sir
Wslter Scott's authorship, although known
to twenty persons, including a number of
printors, was SO well concealed that the great
novelist could not even, in his matchless vo-
caba'ary, fad words of praise sufficient to
express the sonse of his grateful acknowI>
edgmont and wonderful admiration for tho
matchless fidelity with which the secret had
been preserved
There is another species Of sccrecy-that
relating to the careful Supervision of conf,
dental public documents, books printed for
secret societies, and the authorship of arti-
cles or pamphlets, as already referred to.
| which has beon most honorably. maintained.
When treaties.are published in newspapers
the copy is obtained from some leaky or geueI
official, and not from any of the printers who
set up or workgoff the original. I A case of
this kind occurred yehror two ago wherein
convention between this country and am
other power was revealed to one Of the eve.
ming newspapers. In the foreign Office, at
Whitehall, there is regular staff Of printers
always at work. and IL these men liked they
] might let out secrets Of the most nomentous
kind, any one of which would perhaps, in
these days of journalistic competition, be
worth few handred pounds, but sueh do.
reelection OF duty has never yet occurred IL
was a clerk, and not compositor. who be.
trayed his trnst
Most honorable to the profession is the
story of Harding, the printer, who bravely
bore imprisonment ratherlthnn reveal the
authorship Of the celebrated "Drspier" lets
teTs. The printer eat in bis cell calmly re-
fusing the entrcaties of bis friends to diyulge
the name Of the writer, Dean Swift, the
church msgnate, and great wit, who dressed
himself in the disguise of low Irish peas.
sut, and sat by, listening to the noble refusal
| and the tender opportunities, only anxious
that norwOrd or glance from the unfortunate
printer should reveal the secret Swift was
bent solely upon securing his own safety at
the expense of the printer; he cowed before
the legal danger which Harding boldly con,
froDted. The world has uuequally allotted
the need of fame to the two combatants. The
wit and the printer both fought the battle for
the liberty of the press, until the sense Of on
outraged community released the typogr a.
pher from the peril SO nobly encountered
There is also the allegiance which printers
pay to their chief, in not diyulgiug impor-
tant intelligence. In some cases compost,
tor is necessarily intrusted with an item OF
news which would be negotiable immediate
ly, and worth pounds to him. Seldom OF
never is there betrayal of trust in this way
The examination papers. printed SO cxten-
sively in.London, are of the most tremendous
importance to certain classes, who would paJ
almost any sum tOtobtain the roughest proc
the night before. An instance of this kinc
occurred quite recently. A printer was tgo
at, and promiseda considerable amount o
money for q rough proof. What was hi
course Of action Z He simply informed thr
/ authorities, and the tempter was punished.