Richland beacon., 1881-03-26
SECOND DAY.
Secretary
SENATE CHAMBER, !

| Inc Association met at ii - Il. m.
President McCranie in the chair
| The Secretary called the roll u mcm-
| bcrS present. II absent.
| The Executive Committee, through its
chairman, reported favorably upon the
applications of Messrs. 4. j. Padron. of
the st. Berr ard Edglr. and Drayton i.
Hayes, of the Claiborne Guardian. and
| those gentlemen were unanimously
elected members of the Association
| The President stated that the Associa-
ton, being without order Of business or
rules of procedure, he would be obliged
to the members for any suggestions or
counsel relative thereto.
On motion of Gen Jastremski it was
left entirely to the judgment of the
President.
The Chair then asked for a report from
Mr.. Fl. j. Hyams, who had been desig-
mated the historian of the session. Mr.
Hyams excused himself by saying that
he was unequal to the task, and that
some one should be selected from New
Orleans, which was the central point of
State affairs, historical AMI otherwise,
and suggested the appointment of Judge
Alexander Walker in his stead as his
tOrian.
The President then introduced Mrs.
NJ. Il. Field, of the New Orleans Times,
who read the following:
| rc,.y ON pDoGprSc ~ rnr-pN.yycx,
Our honored President. himself a
veteran and thorough journalist. has
seen lit to call upon the youngest and
most inexperienced member of the Asso-
citation to discuss the livest question IN
the literature OF the day" Progress in
journalism"
| Ny own experience in the profession
warns me at the threshold of the magni-
tudc of the task assigned me. Standing
as [ do upon the Verge of the realm of
journalism. my inspirations are not
unlike those of IL child beholding for the
first time Il half-cXplained. half-under-
stood pageant. In this moment of intel
leciual doubt, not 10 say forgcttulness,
| scarcely know in what direction to east
my eyes. In all emergencies of thought
we inStinotively retrospect: we seek the
instruction Of precedent; We look TO see
; what has been, hoping to prospect there
from what is To Toe. This RETROSPECT,
while il can claim no recital from me on
this occasion. nevertheless glides with
an unseen force into All my thoughts.
From the reccding past journalistic
giants, like ''Christopher NORTH Addi-
, son and Steele come into view as the
highest types of English classic writers,
along with the more modern men, some
of them scarcely less renowned. such as
| I I'll
Curtis, Gallagher, Shreve and Prentice.
. But it is not in the line of my argu-
ment to discuss these men. however
much they may have contributed to fix
the quality and method of modern
journalism.
In all this cannot adhere to the text
: given me, and if l assume the pros
pective, / find myself quite as much at
fault, and so for want of better counsel
must content myself without the philoso-
phical deductions that might be drawn
: from the history of our profession.
Renan, somewhere in his works, saws
ait is onlyth sceptic who writes history
ad narrandum;" that 1.-THE authority of
chronicles must give place to medals,
maps or authentic letters" II there is
truth in these propositions the writer s
conclusion is irresistible that the most
important doctrines Of history are those
which possess in the least degree the
historic form.
1t has often occurred to me that. apart
from medals, maps and authentic
letters there is very little authentic
history prior to the rise of the printing
press and the newspaper. If these have
too frequently given place to mere sus-
piciOns, and what Renan calls Il carping
and defiant criticism, there has always
been found in the multiplicity of
Journals an ample field of contradiction
to prevent any extended mis-statement
Of facts, or incubation of erroneous
ideas in respect to morals.
Notwithstanding the learning and ex-
perience Of our honOred President, fear
he did not duly consider the impossbility
in brief address Of portraying the pro-
gress which has been made in journalism
To do 50 would carry me back full four
hundred years to find the first substan-
tai initial of this grand movement.
Looking across these long centuries
there appears, what would now be lost
to recollection except for journalism, the
muSty and repulsive recesseS of West
minister, as described by DIR. Caller,
where stood a crazy building Of wood and
plaster, three stories high. Its pointed
roof and wooden balcony were seldom
free from poor fluttering rags OF cloth
ing. hung out to dry by the wretched
tenants. The very sunlight grew sicklv
when it fell into the poverty stricken
street. where slipshod women, unshaven,
lounging men and pale stunted children
skunk hopelessly about Foulness.
| gloom and wretchedness We're the promi
nent features Of the place, around the
frail timbers Of the house in which the
first English printer is said to have lived
and wrought" There, amid such dismal
I'm ~ rlctv-T \
Caxton, the Father Of the English
press, who combined in himself ali the
! qualities and duties of author, ink-maker.
compositor, pressman. ccrrector, binder.
publisher and bookseller. -.
1t would be interesting on this occa-
caaJ6s %oStsfSH ;Iite ~srites sp ThDsa
word7r have already f!ioted, THUS de,
\ senbeSfhe SCENES that i5eet us<is We,
l"TVbuge frames 81 wood support The