The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-04-14

A newspaper .reporl'r is expected TO
know everything, and.aithfully chronicle
every event impc rtnt and unimPortant,
that may transpte during the day or
night. A critic, public expects him to
be at a polipeal gathering, ball, a
church suppsr, n concert, a prize fight,
| aud n row, at one and the same time, and
should ,Ee morning paper fail to give
detalld account Of either of the above
affaJs, Notwithstanding they may have
Occurred at the very same moment and in
dnerent parts OF the city, there are those
who will get upon their ears, and abuse
the reporter world without end. But then
he Is used to 1t. On a salary Of some
$1,000 or 5000 annually he can afford to
stand it, and generally does. and with the
calm persistency of heart given over to
don't-care-a-bIt for all the abuse of
whole world, he pursues the even tenor
OF his ways with an Indifference that is
exasperating In the extreme. 1t is worse
than useless TO abuse reporter, and il is
fore doing this latter, the prudent man
nnds 1t greatly to his advantage to settle
his worldly affairs. ana leave minute
directions for his funeral. A re-
porter leads a singular and eventful
life. He - on easy terms with
the high and mighty officials OF the land
aud is on speaking terms with the prize
fighter, the rough and the striker He
moves with serenity of demeanor that
is truly refreshing, among the bontons of
society, and the next moment Is talking
familiarity with desperate character in
prison cell. He attends the church. the
theater and the dance hall. andis familiar
with all of the great vices OF the age. He
hears every bit of gossip and scandal that
is set afiOat by the thousand tongues of
Madame Rumor. Interested persons are
ever pouring into his ears evil reports,
hoping the paper will say something
about them. He is expected to mention
and advocate every scheme and project
set on foot by any one, and IL he fails he
Is denounced. II he publishes the court
proceedings he Is abused, and If
he don't he Is abused. II he notices
the arrival or departure of certain per-
son some one strsightway rises up and
wants to know who in the mischief Is in
terested or cares when he or she arrived
or left. If he don't notice the arrival and
departure, 1t is solemnly affirmed that
the reporter Is not doing his
duty, and that the paper he rep
resents, is n fraud. II he writes up
prize fight, walking match, theater
or circus, the church people complain,
and If he reports and publishes a relig-
ious meeting, the irreligious population
get up and howl. If he discovers crook
edness anywhere. in n court or public
office, and ventilates IL, he is denounced,
and coffee and pistols are gravely limited
ut, to say nothing of cow-hides, because it
il asserted he has over-stepped the bounds
within which a newspaperreporter is per-
mitted to rove. or course these threats
have no influence on the experienced re-
porter, and all who go into towering
rage and fill their hearts with envy,
hatred, malice and uncharitableness
against him, are doing q very foolish
thing, and wasting half of their valua-
BILE lives. 1t does not disturb the equi-
librlum OF the reporter, and he venti-
lates as vigorously as ever, and the pa
per he represents and the world moves on
just the same. Now, reporter never likes
to get anything incorrectly, nor does he
publish articles for the purpose of hurting
the feelings of any one. His business is to
gather and publish the news regardless
of personal likes or dislikes. He fire.
quently "writes up" his enemies-ifa re-
porter on earth ever had one in the strict
sense of the woodland frequently
"writes down" his personal friends. In his
business, like the judge on the bench, he
knows no man or men excepting of course,
the head editors who have more trouble
with the reporters than all the balance of
mankind put together. Hundreds of
them laid awake last night wondering
what that "fool Of a reporter" would say
about certain thing, and they got
up this morning and carefully scanned
the paper before going down town to see
If pistols and such things would be need
ed. 1t Is a waste OF time to ask a re-
porter for an explanation Of anything that
appears in the paper. He has none to
make. Even the experienced head edi-
tor never does that, for he knows that the
reliable and experienced reporter knows
what he is about, and will keep up with
the procession, so to speak, even If he has
to spend the last dollar his friends have.