Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-04-26
TFfsn Oar Regular Correspondent
Washington Letter,

Washington Letter,
WASHINGTON. D. c.. April -, 80.
The academy OF sciences is again holding
its annual session in Washington. The
academy consists Of s number Of college |
professors and specialists in particular
branches of learning. Some of them are
distinguished in their way. but not more
learned or distinguished than hundreds OF
others who stay at home andsre iudepend-
en-, of grstuitous advertising. Tennyson
saws: The man OF science himself is
fonder of glory, and vain, an eye well
practiced Ia nature, spirit bounded and
poor. Few men are content to know and
be unknown" Tslmage and Ingersoll
mutually advertise each other. Barnum
gets an elephant for cheap advertisement
and the press of the United States tumbles
20 MS racket. Now am not disappearing
advertising. I know 1t to be a good
thing. But like TO see honest advertis-
ing paid for st 50 much a square. And !
dislike dead beat advertising, such as the
academy of sciences and Bsrnum get.
What is the use of these scientists coming
here with their heavy papers and esoteric
knowledges, making speeches to score
or two Of people, half of whom don't
know what they are talking about. They
say they come for an exchange Of views.
Exchange Of humbug! Give them leave
to print. Everything that is worth know
Ing IS in print, and can be reached in much
better formulated shape than when Prof.
Paleozoic speaks it through bis nose. The
truth is that 1.-THE art preservasive Of all
arts" has abolished the lecturers chair,
the hastings, the pulpit. These still lag.
but they are superhuous, cumbersome,
expensive antiquities, with no rGison
Fetrs. Why should man stand in an
uncomfortable hall and listen to political
speech when he can have the pleasure of
reaiing the same to his wife and her
mother at an expense of from one to five
cents But it may be said that if there
were no audience at the hustings there
would be no speech to print or to read to
ones wife and mother-in.lsw. Now this
| is precisely the millennium that your
correspondent is trying to bring about.
Instead Of the frantic speeches of agita.
tors we would have the well studied ,lcare-
| fully written articles OF thinkers. sifted
and written all the more carefully from a
knowledge that, unlike the evanescent
! folly that comes from the mere orator,
they must 90 down in black and white,
and stand for criticism and Judgment.
would not be understood to assert tina.
all that is printed is sound, but I DO assert
that, as 4 rule, printed matter is sounder
than spoken matter, and that the thinking
which is compulsory in writing restrain:
a riot of words and imagination. More
over, written matter that is not editorial
is usually subjected to wholesome censor
ship before it gets into print; for example
the editor after reading this article may
say d" This is no Washington letter; there
is nothing in it about Washington; for al
the Information it furnishes about national
affairs and legislation it might as vel
have been written in Alaska" But he
may reflect that the last has been a dull
week at the national capital; that congress:
has done nothirg but make speeches; that
the president has confined his energy to {
reception, visit to the naval academy
aud audiences to members and senator:
seeking offices tor their friends; that The
departments have not departed from The
| grooves of routine; and that it is impossi
7e to write a Washington news Letter
when there is no news,
| -pac correspondent is right, and hi
letter IS published more on that rehec
ton than TO indicate entire acceptance o
Ms creed