The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-10-04
NEWSPAPER REPORTERS.


NEWSPAPER REPORTERS
THE 1fen Who Write the News for the New
York Papers-An Old Time Iecident.
Newspaper reporters and newspaper re-
porting here are not what they were thirty
or forty years ago. The craft have deterior
ated, and it is to be feared the moral tone is
lower; neither is there that esprit ds corps
that used to characterize the profession
when such bright particular stars as Henry
J. Raymond, Horace Greeley, Bayard Tay.
Tor, Cyril Grey, Roland s. Houghton,
Charles A. Dana, DR.. Houston, and many
others that have since made their mark in
the higher range of metropolitan journalism,
were serving their apprenticeship at ii.
am led to this observation by the fact that at
public assemblies, nowadays, the average
reporter is looked upon simply as an imper-
tinent interviewer, or something of.the kind,
to be showed in some out-of-the-way corner,
as if he was a person to be avoided It was
not long since that an upstart commercial
organization at its annual banquet issued
cards of invitation to the press, upon con-
dition that the recipient thereof should not
enter the banqueting hall until o'clock--in
other words, not until the eating and drink.
ing had been disposed Of The affront was
quietly submitted to by some journals whose
representatives were thus snubbed by per-
sous who are every way their interiors in
education and breeding; but there were
Others that had the manlness to resent it
with proper spirit. 1t may be, however,
that the fault, after all, lies with the report
ers Themselves. Many of them are the mer-
est Adventures, fresh from London, Dublin,
Edinburgh, Paris, Berlin and other Europe
an cities, and make social recognition, if not
self-respect, too often secondary to other
things. The better class, after little train
ing ON our city journals, Ego West" but
the other sort remain here, like Jack .Fal-
staf's recruits, the "cankers of long peace
and q calm world" Still, it must not be in
ferred from this that among the craft are
not many gentlemen and scholars who would
adorn any profession one need not go be-
yond the dingy upper stories of almost any
of the daily journals to discover them.
Apropos of the cold shoulder given to the
fraternity by the commercial organization
alluded to, an incident that TRANSFERRED at the
Astor House some forty years ago, and which
is in some sense historical may be recalled:
The trouble at that time between the United
States and England on the northeastern
boundary question had Just been amicably
adjusted by Mr.. Webster and Lord Ashbur-
ton; the latter was in New York on the eve
of embarkation for home in the British
frigate Warspite, then at anchor in the har-
Dor. The wealthy merchants of New York
the nabobs of those days-gave his Lord.
ship farewell banquet at the Aston House,
and present on the occasion, besides the
Ambassador himself were Lord John Hay
and many others of the British nobility
When the representatives of the press pre-
sented their cards of invitation, to their as.
constituent and disgust, they were remanded
to an out-of-the-way corner of the hall, as il
the city nabobs were ashamed to have the
noble lords discover them with company OF
that sort at the table. The affront was quick.
sSs sssp e5 Tbs F FssBBafsss s ss o
uniting in statement to the public explain
ing why mono of the speeches at the banquet
were reported. Tho consequence was, next
morning, but one of the daily papers had
report and that was the old Morning En-
press whose editor, Jim Brooks happen.
ing to be one of the invited guests, remained
at the board, and voluntarily performed the
work which his reporters scorned to do. At
that time political feeling ran high. John
Tyler as the successor of Gen. Harrison, was
beginning to feel his way back into the DEM
ocratic camp, and his Wing supporters, by
consequence, were in terrible ferment.
Hence, when "the health of the President
Of the United States was read off, from the
vt of regular toasts, the wealthy merchants
III of them Whigs) refused to accord to it
the usual honors, while :" the health of the
Queen of England" which Immediately fol-
lowed, was uproariously cheered. Lord
Ashburton and his associates were amazed
that so pointed an affront, on such an occa-
sion, should have been put upon the Chief
Magistrate of the Republic; it mnde them
feel embarrassed and uncomfortable, and
they did not hesitate to say as much, then
and there. When the facts became known
to the public--in connection with the pre-
vious slight put upon the reporters ex-
element throughout the metropolis ran
high An Indignation meeting was straight
way held in the park, the wealthy merchants
were denounced as toades and traitors, and
after the adjournment procession was
formed, marching down Broadway, in front
of the Aston House, with banners, inscribed
and illustrated in such manner as to afford
further expression to the popular feeling.
The theatres took up the theme, where the
newspapers dropped it, and for months
afterwards there was no lack of stage denun-
citation of the cravens who, in order to in
dulge party feeling, and to crafty mistak-
en- sense of social superiority, so far forgot
themselves as to insult the people, and, at
the same time, to cast an affront at the Chief
Magistrate of the Union. 1t was signal
viumph of the reporters
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