The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-06-13
INTERVIEWS.

In these latter days interviews have be-
come a distinguishing feature, if not a
gorgeous Establishment, of journalism. A
class of small men, whose views are not
worth a fsrthins carload. are sought and
pounced upon by the ubiquitous representa-
tive of the press, and piled with questions
relating to matters terrestrial and celestial,
base ball. Presidential booms, Pope's bulls.
crops. coronations or anything else the afore-
said representative of the press may suggest
for the amusement of the public.
The little fellows ambitious for notoriety,
tumble to the interviewer readily; lean up
to him like kittens to warm bricks tell all
they know and more too in five minutes,
and, strange to say, after the interviewer mas
Withdrawn his stomach pump, the small
man expands to ridiculous proportions, and
in anticipation of seeing himself in print be-
comes as bcastful as tle tabled fly on the
chariot wheel, and soliloquizes: What a
dust I'll kick up when the Banner of Bun
combe makes its appearance. The pro-
fessionaI interviewer knows his man every
time; knows the garrulous fellow who is
ready 10 slobber at q moments warning;
adjust the spigot for wind or water,
or both and when enough has been obtained
10 produce the required amount of ridicule,
the flow is cut of. Il 50 happens occasion
ally that the professional interviewer wants
the opinions of of character and
standing whose every word weighs pound.
But such men are cautious There are Cwo
methods usually resorted to .by the profess
sionsl interviewer to place such men before
the public. One is to publ Jh interviews
which never took place at all-make men an
sver questions which were never PROFOUND
co, and utter opinions which were never en-
tertained or expressed, in private or in pub
lie. Such interviewers are aware that
sensations are always in demand. and that a
felicitously told lie answers the purpose of a
sensation quite as well as unadorned truth,
usually having a wider circulation. A lie
once started they know is hard to catch and
crush. Lies have more lives than a cat and
when their heads are crushed will, like SER
penis, exhibit vitality in their tails The
other method sometimes adopted by the
professional interviewer is to engage gentle
men in private conversation. at their private
Offices, at their homes or elsewhere. The per
son to be sacrificed is thrown completely off
his guard, because there is not remote
hint that under the sacred guarantees of pri
vscy, publicity is to be given to desultory
conversation. Gentlemen have faith in
friendship and fully recognize the obligations
which privacy imposes and there is not
man in the country whose utterances to
friends in private. If made public could not
be distorted. while bearing the semblancs of
truth. as TO answer every purpose of false
hood. They can neither BE- admitted nor de-
MED. Every mis-tatement contains a grain
OF truth. A conversation did take place.
Certain topics were brought forward. and
general principles were discussed. TIC mse'-
ing was casual Conversation took wide
range withon- method or any intima'i,i
Inst guarded exac-n@-s vas required. spspie-
ions Of trap xas not and could not be Gu.