The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-05-18
KANSAS JOURNALISM.

llshers, Assoc iati0n nc W1nneld.
1t IL hardly necessary to inform Q company
50 well posted on the classics as this-a com
story have - so scs Win old socrates, sna
ripped with old Euripides-that the Roman
augurs were accustomed. when pursuing theil
butcherehop Investigations, and pretending
faces, unseen by the PROSTATE, adoring and
credulous multitude.
While we are not supposed to be quite equal
to the duplicity Of these ancient Roman sooth'
sayers, we may as well understand that this
being confidential assembly, and there be
ing no strangers In the gallery, We are at lib
erty to indulge in some mutual revelations
which we are not accustomed 70 display IN
newspapers. The last of the sheep and goats
have been offered up; the fire has gone out;
the multitude has left the temple, and the
dulginx in little quiet PROFESSIONALLY about
the real merits, the actual refrigerated facts
Of the sacrifice business.
These annual meetings Of ours have been
usually devoted, as far as the orations went,
to the glorincation of our order. Several OF
the orators have told me beforehand that they
knew better, but on reaching the rostrum
they invariably weakened and went in as afore-
the old palladium" and the "lever that
moves the world." Perhaps had been given
more time for deliberation might have done
the same thing; but being obliged on about
have been led by sheer desperation to tell the
truth.
In tke old times the man who ran q newspa-
per--who wrote the editorials, was called a
printer, and the popular and generally
correct idea was that he was q master Of
q trade-an art-and not of q profession. All
the talk about journalism as profession Is
modern and new. It was unknown fifty years
ago. A profession implies preparation. Doc
tors, lawyers and preachers, counted as pro-
fessional men, are supposed to have some
where, somehow, and at some time, qualified
themselves for their duties; and here comes
some of ourselves are simple enough to in
dulge-that we are actually professors-prO-
fessors of journalism. If so, when did we
study2 At what school did we qualify our
selves? When, where and when did we gain
the ability to instruct our fellow-citizens?
When were we ordained to the ministry of
public enlightenment? Who called us to
preach in long primer. brewer and nonpareil?
better nor worse than the average of the mass
of fairly intelligent people. We may have
our opinions like others; but there is nothing
In our natural faculties, or acquired learning,
or experience, to authorize us to pose IS ora
cles, and consequently when a gentleman
says, 81 am by profession journalist" it inn
plies no more than If he said he was profess
sor of toe,carpentry, usually called chiropo-
the advertisements of st. Jacobs OIL.
IabOring under a misrepresentation as to
who we are, we are also guilty of an enor-
nous miscaic1lafion as to how how much !, &c we
in every printing office-is that of
an Old-fashioned hand press, with flashes of
lightning emanating from its old bed, illumi-
piece of wood known as the adevfls tall
This is supposed to represent, fgurafively,
the influence of the newspaper lighting up
the world, strengthening truth by its direct
ing illumination, and blasting error by its
binding exposure; and, brethren, is it not
enough to make us go round behind the Office
and laugh when we think of ourselves as the
of the world2 We had better
send that old cut to the foundry II we really
suppose it means anything.
We are fond of saying that we lead, mould
and direct public opinion. Are We sure of
that? Have we not got the horse behind the
vehicle, instead of inserting him between the
shafts? Is it not the vague influence known
as public opinion that moulds us? Before we
go into town and set up that wonderful
both forked and sheet, do we not take pains to
the existing public opinion, and how
It will maferialize in the shape of subscrip-
ton, advertising and job work? 1t is great,
the storm. 1t is proud thing to mould the
minds of men-tO shape them as the potter
fashions the clay; but 1t is also sweet to get
the Sheriff 8 sales and tax list. Tis sad, my
friends, to admit it; but think we stick up
with more fortitude for the county printing
at full legal rates than we do to the work of
an obdurate and hostile public
opinion.
An illustration OF this moulding business ia
supposed to be afforded by the early history of
Kansas. The press. 1t is said, made Kansas
free; and, by the way, more persons are cred
tied with making Kansas free than partici-
pated in the murder, and what many news
papers persist in calling the funeral obee-
quies" of Cock Robin. Undoubtedly the press
did its part: but does this mean that a print
ing office, in addition to being the birthplace
Of a newspaper and the temple of art from
ing, is also the chosen citadel of freedom7 Is
the press naturally and inevitably the friend
Of human liberty? If so, how did it happen
State free2 why did not the papers on the
different sides of that sweet stream, the placid
and pellucid Missouri. join in the great work
of establishing liberty? We know very well
the Kansas editor was using his shooting-stick
to lock up columns breathing the invincible
spirit of freedom, the Missouri editor was
girding on his shooting-irOn to come over the
of the first Abolitionist he met; which Is one
way of moulding public opinion"
1t is not 80 common now as formerly, but IL
was once the custom to head papers with
some motto. The weekly edition of the paper
In which your orator does his moulding"
bears at its head the saying of Henry Clay, II
had rather be right than President" Mr..
Clay. you will remember. was so right that he
the masthead: Fearless and free, "Inde-
pendent in all things, neutral in nothing"
The 0ld-fashi0ned paper announced with the
bw sne s09
by gain. We do not see as much of this as
formerly. The motto has gone into the hell
box, and in its place is substituted some casual
a passing notice about two dollars q year in
advance" This is q symptom of dawning rea-
son. 1t is descent in the direction of bed
rock. 1t is quiet resignation In part of I'M
assumptions Let the good work
go on. We already see ourselves as otherS see
us: let us own up.
Another fallacy INDUCED in by us-by some
Of US at least-is, the belief that the "profes-
sion of Journalism" If must use that hum
bug expression, gives us some social position
that we would not possess otherwise. have
known among the scum of newspaperdom
some very impudent presumption. / have
q men to be invited, through species
would not have allowed them. had It not been
for their newspaper connection, to sleep in
the kennel with the house-d0g; but the alter
% Such e
are rare, and never have been brought to the
of Colonel Ingersoll, or he would
long ago have revised his opinion as to the
An editor stands on the same plane,
or should, as any other man. The possession
Of steel pen, several fonts of type and
press, either hand or power, does not give
him any special rights or privileges. In no
country but this is he accorded any. If he is
manly, courteous, intelligent-h he contrib
utes his share to the public entertainment,
or fnstruction-he should be
credited with It; otherwise, not. Under this
head comes the whole question Of dead
headism." An editor who is recognized in
society because Of his personal qualities, or
who received kindnesses on that account or
who gives value received, no matter what the
obligation, is not q dead-dead. The editor
who asks favors which he does not expect to
in any manner, but merely be-
cause he Is an editor, real or alleged, Is dead
head. And II he accompanies his request with
q threat as to what he will do If he Is refused,
he is something worse than q dead-head; he
b black-mailing scoundrel.
With all our professions of truthfulness, be
loved brethren, for all that we are palladi-
um" and "bulwark" and torch of civiliza-
tion," we have q very well established repu-