The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-07-18
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENTS,
Thc Kind of Men Who Furnish News From
the National Capital.


In many cases the correspondent is the
hanger-on-the more or less useful depend
ent of some member of Congress- the
number who hold sinecure positions in the
different departments is absolutely surpris-
ing even to tho initiated Newspaper men
have always had n faculty for securing local
Officer because of their supposed influence in
the community, so that the average states
man brings the same idea with him when he
comes to Congress. Therefore, when exper.
lence and observation have sharpened his
vision. he seeks out and commands some
place Of easy work and good pay and con.
fers It upon some young man connected
with the press who, he believes, viii be useful
to him. Many of them become more direct
| " dependent by securing committee clerk
ships, where they act as private secretaries
to Senators or Representatives. Many Of
these positions are worse than sinecures, as
the committees they represent oftentimes do
not hold more than one or two merely formal
meetings during an entire session.
The Congressional appeal to the corres-
pondents stomach is rarer than it once was,
but it is not yet entirely lost art, while the
remaining members of the lobby and the
representatives of local interests still retain
great confidence in the restaurant and the
hotel bar The methods in which Washing
ION is SO well schooled are all brought to
bear on the correspondents brigade, and
many note of social event, many per-
sonal allusion and many hit at man per-
sonally objectionable may be traced directly
to some favor or slight visited upon tour
special correspondent"
The public does not care to know oil this
inside history of late years, owing to the
rapid development of independence in the
nome management of newspapers, and the
,ases are few indeed where the paper is real
ly led in its opinion by the expressions of its
correspondents. The Washington matter of
newspapers, bad and silly as much of it is,
is more closely pruned than the news from
any other quarter, and the public are often
under greater obligations than they know to
the men who sit as censors in the homo
office.
Dismal ms this outlook would seem to be,
the conclusion must not be reached that all
the correspondents are of the order de-
scribed. Among them are few of the note
worthy men of journalism. They are men
who have gone through all tho severe and
exacting discipline OF their work, who know
news and how to collect it and at the same
time have opinions which are valuable to
their journals and the reading public They
are thoroughly instructed on all public ques-
lions and able TO follow the most intricate
discussion.
This class of men, of whom there are not
moie than half dozen, are well trained
well paid, Independent. They do not de.
pend upon the smiles or favors of public
mon for their news. They have the entrance
to the really best society ard are not de.
pendent upon tho shabby genteel, who here,
az elsewhere, assume to BIO the salt of tho
earth. they pursue their work, not as q
trade, but MS profession. and as such have
prioo in doing wvY whatever they under
take They refuse to udorse candidates for
place or otherwise enter the business of Office
brokerage. Philadelphia Times.