The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-09-07
BOB INoERsoLDs OPINION.
As to what the interviewer of To-day Is
and What He VIII he.


In 6 pleasant conversation with Colonel
Robert G. Ingersoll at his cottage at Long
Branch recently, areporter asked the veteran
orator, free-thInker and lawyer, between
showers, what he thought of newspaper in
terviewing.
II believe" said the Colonel, 'sthat James
Redpath claims to have invented the inter
view This system opens all doors, does
away with political pretense, batters down
l4he Notifications of dignity and official i'm
porlance, pulls masks from solemn faces,
compels everybody TO show bis hand. The
interviewer seems to be omnipresent. He is
the next man after the accident. II man
should be blown up lie would likely fall on
an interviewer. lie In the universal inter-
rogation point. lie asks questions for liv.
ing. 1fthe interviewer is fair and honest he
Is useful; If the other way, be Is still inter-
ssting. On the whole, regard the inter-
viewer as an exceedingly important person.
But whether he 10 good or bad he has come
to stay. He will interview US until we die,
and then ask the friends few questions,
just to round the subject off,"
"what do you think the tendency of news
papers 10 at present."
"Tbe papers of the future, think, will be.
news papers. The editorial Is getting
shorter and shorter. The paragraphist is
taking the place of the heavy man. People
rather form their own opinions from the
facts. OF course, good articles will always
find readers, bu: the dreary. doleful, philo-
sophieal dissertation has had Its day. The
magazines will fall heir TO such articles; then
religious weeklies will take them up, ard
then they will cease altogether"
"Do you think the people lead the news
papers, or do the newspapers lead them9"
The papers lead and are led. Most papers
have for sale what people want to buy. Asa
rule the people who buy determine the char
acter Of the thing sold. The reading public
grows more discriminating every year, and,
as result, are less and less "led." Violent
pspers--those that most freely attack private
character--are becoming less hurtful because
they are losing their own regulations. Evil
tends to correct itself. People do not believe
all they read, and there is growing tendency
to wait and hear from the other side"
"Do newspapers to-day exercise as much
influence as they did twenty-five years ago."
"More, by the facts published, and less by
editorials. As we become civilized we are
governed less by persons and more by prin-
ciples--less by faith and more BY fact. The
best of all leaders is the man who teaches
people to lead themselves"
y"What would you define public opinion
to be?" .-... ....,s. .,., ,..,..-.
"First, in the widest sense, the opinion Of
the majority, including all kinds Of people.
Second, in narrower sense, The opinion Of
the majority of the intellectual"
"Third, in actual practice, the opinion of
those who make the most noise. Fourth,
public opinion Is generally a mistake, which
history records and posterity repeats"
(which do you regard as the results Of
your lectures"
ain the last fifteen years l have delivered
several hundred lectures. The world Is
growing more liberal every day. The man
who Is now considered "orthodox" . few
years ago would have been denounced as an
infidel. People are thinking more and be-
lieving less. The pulpit is ioaing influence.
In the light of modern discovery the creeds
are laughable. A theologian Is an lntellec-
tual mummy, and excites attention only rs
q curiosity. Supernatural religion has out
lived its usefulness. The miracles and WON
ders OF the ancients will soon occupy the
same tent. Jonah and Jack the Giant Killer,
Joshua and Red Riding Hood, Noah and
Neptune, will all go iuto the collection Of
the famous Mother Hubbard"