Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-08-27
WISCONSIN EDITORS.
The Twenty-seventh Annual Session of
the Association.
A Large and Enthusiastic Gathering-The
Proceedings in Detail.


Music by President Coe at s 80 o'clock
on the evening of Tuesday the
18th inst. About 100 were present,
many of the members being accom-
panied by their wives and daughters.
President Coe, after few introductory
remarks, introduced John Symes, of
Milwaukee, who delivered the annual
address as follows:
Journalism to literature is as the odor to the
rose. 1t is the early, fragrant flower of thought
that blooms from busy brains, filling all our
lives with the refreshing, grateful perfume of
intelligence. 1t breathes the breath OF immortal
life into everything that pertains to the past
and present, clothing the world of letters IN the
purple and fine linen of royalty itself. When
first entered into the mysteries of the cart Pre-
sentative of all Arts, in 1858, this association
was just one year old. The press at that time
IN Wisconsin was weak and tmid babe.
wrapped in the robes of inexperience, and half
starved from lack of proper nourishment in
the shape of patronage. 1t now stands the
very embodiment of the best thought of the
age. Unlike Minerva rising full-armed from
the brain of Jove, this perfect, rounded
form of journalism did not spring up
in a day, but has grown from year to
year, through the hard work. conscientious la
bors aud nurtudng inspirations of the mem
bers Of this association, until to-day the males
ty of perfect manhood is written upon its fair
young brow. Away back in the dark ages of
the worlds history, wars were almost constant
ly waged between Paganism and Christianity
the hosts of enlightenment on one side and the
hordes of barbarism on the other. That his
tory tells us that at the close of every war
the frontier of civilization marked an advance
on the worlds great map. So. during these lat
er years, in the battle between the press on the
one side and ignorance and vice on the other,
the victory has always been with the press of
the country. And this battle has not been won
throughssthe blood and carnage wrought with
the destructive spear and battle-axe
of the ancients, but rather by that
bloodess, all-powerful weapon-the pen.
The triumph of the press in its war with modern
bsrbarism has been most signal and complete,
resulting in still greater ana finer civilization
that of the human heart. Whenever a true
and gallant editor has unsheathed his rusty
Faber in the cause of truth and right, such
weapon has proved far more potent, and terri.
bic IN the conflict than did the famed shield of
Achilles or the spear of Hector at the siege
of Troy. / sometimes think that humanity
does not fully appreciate the mighty benefits
conferred. The world is too prone to worship
physical bravery and proves instead of mental
activity and power. In the Olden times. the
warrior returning from victorious battle brought
with him the spear. the sword or the musket,
and hung it proudly upon the walls of his home,
there to remain while he lived, mute idol of
worship, and after his death. to be carefully
kept and honored by the hero's descendants as
something sacred On the contrary, the first
tablets of wood and ivory used by the ancents
in tracing hieroglyphics-the pieces of bark on
whose surfaces were impressed with iron STYLUS
the first rude characteristic bits of parchment
upon which was written with split reed pens
the history of the dawn of the Christian era, or
the nk-horns that always swung from the Cir
dies of the old scIibes, were not preserved and
handed down, but somehow mouldered to dust
until their memory was but the dim dream OF the
historian. But the world has advanced to a
higher intellectual plane, and now in the nine
teenth century the people have transferred
their allegiance and admiration from the
heroes of war TO the heroes of peace whose
labors with the pen have made possible the
grand liberty and civilization which
humanity enjoys to-day. Every home
is enriched with the newspapers, magazines
and books of the time, and fabulous prices are
paid by the wealthy and refined for copies of
old and rare publications, showing that with
enlightenment and education has come a ts ste
for intellectual pleasures, which bid fair to
sweep into oblivion the past trophies of bar
barism. And this leads up to the thought that
if / were called on to design statue that
should practically represent Liberty Enlight-
ening the World" would merely photograph
the newsboy, standing on the street corner.
holding aloft In outstretched hand and crying
his daily papers. This would be truthful,
living representation of the liberty of the press
enEghtening the world, which would mean
much more to this nation than any impossible
anegorical design, sent over from a sister re-
public.
Many changes for the better have been
wrought IN the newspaper business Of late
years. Eccentriclty of manners and angularity
of mind are no longer made the basis of genius
or pass for intellectually in the editor. The
mighty newspaper column builder of the past
has persisted amid the ruins of the temple he
erected, and his place Is being filed by the
young writer's of the press, with the crisp,
bright columns of short sketches and items.
The old sanctum-that picture of desolation-
bare floors and walls-hss been transformed.
and to-day the average editor does Els work in
a coy parlor. He has modernized things until
his surroundings are more in harmony with the
orderly, intelligent spirit of the age Old
prejudice is fast melting away. Old custom no
longer attempts to drive the nails of scorn
through the honest palms of the young sayiors
of the press, and already we catch gleam of
the approaching journalistic millennium.
Verify the time has come when the
young editor may say: 81 would rather
have the appearance of primer
and be able to talk and write like an encyclo-
pedia than TO look like an encyclopedias and
talk and write like primer" Editing news
paper tends to indivldualize a man. The editor
must not only think for himself, but for the
own battles, but also those of his city and To-
cahty, which greatly enlarges his responsibility
and labors over the ordinary business man.
While the doctor may take week to properly
diagnose disease, and experiment with med-
cine for month in a complicated case; the
lawyer take time to look up the law on any
given cause, before he gives advice or an opfn-
ion, the editor must be ready at any moment to
consider and discuss the issues that may arise
must be ready to do battle day after day on
one side or the other of the great questions
that spring up in the country to divide parties
and perplex statesmen. With the pen as a
lever and the newspaper for a fulcrum, journal
ism is accomplishing to-day that which baff1ed
Archlmedes of old-it is moving the world.
have supreme respect for the industry
and enterprise that marks the successful mod
ern newsgatherer. He will stop at nothing
There is no mountain so high that he will not
climb, no stream so wide he will not cross, no
jungle SO dense he will not enter. He is always
ready to put on The divers suit and explore the
coral reefs under the ocean, or step into the
balloon and voyage toward the stars. Nothing
SO hazardous he viii not undertake. For the
sake OF giving his reading constituency the
truth, he has many times fegned insanity sue
cessfutly and become the inmate of an asylum
"