St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-29

and is deYotlng great deal of his time and
money to the advancing of public interests,
is no reason why he should be beat out of
his Legitimate profits. If he chooses TO di-
vide with his fellow craftsmen and accom-
plishes this through division of work or
its cost, that is his own business and is GER
tainly rather commendable than otherwise.
The fact is that men will run from one
printing Office to another to get a lower
price on work that will not amount to half
the price of a pair of shoes, who would con-
slider themselves disgraced by bartering i'm
this manner between two stores, and yet
these same men will expect the newspapers
to eXtoll their virtues and their deeds on
every possible occasion. The newspapers
are to blame for good deal of this by not
standing rigidly to their prices. The mer-
chant is not always falling on his goods for
fear his competitor may make a sale.
The paper concluded with an indorse,
ment of the Cornell school of journalisms
and calling for more education of all kind
among editors.
THE POWER OF THE PRESS.
II. E. Hoard of the Montevideo Leader
read an address on the Power of the Press,
of which the following is an abstract:
The world. with all its teeming millions,
was never so active as it is to-day, yet the
newspaper records its history as fast as
made. The newspaper has many times
proved TO be a cold and cruel recorder of
truth, and many grim skeleton has it I'M
earthed and brought into public view.
Its mission is to break down the prejudices
and ignorance and establish the democracy
of thought. l am proud of my profession
because of the power there is in it-of the
influence it is capable of eXerting. of the
good it can do. l am proud of it as power
for good; but / hang my head in shame
when l think of its corruption. 1 tremble
for it when | think of the snareS il has set.
of the evil tendencies it has promoted, of
the false doctrines it has taught, of
the disasters it has accomplished, of
the crimes it has wrought, of the
hearts and homes it has deSOlated, and Of
the blighting and accused influences that
follow in the wake of a proStituted press.
Consider, if you can, its power and po-
tency, and then measure, If you can,
the length and breadth of the evils that
follows from its prostitution.
And we, as custodians of so great an in
tiuence, how shall we use our trust? There
are living issues, fraught with deepest con-
Germ, for us to advocate or oppose. There
are truths to be uttured, principles to be
established, and evils to be antagonized:
and we must not escape from the RESPONSE
bllties that are incumbent on cur profession.
The world is entitled TO honest treatment at
our hands, and to the best work there is in
US. 1t is partner with us i'm the owner
ship of our journals, and justly requires a
faithful accounting.
Are we concerned enough about the work
we accomplish, and do we sufficiently exalt
our profession by our acts? l do not need
TO declare in this presence that ours is
THE PEER OF ANY OTHER PROFESSION.
How, then, can we consent to be de-
throned and cast into the rubbish III order
that any other shall receive position above
us? How can we consent TO be COM
promised for love of party or fear of power
or desire for gain? 1t is for us to lift the
standard of our profession if we would see it
exalted. believe in liberty of the press, but
not In its license TO do wrong. | trust that
we may ever keep faith with the nobility of
our profession. By so doing we shall realize
the possibilities of our calling, and though
we gain neither Office or emolument we
shall gain the higher satisfaction of a life
proftably spent and the welcome approval
Of conscience that says "Well done"
REWARD TO THE WORKER.
Mr.. G.. w. Morse of the Waseca Herald
read the next paper, on The Rights of News
paper Publishers.
If journalism were a profession, as that
OF the lawyer, the minister and doctor, with
It's meteS and bounds there would be no
need OF discussion as to its rights. There
Is considerable question as to whether it
really is profession or not, and at present
there is very vague idea in the minds of
most as TO what constitutes the rights of
journalism; and / respectfully suggest that
in this age, when progress and improvement
Is stamped on everything else. it is time for
Journalism to take another step and declare
itself profession among professions.
The absence of a cleaTly-delined code of
rights and privileges results in keeping out
OF journalism very many who would be an
honor and an ornament TO its ranks. Very
probably had such code existed when many
OF us embarked, we should now be at our
Old vacations of teaching, farming or sell
ing sugar or calico. But journalism would
not have suffered. Existing regulations al
lQW7 anY Rerson, from any station of life and
without preliminary preparation, to become
ajoumalist. There are no conditions for
him to meet, no attachments to reach, no
standard TO be measured by. no ex-
aminations to pass, none to whom he
IS required to say, by your leave. 8"
All he has TO DO is to say: ''I'll be a journal
list" Then he finds place containing a
''long-felt want" procures press, some
type, orders few quireS OF ''hand-me-
down newspaper clothing" obtains an ''as-
slstant editor "a pair of shears), a dish of
paste, lead pencil and becomes a full
fledged journalist.
Now, l submit that so long as the present
regime prevails, so long will il be i'm
proper and impossible to call journalism A
profession, and until it can be classed as
profession we cannot hope to see ii reach
the heights of usefulness and honor that
are waiting for it. So long as the present
helter-skeiter system prevails shall we see
editors and publishers jostling each other
and all falling To receive from the world
the recognition their work should merit: so
long will it be impossible to say what is a
publishers right and what the public's.
THE PUBLISHERS RIGHTS.
The speaker here quoted from the writ
ings of the worlds philosophers on the
power and influence of the press. and con-
tinued: Can more be said of any of the
so-called professions? And is not this all
truth? And yet there is more misunder-
standing as regards the rights between
newspaper publishers and the world than
on any other topic.
What do we see? More demands made
by more persons, and of greater variety,
upon newspaper publishers than upon any
other class. An humanity regards the
newspaper as n train of ears; it is going
their'way, and they all jump aboard to get
a ride fare or no fare.
Speaking more specifically, the speaker
said: First, we should have a clear concep-
ton of what we may or may not do. Sec
Ondly may be considered what is due us
from the public. Thus we should recog-
nize and regulate first of all fraternal rights.
and it is much To be regretted that in this
particular there is quite a large field for