Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-07-08
PICTORIAL DAILIES.


The advance of civilization coupled
its benefits with various adverse intlic-
tons The very forces which are in
yoked for good, it would seem, have
within them a certain dire possibility of
retribution, which we frequently find il
difficult to escape. We are glad 10 have
the telegraph and telephone carry our
messages; but. as an offset to this favor,
we find our city vistas skyward spider
webbed with the ubiquitous wires If
1--WE 20 down to the sea i'm ships" our
goods and ourselves must take the risk
Of going down in it to our danger
or destruction. 1t is better to be served
in the modern manner no doubt, and
accept the inevitable drawbacks, than to
live in the old-fashioned yegetative
way, with little thought and slow ac-
ton
A few of these evils public opinion,
or law, may be made to repress, but for
some there seems to be no remedy be-
yond a peaceable resignation. Yet it is
hard to be resigned to everything We
might agree to accept death on ship
board or overheard, and by rail, for the
engines and instruments of our dis
aslcr can not be spared from their use
full fu1ctions But is it really necessary
for the sake of art that we be compelled
to have our morning paper patched and
ink daubed with the figures that do SER
vice as supposable portraits, and the
sketches that pretend to repeat for us
groups and scenery, or that are put
forth as if they fifty Illustrated some
thing? The consideration is really be-
coming serious, for rs soon as one jour
nal in any town begins the illustrative
practice nearly every other takes it up.
1t was at first confined to the more SEN
sational and tlashy-not to say frothy-
sheets, but few now have been able to
resist the contagion of it.
There are a few, to be sure, VINO do
resist; but there are many. too, who
have taken the practice up with abhor-
ence, because they think they must. ltis
one Of the cardinal principles of modern
daily journalism that a daily paper
must not falter in furnishing everything
that its rival across the street does. 1t
must not suffer a "beat' or scoop,
to use the forcible slang which is in
vogue. If man of much or little pro-
minence is commented on, or has
been elected to office, or has done any
thing to be noticed, or has died, the
tlashy paper at once proceeds o give
his portrait So the serious journal,
which would naturally have better taste
than to give daub for portrait fol-
lows suit. If there is n great fire we
have a picture of the injured structures.
and the ladders and flames and fromen
in mid-air.
OF course there is no possibility with
poor ink and cheap paperand primitive
cuts and rapid printing, OF doing an art
service that is respectable or tolerable in
our morning dailles. And so the por-
traits are only known by the name put
under them, and sometimes serve more
than one original. Nor can the repre-
sentation of other objects give delight
or contribute greatly to ones under
standing of the articles to which they
are attached The western papers are
as full of this illustration as the eastern
ones, and perhaps do not have so critical
q constituency to offend; but there are
wise people there who would be glad to
have the offence abated.
i IS painful to see the faces of men
we know and to be introduced to the
faces of those we don't know, all pitted
with bl0tches or roughcncd with de-
formities. 1t is getting to be a realizabe
terror too, for we do not know but
that it may be our turn next TO stand in
this public pillory The sensible man
who has a respectful view of art must
now be as inconsplcuous as possible.
He must say and do nothing that calls
for journalistic remark. lie must re-
fuse Office but. alas. that viii not serve
him. tor the daily artist will surely wish
to show the face of him who has com
sidcrud nothing of office. And, even if
he is as careful as hc can be, he must
some day pass from this ~ublunmy
sphere. The daily artist win not forget
the event, though he will not he present
to witness the result But it adds new
tenor TO the prospect, mligatcd only by
the fact that it is now just as terrible to
live We believe it was Henry Waiter
son who said, ON his recent recovery
from an alarming illness, that he did
not so much fear the obituary notices
that would follow as he did the portraits
which the daily papers would attach to
them.
Ii was at any rate Goethe who said
that we ought to read a poem speak
few sensible words, and look ut some
picture every day. But he certainly
never would have added the last remark
if he had supposed the morning journals
of any age were to enforce our oDedi-