The Opelousas courier., 1888-11-17
Of Interest to Journalists.


and timely remarks:
OF the many reasons which
will occur to any rejecting mind why
our organization should be maintained
if possible, there are one or two to
whic.s4 with your permission, | will
advert briefly.
One of these reasons relates to the
law of libel in it's bearing upon news
papers. No journalist who has ever en-
tered the courts in defending suit for
libel has failed to perceive the utterly
antieuated character of the statutes
bearing upon it aud the total inarpii-
cableness of the governing decisions TO
the conditions under which a modern
newspaper has to be published. A we'll
conducted newspaper is the champion
of the people. 1t is its duty always to
be on the alert fol- the genera interest
and welfare 1t is not only its province,
but its duty to expose swindles, wrong
and false pretence, and to warn the
public against the many schemes that
are set in motion against the general
welfare. In this by no means pleasant
work, and when honestly aud decently
performed, the newspaper should be
assured of reasonable protection.
Under existing statutes and decisions
that protection is not secured, and at
the present time one of the favorite
ways of hampering and harfassing q
newspaper is to lug its proprietors into
court to respond to suit for damages,
based on publications. or statements
made in entire good faith, and under
conditions which preclude the suspicion
of malice, and yet from which, through
a fiction of law, malice is presumed
simply because OF their publication
Judge Cooley, following late English
decisions, has materially liberalized the
application of the law of libel to news
papers, but in the majority of the states
his enlightened and conclusive argn-
ments are of no value, because anti
qnatea statutes fix the penalty of crime
to what could easily, under mole hber-
al provisions of law, be proved to be
destitute of all elements of criminal In
tent. o,
There is another reason. and to my
tpina the chief reason of all, why this
Association shonld be maintained, and
,hat is by bringing together at compar
atiyely afequeW intervals numerous
members OF our profession from various
parts of the country it will tend to de.
velup that lionogeneity of sentiment
that habit of concerted action and tina
sense of reciprocal obligation which
are alone required to elevate journal
ism 10 the very highest rank in the pro
fessiOns
Under the conditions Of life in tht
modern civilized world, there is no vo
cation which offers to those engaged il
it one tenth of the power and influences
that journalism offers TO man offorce
ability and conviction The laWye
speaks to tile limited audience Of th,
court room, and to win the particula
case upon which be is engaged is, as
rule, the goal Oh bis efforts. Even tn
most popular minister addresses hi
thoughts to congregation that rarel.
reaches d thousand. And the voice Q
the orator and politician dies out il
faint echoes from q very narrow horizon
unless it is reyerherated by the news
uaprrs The audience addressed b.
the Journalist is immeasurably wider
and he has the advantage of reaching
day after day and week by week, wit
the multiplied force aud effect of Wha
Shakespeare called ssdamnable itera
iioln No sane man III our day denie
the influence of tho journalist, and non
but fools and politicians belittle it.
Now, under the normal conditions I
human life, influence and power, legit
maiely won, command recognition
honor I'D homage Why is it the
that the professions of the churcI
medicine and law are considered MOI
honorable than journalism 7 Why is
that the sseininent Journalist is rath,
locked down upon by tile "eminel
lawyer when in tho matter OF pow,
aud influence for good or i'll, upon tt
fortunes of individuals and of nation
tile one is placed like him who surVe.
tile world fron.nhe summit of you clon'
clinging moHntaiil peaks, while Il
other scans the close drawn horize
fiDGIn the modest elevation of q foo
hill
My brethren, am constrained to 50
In answer to these questions, that d
!, fault hes mainly with journalists tlieI
selves. 1t arises from9tlle lack Of tll
professional pride, that sentiment
/ fraternity, that conception of the inc
j yidual member dignifed By the ACHE
/ lnefts of all the living and dead ueI
bers Of the profession that he has cll0s
as his own, which distinguishes pfofe
j siopal men from those absorbed IN t
/ Vulgar and selfish competitions
q trade.
Observe tile iawyer. The knoNled
tllst d nlsmbee of lis profession is 10
4 high chancellor of England that q
I other is lord chief justice that anoth
5 occupies that most august OF rartl
! positions, the chief jnstieeshlp OF {
j Supreme Court of the United Stat
Il and that others command nearly all /
high places in the world OF politics g
& statesmansllip this knowledge i
Il him not With mean envy, but with
q sense of reflected importance and, vi
Is better still, with The feeling 4
d nobIesse oblige, that as q member
this honorable aud Ionored profess
lie shares in its achievements and Y
il proEit by It's opportunities. He Watcl
II with satisfaction the FIR upward elm
ing ol those iii front of and above q
for. IS he not one Of them And g
se he not also reach the same heights
se honor and fame
q. 0isserve the minister or the pfl