St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-25
POWER OF The PRESS
G. A. Dana'S Address Before
the Wisconsin Editorial
Association.
Environments That Must Of
Necessity Surround the
Modern Paper.
Where a Journalist Should
Receive His Education
and Training.
Influences for Good or Evil
Influences for Good or Evil
That May Be Welded by
the Editor.

MILWAUKEE, Wis.,, July 24.-C. A.
Dana. editor of the New York Sun, de-
livered an address this evening at the
Academy of Music to the Wisconsin Ed
itorial association, The hall was
crowded and the veteran editors dis
course was warmly appiauded.
Mr.. Dana began with the statement
that he had great desire to come to
Milwaukee, aside from his wish to meet
the Wisconsin editors. The body be-
fore him represented all shades of re-
ligion and politics, and he was glad to
meet them. He had seen Wisconsin
soldiers on the battlefield and they
never blenched. The speaker said he
began newspaper work on weekly lit
erary paper, which meant that it was
issued once every week. Laughter
The weekly edition of that sheet was
500 copies, which would not compare
very favorably with the present daily
paper which literally ran mile min
ute. [Applause.l In the modern news
paper, the intellectual and the mechan-
ical departments joined to produce the
daily paper of to-day, which was one of
the
WONDERS OF THE WORLD.
He paid a tribute to the reporters,
who, he said, would see at once through
a deception and could on occasion Set
one up for themselves. Laughter A
good words was also put in for the edi-
tOrial writers and the correspondents,
the latter of whom covered the earth in
their search for facts. The modern pa
per is possible only in thickly settled.
civilized country, which demands 1T. 1t
is mark of high intellectual develop
ment that country demands such
publication. As compared with Europe,
America was far in advance. In the
whole of the British islands, there were
not more than half dozen papers when
would compare with those of this coun-
try. The same criticism held good in
regard to the newspapers of Germany.
There the papers were remote from the
people; here the press was
CLOSE TO THE PEOPLE.
The atmosphere of freedom was es-
Sential to the production of great news
papers. A distinction should be made
between American and European def
nitions of freedom. In France the daily
paper would have one well-written
essay, but the remainder of the sheet
would be filled with matter which in
America would be considered lmma-
terial.
The newspaper must furnish the in
formation the people desire or it will be
failure. The first thing looked for
was news, and by that word the speaker
meant anything that would interest the
people. In this connection he said that
whatever Divine Providence permitted
to occur he was
NOT TOO PROUD TO REPORT.
So important were the functions of the
newspaper that colleges were establish
ing classes for instruction in journal
ism. Notwithstanding this, Mr.. Dana
had heard an old newspaper editor say
that such classes were useless, beca use
the only place to learn the business
old division of learned men
was clergymen, doctors and lawyers;
but now that there must be newspaper
men they must be educated. A re-
markable thing about the sort of educa-
ton of newspaper men was that it
should be universal. He must know a
great many things, and the better he
knows them the better he will be in his
profession. There was no chance for
an ignOramus in that profession. APP
plause. Everybody had heard of the
family where the smartest boy was
made lawyer. the next smartest doc
tor, and the one who was not good for
much was made minister. In the
Judgment of the speaker that was very
MUCH MISTAKEN APPLICATION
of the third man, because" said he.
very impressively, eff there is any oc-
cupation which ought to command the
highest talents OF men, it is that Occupa-
ton which teaches us how to live in this
life and how to hope for another"
Inc newspaper man must know
whether the theology of the preacher is
sound, whether the physiology of the
doctor is good, and whether the logic of
the lawyer is good for anything. If
possible, he should be sent to college.
But what was more important he should
be sent to the school of practical life. The
man who was to be teacher and adj
wiser of men must learn to teach as well
as learn. The college was of high
value, but the actual contact with bust
ness, he thought, was still more valu-
able. How was professor of journal
ism going to help an ambitious young
man to draw prize in the intellectual
lottery? The speaker did not think
college course in Journalism would be
of much value. The one school was
the newspaper office, and without il no
man could
BECOME A THOROUGH JOURNALIST.
There were no set maXims and rules
for journalists. The doctor and the
lawyer might have rules, but there were
very few rules that could be used by
newspaper men. Mr.. Dana, however,
submitted the following:
FlrSt-Get the news, and get all the
news and nothing but the news.
SQonn6--(lnnU pntbinnr From, onntl,o,,
pu blication without perfect credit.
Third--Never print an interview with
out the knowledge and consent of the
party interviewed.
Fourth-Neyer print paid advertise
ment as news matter. Let every adver-
tiSement appear as an advertisement
no sailing under false colors.
Flfth-Never attack the weak or the
defencelesS, either by argument, by in
vective, or by ridicule, unless there is
some absolute public necessity for so
doing.
Sixth-Fight for your opinions, but
don't believe they contain the whole
truth, or the only truth.
Seventh-Stick to your party, if you
have one, but don't think all the good
men are in and all the bad ones outside
of it.
Eighth-Above all know and believe
TINT humanity is advancing and that
there is progress in human life and
human affairs, and that as sure as God
lives the future will be greater than the
present or the past.
THAT" said Mr.. Dana, sis pretty
general code, but it seems to me it
covers the case very WE'LL"
POWER OF THE PRESS.
Continuing, he said: There is one
other point would like to touch upon,
and that is the question of the power of
the press. We know that the press is a
very powerful agent. 1t takes men,
when their information is incomplete,
when their reasoning has not yet been