The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-08-02
NUMBER %.
FUNCTIONS OF NEWSPAPERs.
Editor Dana OF The Sun on the Editor
inl Profession Before the Wisconsin
Association.

FONCIIONS OF NE"SPAPERS.
Editor Dana OF The Sun on the Editor
ial Profession Before the wisconsin
Association.
Mr.. Dana began by saying that he had
great desire TO come to Milwaukee
aside from his wish to meet the Wiscon-
sin editors. The body before him repre-
sented all shades of religion and politics
and he was glad to meet them. He had
seen Wisconsin soldiers on the battle
field and they never flinched. The speak
er said he began newspaper work on
weekly literary paper which meant that
1t was issued once every week. Laugh
ter. The weekly edition of that sheet
was 800 copies, which would not COM
pare very favOrably with the present
tally paper which literally runs a mile
minute. Applause. In the modern
newspaper the intellectual and the me-
chanical departments join to produce
the daily paper of to-day, which is one
of the wonders of the world.
| Mr.. Dana paid a tribute to the report
ers who, he said, could see at once
through deception and could on occa-
sion set up one for themselves. Laugh
ter. A good word was said also for the
editorial writers and the correspondents,
the latter of whom cover the earth ID
then search for facts. The modern pa
per is possible only in a thickly settled
civilized country which demands it. 1t
is mark of high intellectual develop
ment that country demands such
publication. AS compared with Europe
America is far in advance. In the whole
OF the British islands there are not more
than half dozen newspapers which
can compare with those of this country.
The same criticism holds good in regard
TO the newspapers Of Germany. There
the papers are remote from the people,
here the press is close to the people.
The atmosphere of freedom is essen |
tial to the production of great newspa. |
pers. A distinction should be made be. |
tween American and European definI- |
tIons of freedom. In France the daily |
paper has well written essay, but the |
remainder of the sheet is filled with mat |
ter which in America would be consId |
cred immaterial. The newspaper must
furnish the information the people de |
sire or it will be a failure. The first
thing looked for is news, and by that
word the speaker meant anything that
interests the people. Mr.. Dana said that
whatever Divine Providence permitted
to occur he was not too proud to report.
Applause and laughter.
So important is the junction of the
newspaper that colleges are establishing
classes for instruction in journalism, |
Notwithstanding this, Mr.. Dana had |
heard an old newspaper editor say that
such classes were useless, because the
only place to learn the business is in a
newspaper office. The old division of |
learned men was clergymen, doctors and |
lawyers; but now newspaper men must |
also be educated men, A remarkable |
thing about the education of newspaper |
men is that it should be universal. He |
must know great many things and the |
better he knows them the better he will |
be in his profession. There is no chance |
for an ignoramus in that profession. |
Applause. Every body 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. TLaughter, |
In the judgment of the speaker that was |
a very much mistaken application of the |
third man, because, said he impressive. |
ly, II there Is any occupation which |
ought to command the highest talents of |
men 1t ls that occupation which teaches
us how to live in this life and how to
hope for another Applause
The newspaper man must know whe- |
ther the theology of the preacher is
sound, whether the physiology of the
doctor is correct, and whether the logic |
of the lawyer is good for anything. |
Applause and laughter. II possible he |
should be sent to college. But what is |
more important, he should be sent to the |
school of practical life. The man who |
was 10 be teacher and adviser of men
must learn to teach as well as learn. The
college Is of high value but the actual
contact with business, he thought, is
still more valuable. How ia a professor
of journalism going to help an ambitious
young man to draw prize in the intel |
lectual lotteryI The speaker did not
think college course in journalism
would be of much value. The one school
is the newspaper office, and without it
no man could become thorough Jour
nalist. Applause and voices, That's
So"
There are no set maxims and rules for
journalists, The doctor and the lawyer
may have rules, but there are very few
rules that can be used by newspaper
men. MIR. Dana, however, submitted the
following
Flrst-Get the news and get all the
news, and nothing but the news.
Second-Copy nothing from another
publication without perfect credit.
Third-Never print an interview with
out the knowledge and consent of the
person interviewed. Laughter and ap-
plause.
Fourth-Never print paid advertise.
ment as news matter. Laughter, Let
every advertisement appear as an adver.
tisement. No sailing under false colors.
Applause.
Fifth-Never attack the weak or the
defenceless, either by argument, by in
vecuve, or by ridicule unless there is
some absolutely public necessity for so
doing.
Sixth-Fight for your opinions, but
don't believe they contain the whole
truth or the only truth.
Seventh-Support your party if you
have one loud laughter and applausel |,
but don't think all the good men are in
it and all the bad ones outside of it.
Laughter.
Eighth-Above all know and believe
that humanity is advancing and that
there is progress in human life and hu-
man affairs [applause and that as sure
as God lives the future will be better and
greater than the present or the past.
Applause.
That, said Mr., Dana, is a pretty gen.
eral code but 1t seems to me that it Gov
ers the case pretty well. Continuing he
said
There is one other point l 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. II
takes men when their information is