The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-20
Rawarding the Reporter.

| RsWarolng the Reporter.
Gratitude from politicians to reporters is
so altogether unusual that it evokes no very
mild establishment throughout the world OF
newspapers when il is manifested.
Journalists are not, as a rule, easily
shocked, nor even surprised, and it is very
rarely that thu most erratic dsnizens of
this queer old world can devise any eccen-
tricity 80 uniquely original as to distur b
the calmly continuous routine grind Of taeir
daily lives, with faint ripple OF the miile5t
wonder.
All this accumulated AMI crystalized
serenity has just been aZitaled to its lowest
stratum and badly shattered by a sensation
of genuine astonishment. 1t was manufact-
ured in Connecticut the land of STEADY
habits" and exact Calculations Hartford's
board of aldermen at a recent meeting ten
dered, by the members standing. a resolu-
ton of thanks 90 a reporter who through
number of years had faithfully chronIclet
the proceedings of that body and was then
about TO retire to another fed of useful
ness
Only think of that Doesn't it sound
rather incrediblel If 1t is not wholly with
out a precedent in the history of politics
thea the body which set so worthy an exam
pie has certainly not baen given due ami
proper credit and should receive justice at
the hands of the press without further de-
lay.
What makes this unusual courtesy from
the Hartford aldermen still more astound-
ing is that they are machine politicians and,
as the MORNING NEWS happens to know,
the reporters who regularly chronicle the
proceedings of that board are fairly well
paid for it by the city, in addition to the
salary they derive from their respective
papers. This seems to indicate that Hart
ford is something Ia the nature Of an ely
SUM for political reporters.
As rule politicians seem to think that
they are doing the reporter a great service
in allowing him to copy and correct their
ungrammatical statements and fish .market
rhetoric. Few public men Of to-day would
amount to much in public estimation if
their speeches were printed as they are
uttered. Many Of them would thus be rem
dered public laughing stock. Frequently
the reporter has to inject sense and reason
as well as good grammar into the alleged
utteranoes of so-called great men. No
small number Of the pompous prominent
men of to-day owe their wisdom. for which
they SO freely receive public praise and ad-
miration, to the advice and assistance of
some friendly reporter who has written out
their speeches for them. Yet many of them
treat the reporter insolently as soon as they
have attained to any eminence. They for
get how much they owe to him until he or
some of his brother reporters take notion
TO yank them down. That, however. he
rarely does, except by leaving the inflated
qufdnunc severely alone. aud allowing him
to tumble into his native obscurity under
the sheer weight of his own pomposity. To
his credit be it truly said that the capable
reporter is not often vindictive.
How many public men would be known
outside of their own ward if it were not
for some friendly newspaper Still they
seem to think they are doing the paper a
particular favor in allowing it to print their
egotistical buncombe. which only too fire.
quently has to be completely rewritten to
infuse any common sense or argument into
it. But the putative author cannot see
that. He struts about and shows what he
calls my views" Yet SUCH an idea as
gratitude or appreciation never once enters
his mind. In the vociferous lexicon of
politics there is no such word as thanksl
In view of all these historical truths the
novel and graceful act of the Hartford
aldermen is positively refreshing. and is
well worthy of emulation throughout the
land. That document should be entered
upon the records as memento of the pro-
gressive spirit of Connecticut, and an ex-
ample for future generations.