Telegram-herald., 1890-01-27

T1ElR REAAsf1A6AE PROMINENCE
lh NASt4lNGTcN.
Jauaes q. h4ziRe. ftJ~h H-lfora, . =
Ciark-sa. Fuegie FrinssE f~iu@es. Cezssss
Ceua asu lssioa.sF Porter ~se assns oshens


WAsHIS9roN. Jan sS- A somew hai
remarkable d.aDef party assembled Al
Chzmlerlins lasE Saturday night Pour
or FIVE prominent officers - the govern
ment. formerly contested "a an edItoFlSl
capacity vFilh The Chicago Inter Ocean.
gase = dinner Il former managing
edltoT of that pspeF. Senator Pierce. od
North Dakota fnls pEeuy htlle dinner
called e. mind ths prominent psrf y hich
newspaper naen are now playing in pub
h1 affairs. 10 seems 20 me that whsr-
ever one turns ia this cspilas city hs
coales uPau NEWSPAPER men who are
welding great influence la politics an6
other nells ot human activity. over ard
above the influence which they natural
III exert as writers and editors. DO not
as yeg hope th&t Ihe editors viii he aale
10 take tle place II the lawyers as the
principal ComPonen,s ~ the ranks 81
statesInon-
Probably the lawyers will always lead
in tins respect, as il Is right ard proper
they should. a somewhat careful study
OF both senate and house has con vinced
me that the best preliminary training TOR
a national legislator Is that acquired iu a
law Office. ln court. ana in necessary IA
miliarty with the laws and parliament
ary usares. The training ~ the law Is
not indispensable 10 success. but it is
much in ones favor Two II the iaost
Successful men of their tlmes in tbe house
of representatives. Jamr- g. Blaine aud
Samuel j. Randall. had not tAls advan-
tage. Neither ever studied law. One II
the most eloquent, witty and useful
mem bcIs of the house during the last
quarter Of a century. The late s. =. Cox,
was no, a lawyer. There are many other
exceptions 10 the rule but the Tule never
thcless remains that nearly al Of the
leaders on both sides Of toe house and in
the senate have had legal training and
experience.
But IN purely executive Offices this
rule does not hold good Here the edi-
torial training is fully = good as that ~
4 the law Some Of the most successful
executive officers of the present govern
nient are journalists, and iIo same Thing
mas been true Of past administrations.
/ wish here o. pause mOnentarily 10 de-
fcnd the use of the word journalist =
is a good. wholesome word. Of well de-
fined, precise meaning, perfect pedigree,
4 convenient application. u fnay as ap-
propriately apply 10 the reporter as 10
the editor, 10 the desk man as 10 tile
special correspondent 4 newspaper Is
a journal OF the times, and all of Us VINO
help make journals are journalists. It's
the common fad among press workers 70
SAY: Il am not journalist. I am a
newspaper man" But protest against
that. The counselor does not call him
self lawyer man" and only in de-
rision is the physician termed "medi-
cine man No such cant rs INDUCED IN
by the educator the architect. the min
ister. the civil engineer. Why, then.
the awkward, superfiuous new paper
/ man" as a substitute for journalist?
Daniel Manning did not object 20 be
f ing called a journalist, and he was more
than that He was great politician. a
Warwick. party statesman. He made
Grover Cleveland presidentof Of the United
States and served croditably IN his csbi-
net. Charles 4. Dana was and is 3
journalist. and he was cabinet officer
Daniel Lamont was a journalist, and hs
+ helped make Grover Cleveland. both be
+ fore and after the election Of that gentle
man TO the presidency. Another Jour
nalist. and good one. row occupies the
delicate and responsible position of pr
/ vate secretary 10 a president whom he
helped 10 make. John &. New. proprle-
tor of The indianapolis Journal. and the
present consul general To London. had a
strong hand in the nomination and elec-
tion of Harrison, but there was no more
vital. we'll balanced, effective force in
that effort than that ezerted bv Elijah
+ Halford as editor Of the principal paper
+ of Indiana.
Long before Gen. Harrison was noni-
mated for the presidency. before he was
much thought If for that Office. wen.
10 Nr. Halford for data on which 10
write q sketch Of Gen. Harrison's career.
in giving me what / wanted Mr.. Halford
incidentally predicted that bis friend
would 10 the next president OF tho Unit
ed States. and described 70 me IN detail
the forces. influences and conditions
which in fact afterwsrd did combine r.
ful6ll mis- prophecy. II was faithful sd-
f herence TO these principle and ability n
inspire others with the same spirit
through tho columns II tho journal u
which he was editor that made HalfOrd
such a potent factor m the raising up 70
the presidency of BENJAMIN Harrison.
AsI have said. on every hand We eco
evidence q the capacity. uscfulDees ard
great infurnCe of men trained N the
making q newspapers. Successful oon-
efrucfian e newspapers ~ after al the
highest = acieBccs and greatest q srfs.
since it involves perfect understanding <
OF human nature. So why should the
successful editor not make = suoosssful
government executive II "a piesFurs
10 record the fart that two n the ruoei
noteworthy personal successes under thl7
administration have teen mace hT JouT
usIsts FIRST Assistant PostnaFter Gen
eral Cla7bson has 81 Common consent
made the mos distinguished T'erHorl al
success ~ toe Harrison regime Iils
popularity is greater fhau ths< q a. =
sther officer q THE roverrn1eut ~ the
present moment Thcurf p seoCr3 rate
Cfrcer he ie consulted as often and relied
upon "a implicitly ~ fhe precedent ~
svr rnar- her ~ fre oabiuet HIs viff IL
N-s Harrin-s clo.eaf freed EvsD q
saccsss hke this has orr tanned tbe NOD
sst editors head bis s1nnsaon % Esis