New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-22
A MENDICANT PRESS.
The APPEAL OF ENGLISH JOURNALISM To
THE CHARITY OF THE ENGLISH PUBLIC.

mort in al least one newspaper OF MS specon
Another if it he an advantage, is the preahi"s Vi
the donation record The sums gwen ana prom
ised Saturday evening reached nearly SlV'oo"'
all of which would do more good TO JOURNALISM
had il remained in the pockets OF the oohorS.
Mr. Lawson began his speech with story tolo
him by Dclane: a good story, nut not SO gooo as
if ne had quoted Delanes wci-Kho"h opium VI
tho News,sner Press Fund. The great editor
always resented the founding OF ineNrCS
Fund for the profession of which he was the mead
But Mr.. Lawson did not care u ieioi -
which is perhaps natural.
.Itn soid Mr. lawson 81 feel dfidence In
ouofron.ino the task | have in hand, 1t is not
because know too little of the Press 1t IS per
hans because know too much" Ana ne 'olu
his audience that all his days and most OF his
nights for nearly forty years had been oeVo'eu
10 labor in journalism. 1t seems good "e'l'
Most men think either day WORK OF hisnU WIN
a sufficient strain on their facuitles anu s'i
,ro fow has II been civen to combine the two, and
10 keen it up for forty years. or nearly lor'S
Years: burning the candle at both ends
Some of his figures are interesting ana even
mrprisinp "In London alone we now PRINT each
day of our lives more than two millions ana
half of morning and evening papers, ana he
adds that of Sunday papers we are only n.'ic
short of that number" This does not mean ltau
the great London dailies print sunday eolons'
Nome Of them do The Sunday papers are weekly
,apers. which appear on that day only Inc
,tb.r London weeklies print nearly two millions
and there are much more than two millions III
each week Of other papers not TO De lnci"uc" III
the category of morning, evening, OF sunday VI
weekly papers" Which is, perhaps, the mosu sur
prising statement Of all. Then comes 'he Ill
pvitable reference to the repeal OF the taxes Oh
KNOWLEDGE :" by the direct efforts OF certain great
md influential statesmen - am eViuehce VI
this point" cries Mr.. Lawson, for persohaiiS
assisted Richard Golden and John brigho anu
Miner Gibson in their determined labor to seq
,ho uonufacture of paper free from the oppression
90 tho exciseman.n All contributions to history
oro welcome and this is one. Mr. Lawsons
efforts and personal assistance to Copdeh anu
Rrigbt were the more meritorious because usln-
,eres,ed. or SO far disinterested that his paper
was actually making a profit before the paper
duty was repealed That also is history Inc
reneal. however. did make practicable the posi-
,on of mower and dignity which the Press hoIus
.o-day." This power and dignity seem, IN MI
Iawson's opinion, to be due in a measure also 10
hard work: not only daily and nightly, o"t
hourly; labor of such onerous ln'eiiec'u'i anu
physical character as cannot be eNac'e' ~ any
other calling"
On thc question whether the political power Oh
,e prcss has disappeared, Mr. Lawson mas
strong opinion. The charge, he tells US i " i'i.'
charge. know not who has made IT, ana a. u
is C,lse il cannot much matter. Mr.. "reehWoou
said something lately on this head, pht 1t was
not in the nature of charge Even il you "e
rcve that You WELD Joves thunderhons' al
ronnv each. daily and nightly. and even hourly
,on con hardly blame man if he tries to cal'u-
,o.o Tho forcc Of these tremendous engines. inv
!. III Nr. Grfenwood's crime; unless it lie crime
IN think the force of the thunderbolts less 'hah
NJ Lawson does. But he goes on to declare '""'
all the great reforms have becn the WORK Oh 'e
press and the strict lines of party nave COM
,,o,ely~ faded out. This last we might not have
known but for Mr.. Lawson 1t had heretofore
Teen supposed that in the House of Commons ana
q, election time something is still heard Of party
Inn If must he mistake for the press mas
forced the different parties in the state, WHAT
ever their style and title, 10 unite for the dement,
aud Improvement of the great mass oil the peo-
rle Reform is indeed complete that there
9rr for the victors few more worlds 10 conquer
The secret of this power of the press now STANDS
revealed II is that the view adopted ana the
expression Of it are the outcome OF conference
and deliberation between the editor ana one, OF
more than one, of his staff, and represent the re
suit Of their special experience and knowledge
Ihis outcome is based on firmer ground than that
which is accessible to Government officials IL
appears to be an advantage not to have access
70 official information Nor is ability their only
title 10 public confidence. Mr.. Lawson IS con-
WINGED Of the absolute honesty" Of English organs
of public opinion; even, suppose, of that one
,yhjch continues 10 advertise itself as having the
l,rgc,t circulation in the world yet in fact has
not: nor anything like 1t.
There is ambition too, and enterprise-a word
IN which the average Englishman looks askance.
,frco is the Gift of the Press to civilization ;
of Mr. Bennett in the first place and, in the second,
of Mr.. lawson: or, in Mr.. Lawsons modest phrase,
"nf one for whom | may be pardoned for enter
1ailinc a feeling of wisely moduated regard. Mr..
Stanley was merely the instrument by which the
idea and method, first of Mr. Bennett, ana theh
of Mr. Edward Lawson, were carried out Inns
FOO the world Will accept as novelty, ana all
INC dinners degrees, receptions, civic freedoms
and other honorS intended .or Mr.. Stanley VIII
now I've divided between the two other journalists
whose proper rcnown lie has hitherto unaccOunt-
ably usurpcd Mr.. Lawson brings these facts 70
our minds not ont of self-Seeklng, Dut because
he respects his calling and is desilous tha'
these achievements shall not readily fade IRON
memory. such are ms words, his own WoIus' anu
if I've does not know his motives, who should :
The note of Mr.. Lawson's speech is, 1t Will Dt
seen. one Of considerable self-cOniidcncc: or per
haps il should rather be said. of confidence IN the
rrrss Tho trumpet blows loudly; the universc
have ar MIGHT hear the blast Yet all this tim,
,he sneaker is standing hat in hand to the pub
lie This all-pOwerful press is not powerful
eroncb to nay its own way. II is fighting great
baltic. but it has to appeal to the public to looE
after ,bo sick and wounded of its own army i
i rich. bat not rich enough to award to its writ
crs and other workers salary that will enable
Them 10 save anything for rainy day. Ih
profits of the journal which belongs TO the Lawson
family are computed at three-quarters o
n million dollars yearly, vet Mr.. Lawson
i. M. nhnve asking for aims for th0s