Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-03-11

Rev. DR.. Lyman Abbott, successor to
Henry Ward Beecher in Plymouth
church, Brooklyn, has preached a sermon
tonewspaper people. He declared therein
that the newspaper was at once a com
mercial exchange, historian and "A lead
er for the great mass of the people. Its
advertising columns should DO TOR sale
on strictly business principles, its opin-
ions in the editorial columns, never
This last rule, the doctor says, is very gen
orally observed by the great metropoii-
tan journals and very generally violated
by local and country newspapers and
altogether too often by the religious
press. This is thoroughly compliment
tary to US metropolitans, but rather
rough ON local and country newspapers
and the religious weeklies. Toall alike
however, the preacher administered
wholesome suggestion by recommending
to us the advice of Paul:
Finally brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things are honest, whatso-
ever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report,
think on these things.
This is grand advice indeed, and it is
to be wished that everybody would take
it, ministers as well as journalists,
One of the reverend gentleman's
charges against the newspaper press,
however, plainly proved that he had
naUar haap O ranortav opd ru, 20 Groe
and never been the managing editor of
morning paper just about o'clock in
the morning. He derided in whitening
terms the practice among morning pa
pers of writing out events before they
happen. He made merry over bad
break once made by an interior journal
that printed description of a reception
in Washington which never came off.
because about the time it was to occur a
member of a cabinet family died sud
denly and the party had to be dropped.
The correspondent had visited the
rooms, described the decorations found
out who the guests were and the gowns
the ladies were to wear. and then writ
ten of the event as though already past
in order to get the description in on
time, so that her journal might not get
left.
Of course everybody connected with
the daily press knows that this thing is
done constantly and that it must be
done. Would DR.. Abbott wait till day
after tomorrow for the account of an
event which came off tonight If he
would then his paper would become a /
laughing stock in journalism. 1t could |
not sustain itself week.
People want the news, and they want |
it now. Suppose DR.. Abbott is to give
an eloquent lecture to the Congregational .
club and there is to be a discussion af-
forward, perhaps a little dinner At
any rate the audience is kept together
until midnight. The report of the meet
ing must be in next mornings paper
The newspaper young man must get the
and write a column and a half
about il if it is important. How long
will that take? Then the printer must
put the matter in type. 1t must be proof
read, revised and stereotyped How long
again will that take? No reporter or
printers alive could get it for a morning
paper if the writer waited till the ban
quet was over to pen a description
Mol Enterprising modern journalism
has better way than that The re-
porter goes to the hall or house to which
he is assigned. He feels brisk and
rested, and can take in at flash the
salient points. Then he goes, for in
stance, to Mr.. Chauncey Depew, who is
to speak. He makes his politest bow, and
newspaper reporters do make beautiful
bows, Then he asks the silver tongued
orator to kindly give him copy of the
extempore speech he is to make that
evening. Neither is there any fraud
here. 1t would be an insult to an audi
ence to go before it without thinking of
what speaker is going to say at all
The most brilliant speaker must collect
IN his own mind what he will tell his Il
audience. What, then, is easier or more
than that he should dictate it to
stenographer and have it ready for the
young gentleman Of the press? So the
description is written beforehand and ,
put into type. If extraordinary Incl
dents happen at the meeting, few lines
Or a quarter column, painted in dozen
bold strokes, will give the perfect picture
to the public What would DR.. Abbott
have?
Moreover, perhaps Dr. Abbott never
thought of it, but human nature grades
about the same everywhere. An expe- i
7enced reporter can tell beforehand Just
about how a orivan p,1r,bo, % ,,o... /