Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-11-17
FIRED SANS CEREMONY.
Ono Of tho Peculiar Phases OF
Journalistic Lie.
No Glass OF Workers Treated with as Lit.
tie Regard rs WasbIretor Core
spondonts - The Tyranny of
Managing Editors.
Especial washington Letter /


article printed in the Journalist, COM
mented very truthfully upon the treat
ment which newspaper workers usual
ly receive from the managing editors of
great daily papers. Among other things
she said that the average newspaper re-
porter and society writer, as well as the
editorial writer, were regarded by the
managing editor and the business de-
partment of the paper as the farmer re-
CARDS his horses and cattle. AS long as
they are fast upon the track and able
to win money for their owners, or as
long as they are good, hardworking
plodders along the field they receive
compensation sufficient to keep their
souls and bodies together and to dress
themselves sufficiently well to appear
to advantage in the company in which
they must necessarily go, according to
the assignments given them by the
managing editor. But when they cease
to be of frst-class value their salaries
are reduced or else they are Immediately
discharged without having any warning
given them in order to have time to Sc
cure employment elsewhere. Miss
Hamm also gave some experiences in
this line and followed them with some
good advice to newspaper writers of
less experience than herself Another
thing she said was that it was always
necessary to keep o cheerful coun-
tenance and an appearance of pros
perity before the world; because when
any newspaper writer, or anyone else,
makes an acknowledgment of failure,
or even partial failure, or temporary
reverse, the entire world seems to be
like lot of hyenas ready to break the
bars and tear the unfortunate one to
pieces
Miss Hamm's article upon this sub
ject reminds me of the experiences of a
number of gentlemen who have repre-
sented reputable leading daily papers
of the country in the national capital.
gentlemen, but do not suppose that
they will object to the publication Of
facts concerning themselves; because,
inasmuch as they publish facts regard
less of the wishes of public men, it is
not likely they will object to the pub
lication of actual facts concerning them
selves.
Mr. E. B. Wight, one of the most in
defatigable newspaper workers in this
country, or in any other country, rep
resented the Chicago Tribune for a
number of years. l do not know ex-
actly how long, but it must have been
at least ten years. One afternoon in
1884 or 1885 young gentleman whom
he had never seen before walked into
his Office with letter from the man.
aging editor of the Chicago Tribune in
forming him that he, Mr.. Wight, would
no longer represent the Tribune in
Washington, but that the young man,
whose name was Pepper, would here
after have charge of the Washington
bureau of the Tribune. According to
my recollection that was the first noti-
fication that Mr.. Wight had received
that his services would be dispensed
with. He was not given any time to
seek employment elsewhere, and, so far
as the managing editor of the Tribune
knew or cared, Mr.. Wight might be left
without employment for the support OF
himself and family. But that did not
seem to enter into consideration with
the managing editor. He had made up
his mind, purely for personal reasons,
as presume, to make the change in
the management of the. Washington
bureau of his paper, and he sent
young man to take the place.
It must be said In this connection
that he sent one of the best men who
ever came to Washington in sending Mr..
Pepper. That gentleman still remains
here at the head of the Washington
bureau of the Tribune, and he Is a
worthy successor of Mr.. Wight, and
that is saying great deal, because Mr..
Wight is gentleman of exceptional
ability and probity and high culture
and standing.
Mr. Fred Perry Powers represented
the Chicago Times in Washington for