The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-16

| lectual tendencies: but IL. instead OF that he
takes up magazine and sits down to read q
: love story. why you cannot make newspaper
D man out OF him. Laughter and applausel
Z And yet he may make n very good writer Of
love stories; and as that ls q sort OF merchan-
disc which seems to be always in dem and. and
to bring pretty fair prices. why. II you have .
talent in that direction. 90 ahead. You may
make a good living have no doubt; but you
will not play any momentous part upon the
stage OF public AFFAIRS and that 10 the sphere
OF activity which the generous hearted and
courageous youth looks forward to.
In order to be OF importance In the Affairs OF
this world In the newspaper profession. you
must be politician. and you must know not
merely the theories and doctrines Of parties.
not merely the reconcile part OF politics. but
you must know practical politics. the hist DRY.
the men. the individuals. their ideas. their
purposes and their deeds: know them u you
can as they really are. not as tho blind and
the prejudiced may imagine them to be.
Now. Mr.. Greeley is my great exemplar in
journalism He thought o newspaper man
was OF little use who did not know lust the
number OF votes in every township in the State
OF New York. and In every voting precinct and
who could not tell whether the returns from
the Second district OF Pound Ridge. In West
chester county. were correctly reported or not
without sending to the plhce to find out how
| one OF his great points OF distinction and suc-
| cess: but would not advise you to labor
| after that sort OF knowledge unless you
| have inherited a natural talent for 1t. But
you should understand and appreciate the
theory OF the American Government, you
should know where this republic began. where
it came from. and where it belongs In the
| history OF mankind. and what part 1t is dos
| tined to play in the vast drama Of human
ayistenpa. That Ia tho sort Of politics Int
must appeal to any intelligent man and that
will surely test his utmost powers. And while
We are OH this point. we may say in passing that
| an American who thinks another country is
better than this should not go into iourna lism.
lApplause.l You must be for the Stars and
Stripes every time. or the people OF this coun-
try won't be for you lapplauseL and you won't
| sell enough papers to pay your expenses. |
Laughter.
In order to understand the theory OF the |
American Government. the most serious calm. |
persistent study should be given to the Con- |
stitution OF the United States. don't mean |
learning it by heart. committing it to mem-
DRY. What you want is to understand 1t, to |
know the principles at the bottom Of It: to feel |
tho impulse OF it: to feel the hea TT boat that
thrills through the whole American people.
That's the vitality that is worth knowing: that
is the sort Of politics that excels all the mys-
tories OF ward elections and lifts you UP into
view where you tho clear skies. tho
unknown eNpanse Of the future. Applause
Besides the Constitution Of the United States,
1t 10 we'll to be acquainted with the Constitu-
tions OF all the States. All these Constitutions
are moro or less modelled upon the central
CONSTITUTIONS but there are differences. and
those differences a man ought to know. The
citizen OF New York ought to understand tho
Constitution of New York and for himself get
at the reason for this aud that provision.
Take. for instance. the great question |
which has occupied the people OF New
York so long. the question Of an elective judi
ciary or Of judiciary appointed by the Gov
ernor: which is better. which 10 right That
is better and that is right. evidently. which
gives better Judges and which produces a
more eauable. steady. consistent. and Just ad-
ministration Of law. Well. now. the young
man who sets to work and studies out that
question has accomplished . great deal: he
has got a light in his mind that will 90 with
him . great way. and that will help out his
judgment in other things. Supposing that he
is conducting q newspaper. and is responsible
to the people for conducting 1t In an instructive
and useful manner. and for having 1t such that
when he says q thing lie SO the people will
know that 1t Is so: the man who knows the
Constitution Of the States. of his own State.
and OF all the principal States. as we'll as the
Constitution OF the United States. Is well fitted |
for conducting newspaper. or even for ad- |
ministering Government.
The modern newspaper. however. Is not con.
fined to any neiGhborhood or to any country.
You have got to look beyond your own land:
you have got to study the history OF every |
European country. You must know. first of
all. the history OF England. We came from |
England: the American Constitution Ia rooted I
in English principles and in English history.
Iou want to know where it started from. You
want to go into the garden where the seed |
was first sown and watch the growth of this |
great product OF wisdom and benefcence
which we call the American Constitution You
see. tho course OF preparatory study ia pretty I
large: and it ia not very easy: it must be car &
rled on in earnest 1t Is not matter Of fancy
or OF play. And SO not merely with the history q
of England but with the history OF all Of Eu- I
rope. Of every great and every little country l
The course ofhuman history offers a safe guide
Tor human action. and especially for political | ]
action. The history OF France is q chapter
that is worthy Of the utmost attention that can t
be given to it. Why have such and such re- t
suits been produced? What is there from (
which this and that effect has proceeded +? 4
These are the sort Of questions that careful 4
study can bring an answer to- and without 4
careful study you will never get the answer r
But do not propose all these things as n
course OF preparatory study for young man. | 4
You cannot learn everything in a day. II as Il
much as many men can do TO learn a few Y
things in the lapse Of long life: but a. {
least try to learn something solid. to add o
10 your stock of eificacious knowledge to A
add to your understanding OF principles. u
and to feel that as little effort possible has Il
been wasted and as little time as posslb!, flung 7,
away. n
The next point to be attended to Is this: q
What books ought you to read? There ara D
some books that are indispensable. a few q
BOOKS. Almost Nil books nave their use. even X
he silly ones. and an omnivorous reader il he II
'eads intelligently. need never feel that his Il
ime is wasted even when lie bestows 1t on tho II
iimsiest trash that is printed; but there are q
'ome books that are absolutely indispens- j.
'ble to the Kind OF education that We a