St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-31

or wire ana children IS Imperfect, ne
may we'll hesitate.
1t is only fair to say that not all news
papers Systematically demand such de-
Daslng or degrading service. But the
general principle is memorable that the
employee must do what the newspaper
demands or forfeit his place. lBi1os
Journalism is a vocation in which IN
organized labor is wholly at the mercy
of capital. Newspaper men are 10th to
acknowledge this truth. They hold
themselves on plane high above that
where the self-preservation of labor has
made trades unions imperative. They
rank journalism with theology and law
and medicine, because they are prone
to consider its essential qualifications
rather than its limitations and eOinpen-
sation. They regard the mental devel-
opment, the diversified knowledge and
literary accomplishment so necessary to
success, and turn away with disgust
from any proposition even to compare il
with a manual trade. They hate to ac-
knowledge anything so anomalous as a
trade in brains. But that is what jour
nallsm is-a trade where gray matter
takes the place of muscle. where the
head is substituted for the hands.
Where the Money Comes From.
And this brings me to a consideration
of the remarkable fact that vast ma
jority of the capital invested in Journal
ism was not made from journals or fur
nished by journalists. Nearly all the
money with which newspapers, sue
cessful and unsuccessful, have been
started in New York. has come from
sources alien to journalism itself.
Hence we often find the proprietor of a
large newspaper, the man actually con-
trolling its destiny and indicating its
policy, in the person of an individual
who never had any training whatever
as journalist. But he has had that
which few journalists ever attain even
Ill their own vocation, business train
ing. He knows how to buy and sell,
whether it be white paper or ink or
brains. The fact that he may not know
the first rudiments of the English Ian
guage. that sociology and political sci
ence are as incomprehensible to him as
the hereafter, does not affect the case at
all. He can hire men at SO much a
week for all that sort of thing, just as
he could hire skilled artisans if he were
manufacturer OF machines or railroad
cars or jewelry. Editorial writer's Or
critics or copy readers or reporters are
so numerous and SO cheap that his whole
editorial staff can be changed in day
If he deems it necessary. He deSpiSeS
the literary accomplishments of these
men, and therefore the men themselves,
no oil hxr rhai
ability to accumulate money, and can
not see advantage in anything not con-
vertible into money. These men may
be his superiOrS in all but money get
ting. but they are his docile hireIiDgs.
and his contempt is open. 10 him the
business end" of a newspaper is OF
chief Importance, and if he does not at
tend to that himself he is willing at all
times to pay more for business man
ager than for an editor-in-chief. 1t is a
faVnrlte boast of one newspaper pro-
prietor of this stripe that he can hire
all the editors he wants for SO week!
This, of course, is slight eXaggeration,
although the average pay of the writers
in his employ does not greatly exceed
that sum. but his theory of journalism -
that newspapers are made in the bust
ness offices, and that the editorial de-
partments are mere adjuncrs for carry
ing outmOney-making schemes Matched
elsewhere-is widely shared.
The Business Office Dominates.
The domination of the business Office
over the editorial department is de-
velOpment of recent years; the natural
conseq uence Of the gradual evolution of
journalism into purely money-making
business. There was time when the
salaried editor despised the counting
room. His ideal newspaper embodied a
loftiness of aim which could not be
affected by any sordid motive. He held
that there were certain reservations
upon which the business Office should
not trespass. An advertisement should
appear in the unmiStakable form of an
advertisement, and in the columns set
aside for advertisements. Editorial
opinion should be above and beyond
all considerations except those of right
and justice and the general good. The
presentation of news should be unbiased
and uncOloIed, the single, unyaryIng
rule being to give the facts as near as
possible.
The old school pretended to sell moth
ing but certain space allotted to ad-
vertiSing. The new school can see no
reason for such restriction. If it is right
to sell advertising space in one part of
the newspaper that man may puff his
wares, why not in another? This whole
sale barter does not necessarily mean
debasement. But it does mean that
journalistic traditions are shattered,
and that in the new school the business
off Icr1 fEhurofara n
would be successful to the highest de-
gree in journalism today, he must know
the business Office. Without this
knowledge he may attain success as an
emplOye, but never as an employer.
Without it he can never hope 10 retain
the ownership of newspaper. Work
ing newspaper men, the laborers in the
literary side of the vineyard, have given
too little heed to this important fact.
Journalistic Genius and Business
Jackass.
A we'll known editorial writer. now
in New York, once made contract with
a Boston newspaper owner to occupy
the chair of managing editor for five
years. His compensation was to be a
fixed weekly salary and $1,000 worth of
stock at the termination OF the contract.
After he had served three years, the
proprietor of the newspaper made things
SO uncomfortable for him that ne offered
to leave if 50, 900 in stock or its equiva-
lent were given to him. You can get
out now" said the proprietor, land
without any stock or any equivalent. ;"
But my contract calls for the stock,
and demand it," the editor insisted
Take your contract to a lawyer"
sneered the proprietor, land let him see
what it Is worth" The editor submit
ted the contract to the late Gen.
Benjamin F. Butler, a personal friend
of long standing. When Gen. Butler
had glanced over the instrument he
turned and asked. Ibid you sign this
contract?" 81 did" Were you sober
and in the possession Of your normal
senses?" Il was" do you know what
L think of you?'' mo. general, what do
YOU think of me?H II think YOU are