New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-27
London. Nnvemher z

METHODS.
London. November Z
death of Mr. John Walter gave the London
-,,c napers an excellent opportunity of doing
..,,os 10 the head of the profession Of journal
!,, indeed. Journalism be profession What
'' =, no Mr. Walter was the foremost man In
e'', ,,aisnutably the chief parsonage on a paper
".,,cb is ndisputably the first in Europe. But
" ordon morning papers missed this good op-
.,,unty. Not one of them said word about
~ ~, saiorially. Not one OF them had an ade-
=. notice of the man or Of his position or
w. They one and all dismissed him with a
~ obituary lines in small type At least one
,,em gave him less space and much less
'a,,sv than it bestowed on Mr.. Oudn. the emf
.a,, barytone singer. who died about the same
tine.
such are the paltry jealouses Of journalism
london In New. York. as we all know. there
=. M ieaousies. Each great New-York journal
ass ful Justice to each of its neghbors. liv-
loo or dead and shows generous in
HHerence to business rivalries or personal rival
,,ss or rvalres Of any kind. Whereas. in Lon
A., II is as we see. 1t must. ! fear be admitted
that the penny papers do look jealousy on the
,or;athan which iwarfs them all. If it were
,osreIv a question of bigness. the lesser ones
might not care so much. But the truth is that
1.-THE Times forms class by itself. 1t is differ
a., from the others. not in degree. but in kind.
suneriority is the one offence in this world which
.eems TO be incapable and objectionable. And
Nc Walter had so much to do with the making
NJ this superiority that he has to pay the pen
atty.
There is another thing to be said not for the
first time The English journalist does. in a
sense. undervalue his profession and Its profess
.crs That is true even Of THE Times: often
ore-eminentIy of The Times If man be great
IN other departments of life. justice is done him.
n in journalism. he is passed over or sighted.
II is as if his colleagues did no; take themselves
seriously. and therefore Gid not take their col
leagues seriously. They are not thought to hold
the same relation to the great affairs Of life. es-
pecaly Of public life. as men who transact the
business Of Departments or hold Ministerial port
folios Perhaps they do not. but at least they
have an influence upon the course OF events and
upon public opinion second 10 no other because
they form public opinion. and it is public opinion
which determines the course Of events.
Nevertheless. the journalist in England-there
are few marked exceptions. but they would
have TO be dealt with individually-is seldom a
great or even a considerable parsonage. He holds
position. whether by his own fault or his own
choice not altogether unlike that which the chap
lain or medical man of great nobleman held
In earlier days and down 10 within compare
lively late period in the history Of England. The
chaplain and medical man were only superior
kind Of domestic. l am far from meaning TO
apply the word domestic to the English journal
list He never held any relation to the social
world with respect TO which such a word could
be used. He is outside OF 1t, apart from 1t. and
lives in world Of his own. So OF politics. He
submits TO be excluded from the world Of politics.
He takes his place in Parliament on sufferance.
whether 1t be the lobby or the gallery lie claims
nothing. or. If he does he fails press his claim.
He sues for seat in the Press Gallery or for
liberty 10 hang about the inner lobby OF the
House Of Commons He Is not even allowed space
enough to do his work in. The gallery arrange
ments Of the House OF Commons are VIGOROUSLY
inadequate and inconvenient There is not room
for half the reporters and editors and CORE
spondents who want TO be there. and who. in the
public interest and the Interest," Of the House IL
self ought to be there. No foreign journalist has
any place at all. In Paris. the city OF all others
In Europe which is most intolerant OF the Tor
eigner and profits most by him. the Chamber OF
Deputies sets apart a tribune or seats for the
non-French press. The French Legislature in
deed. confies to a Press Syndicate authority OF
admission and exclusion In London the author
iy rests entirely with the Speaker. who is bound
by precedents and by the wishes Of the House.
and hampered by physical conditions which 1t Is
not in his power 10 change The English press
submits. There is more or less grumbling. but ii
comes to nothing. 1t does not venture TO appear
TO public opinion. There Is no public opinion for
or against journalists In the discharge OF their
duties to the public They are expected to settle
those matters for themselves. Mr.. Walter never.
so far as know, showed disposition to use the
authority or prestige OF THE Times" for the
benefit Of other papers He would have been per-
haps more than human If he had. There Is no
solidarity between them. So In death they leave
1t to his own paper to celebrate him.
used just now the chaplain and medical man
In old days as an illustration OF the humility OF
position which men belonging to what were I'M
doub'edy professions. and learned PROFESSIONS
would accept as their lot in life. With much
modification the illustration would still hold
good. The parson and the doctor have come up
IN the scale, but they are not yet at the top. The
distance between them and those still above them
~ maintained by Themselves. II they are not on
ievel with the best Of their Practitioners ana
cnens II Is because they do not think them
selves on level. The members OF these profess
hons vary widely in character. and In their views
on such matters. but what is certain is that some
Oh me most eminent among them are content TO
accept or do accept the brand Of social inferior
IVY II you meet them in the company OF the
sfeat-l mean those who are great socially-you
VIII see that TO some of the best the old tradi-
Mons still cling. Their attitude II one OF defer
ence; sometimes OF timidity. They use titles In
way IN which servants and not masters use them
IL mas always been said Of the physician that his
attitude is affected by the custom OF the out
sue'cned hand into which the patient puts his
suineas Ii may be 80. Something has affected
It, Nor Is 1t always want OF elevation or char-