St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-04
JUDGMENT IN OLD AGE.

JUDGMENT IN Old AGE.
a news item. fresh from Europe a
day or two since, contains a molecule
of Information which should be conned
studied. committed 10 memory and then
acted upon by statesmen. diplomatists,
clergymen, and particularly by lawyers
and public officials. 1t runs after this
fashion:
An inspired pamphlet entitled Prince
Bismarck and the Hamburger Nachrichten''
says that the prince regrets his hostile con-
duet toward newspaper men in the days of
his power. He has learned to know them
better since his fall, he says and thinks now
that they ought to be used more in the state
service. and especially in the diplomatic
branch, as is done with great success in the
United States, France Italy and England
1t is singular that the element of good
common sense frequently does not
dawn in even the greatest mind until
too late in life to be utilized for any
good purpose. 1t is remarkable that an
intellect so strong and dominant as that
OF Bismarck should have postponed the
interesting discovery that the news
paper press is an engine to be utilized
for the upbuiiding of the race, and not
an intermeddllng machine invented to
circumvent the plans and purposes of
men honestly engaged in patriotic efforts
TO remould and reform society to higher
purposes.
The evil in mans nature prefers
darkness rather than light. Truth is
ingenious, frank and outspoken. He
who has real, honest purpose to do
good to his fellows immediately hunts
out an Intelligent newspaper reporter,
and places himself in a position TO be
interviewed. On the other hand, the
ring that is engaged in some scheme to
obtain power for selfish purposes, the
fellow who is seeking IN opportunity to
acquire Illicit gain-from the common
sneak thief to the railroad wrecker-
hastens to get out of earshot of the
entire journalistic fraternity.
There are occasions on which states
men and diplomats are justified i'm
hiding their purposes = temporarily
from the public eye. But these IN
stances are extremely rare. In repub-
lie the people are sovereign. What
good end IS ever served by keeping the
king III ignorance of the acts of his
ministers? The truth is always best:
and when the truth is hidden from the
public eye, be very certain the devil is
busy at the ear of the reporter inducing
him to propagate falSehood. And it
is always difficult, and sometimes dam
gerous, to arrest lie that has once got
ten fairly started on its race around the
world.
Diplomacy recognizes certain COM
mercial value in a lie. Deception and
artifice are part of the stock in trade
of the departments of state in all ma
tons. Probably in the unfinished and
imperfect condition of all human gov
eminent this Is necessary. Very well.
Then it should become the function of
the newspaper to assist in the widest
possible dissemination of any patriotic
Drevaricalion. Diplomatic mendacitv
is, or should be, graceful in form, frank
anG straightforward in utterance, plain.
artless and simple III construction. Dis
honesty must have these proportions if
it is to serve the purpose of abstract
truth. Ii the necessary romance is
coined in secret, it should at once be
given to the newspapers in all the mod
est simplicity of its naked birth. Other
wise the journalist, usually more active
and energetic than accurate, gets an
mixing of it,distorts and sensationalizes
it, and sends bastard fiction out into
the world, instead of the clean-cut.
well-born fraud created in the foreign
office.
There be statesmen in this country
who should take Prince Bismarck's les
son home to themselves. There be great
men. and wealthy men, and prominent
men. and intellectual men, who gaze
upon the active and alert newspaper
reporter with ill-concealed contempt not
unmiXed with suspicion. That same
reporter is the eye of society, the scourge
of secret vice, the strong right arm of
law and order. With the fearless stem
and vlvacity of unframed youth and
untutored ambition, he not infre-
quently plumbers into the very hidden
sanctuary of rascality, the sanctum
sanctorum of public plunder, and with
a written word dissipates conspiracy as
the MONDAY sun dissipates the morning
frosts. Often he is loud, peremptury,
sensational-but young ears love noise,
and delight i'll the surprises of public
tumult. Sometimes he purposely mis-
quotes, and seems to delight in the mis-
representation of exact facts. But these
are the exception, and can rarely be
traced TO malice. AT all events, it is al
ways wise for the honest cause to make
friends with the reporter. and stand in
the open with TIE newspaper.
Bismarck, at elghty-three, is sorry
that he did not in youth consort with
the Journalist instead of insolently ele-
waiting his aristocratic nose, and chasing
with outcasts and parlahs the members
of the fourth estate. Age and expert
ence often crown even tyranny with
good Judgment. The little fellows in
America who ape the men of rank in
Europe will take notice and govern
themselves accordingly. The reporter
and the newspaper have become an
eternal fixture. They had better be
trusted; they may not be ignored.