Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-08-29

high-p S Il G,
over seasoned, morbid, crazy, arc
light, triple-expansion thing like
one Of the seasonable dailies of
this era, the feat becomes superhuman,
writes Julian Ralph in Providence
Journal. Even II a man we're to sell
his self-respect and vltiate his mind
and morals and pillory himself before
the public as manager Of such an UNI
wholesome product, he would have TO
be very ingenious, fertile and buoyant
person to accomplish the task for any
length Of time So well do the traders
in this sort Of goods understand the
difficulties of the place that one OF them
will not make a contract with his men,
and another does not hesitate to fling
his men away like sucked oranges as
soon as their freshness pales and their
vigor tires. They take on new men as
If they were brooms that wear smooth
after little use, and then must be
thrown into the ash barrel. While the
poor devils are new they must produce
enormous papers, filled with novelties.
They must originate such articles as
"Why Do Millionaires Dream?" or
"The Grandmothers of Famous Men"
or "a List of the Actresses Who Have
Had More Than Three Husbands"
They must break down all privacy,
ridicule science, scott at religion, ven
tilate all the vices, aggrandize the
notoriety seekers, make fun of reforms,
invent bogus news, and get genuine
news by the methods of eavesdrop-
pers and burglars.
These newspaper magnates Of to-day
are singular beings-far more singu-
lar than their newspapers. I read of
one the other day who is said to have
declared that he would have no man
in his employ that he could not swear
at" I do not know whether he ever
said that or not, but believe he has
no man in his employ at whom he does
not swear. And he is not alone in that
exquisite quality, for he has a power
full rival who, if all accounts are true,
descends to vile and violent abuse of
those who are nearest to him whenever
he is crossed or his breakfast disagrees
with him.
1 can tell the gentle reader this fact
that he can rely upon: When the day
comes that new Frederick Hudson
writes a later history Of daily journal
ism he will pen an absorbing chapter
upon the lives and characteristics and
habits of the imperial spectators who
invented and elaborated sensational
journalism. When that day comes
and it is not far off, for the disease must
soon run itself out-he will tell a tale
that will make the story of Monte
Cristo seem trihing and poor. He will
tell of men whose palaces are scattered
all over Europe and America, who have
as many secretaries and Wallets as
there are choir-b boys in cathedral, who
use brains and men as if they were
fagots or cheap leadpencils, who dare
to threaten presidents and governors,
who hold no law or custom too sacred
and no privacy worthy Of regard. These
men are among the most notable de-
velopments of our land and age. They
are not creatures Of luck nor are they
the benefciaries of the able men they
employ. Every now and then some
man under them fancies himself the
maker of their fortunes. He dreams
that he can do for himself what he
thinks he has done for his millionaire
publisher. He tries it, and in every
instance every such man has failed
lamentably-and quickly,
No, this new breed Of publishers
who have gone into newspaper work
who print unedited, editorless papers
are no butterflies or drones or idlers
The public hears of their yacht and
coaches and palaces, and thinks them
pampered swells Their own employees
chose who are not close enough to
know better fancy that it is "the
boys" who are doing all the money
making for "the BOSSES" But the new
history of journalism will tell differ
ent story. 1t will tell of the overthrow
of the editor of old, of the casting out
of the old ideas called principle" and
"policy" and leadership" and "educa-
tional work" It will tell of the raising
up in their places Of the publisher
speculator who caters to the masses, to
the frivolous, to the lower tastes and
passions of mankind, and who runs his
paper for money, just as the Big -Four
of California ran their great railroad.
How able these magnates must be-
how fertile and ingenious and irrepres-
sible and forceful you shall all read
some day, and the whole story will be
gilded with accounts of barrels of gold
flashing with references to jewels
fabricated with the red initials of the
men who have broken down under the
strain put upon them by these men
and glorifed with tales of hobnobbings
with princes and senators. of coach
ing and yachting, and of roaming about
from one place to another, much as
Theodore Tilton used to roam about
from bed to bed all over his house when
his mighty brain kept him from sleep
ing like an ordinary Christian.
"Yes," remarked the egg, my the