The Van Buren press., 1895-01-12
OLD NEWSPAPERS.
BY GEORGE A. ROBERTSON.

BY GEORGE A. ROBERTSON.
There has been such a complete rev.
olution in the manner Of conducting
newspapers and in the character of
their contents within the past few dec
ades that it is now almost impossible
to understand the power that was ex-
erted by Horace Greeley and other
great editors in the days just prcced-
ing the great civil war and during that
struggle.
The discovery Of an ingenious Ger
man chemist that fairly good print
paper can be made from wood pulp,
the introduction Of type-setting
machines, and the improvements OF
the wonderful web presses of the pres
ent time, have completely transformed
the mechanical departments of all the
leading newspapers, and made it
possible to issue papers Of maximum
size at a minimum of cost
Ben Perlcy Poore, the long time
famous Washington correspondent
told me short time before his death
that when he first went to Washing
ton In 1856 he was absolutely limited
to ten words per day by telegraph.
The remainder Of his report was sent
by mail; the publishers of that news
paper and its readers being perfectly
content to wait a day or two for their
news. The price of telegraphing at
that time between Washington and
Boston was ten cents per word.
To-day the leading .dailies receive,
during the sessions of congress, ten
and twelve thousand words a day.
They are members Of one or the other
of the great newsgathering associa-
tions that cover the entire globe, and
send over their special wires from fifty
to eighty thousand words per day.
The telegraph outstrips the sun, and
often the people are reading in their
afternoon papers Of things that hap
pened In Europe at an hour earlier
than that ut which the paper went to
press
All these conditions OF the present
are SO different from those that pre-
vailed in 1888, when Horace Greeley
and Francis Story started the penny
Morning Post in Philadelphia, that
there is almost nothing In common
between the two. In the first and
most important particular the newspa-
per was not then necessity Of every
day life. 1t was simply called a news
paper out Of courtesy. 1t contained
very little of wha. Is now understood
as news. 1t was more the reflection of
the editors opinions, and people then,
as now, could live without opinions
If the editor was brilliant and could
write interestingly the paper usually
succeeded. II he was dull and stupid
the paper was shortlived. The at
tempt of Story and Greeley to publish
the Morning Post at one cent per
day was dismal failure
1t now seems almost unaccountable
that the publication OF that insignifi-
cant weekly sheet, the Log Cabin,
in 1s4O, by Mr.. Greeley, In New York.
should have brought him into national
prominence. But the brilliancy of the
editorials and the unique way in which
national matters were presented made
in that day and generation profound
impression, and Mr.. Greeley was al
most Immediately brought into nation
al renown. His counsel was sought,
and he was in several important mat
ters able to adjust differences between
the great whig leaders.
Capt. G. Il. Henry, who figured promi-
nently in politics for many years, and
who was at the time of President Gar
fields death marshal of the District of
Columbia. knew Mr.. Greeley we'll, and
is an admirer of his genius. In a re-
cent conversation with the captain he
related numerous incidents and char
ncteristics Of the great editor that are
entirely new or forgotten by those of
the present day who read newspapers.
These points give good and satisfac-
tory key to the character and power
Of the great editor.
Greeley had way Of meeting an
opponent that was practically un-
answerable," said the captain. II re-
member that certain editor in New
York for whom he had great contempt
was continually pitching into him and
trying to draw him into discussion.
Greeley stood 1t until he thought it
was about time to reply and finally
printed the following editorial para
graph: If the editor who wears
mourning under his finger nails for his
departed veracity, will surprise his
system with bath, we will attempt a
clean discussion with him.
This of course ended the slurs and
insinuations that had up till that time
been very frequent in the opposition
sheet"
One of the most remarkable in
stances of Greeley's repartee was in a
contest with James Watson Webb, the
editor of the New York Courier and
Enquirer, rival whig paper. Webb
had been in the army and was quite
fiery In disposition. He had fought a
duel with Thomas Il. Marshall, ot'Ken-
lucky, In June, 1S42, in which he wns
severely wounded. When indicted for
dueling he pleaded guilty, having had
on understanding that the offense
would be considered technical one,
and that Gov. Seward would pardon
him. He was, accordingly, found
guilty and pardoned.
Some years after when In a discus