The Saint Paul globe., 1896-12-20


The president of the Chicago univer-
sity having sent out a circular contain
ing list of questions as to what prep
aration best fits a man for journalism
the editor Of the New York Evening
Post answers him in pessimistic vein
He observes that these inquiries con-
template mental acquisitions in Ian
guages, mathematics, sciences and his
tory, together with a grounding in the
principles of ethics and moral philoso-
phy, as part of q newspaper mans
equipment. This, says the ruler of the
sanctum, is total misapprehension
He sets FORTH in the admirable English
and polished sarcasm of both of which
he is a master, the qualities which
seem to be found most desirable in
the modern journalist. He says that
AL these things are of high value to
man as man. To a journalist, as
means Of obtaining a place, they are
Of no use whatever" He says that these
qualifications are not in demand in
any newspaper office with which he is
acquainted, and thereby, we think re-
fleets unjustly upon his own; in which
ability, cleanliness in thought, purity
In language and high ideals unques-
tionably prevail. He draws a gloomy
picture of practical journalism 1.-The
country journalists career isl he says,
"as a rule, one of penury and depend
Yrtu ;c;y
and local vanity" The lot of the city
man is far more unhappy. For journal
ism there, says the Post, what is of
value, after readiness in writing, is
capacity for imaginary descriptions, for
inventing amusing accounts Of small
and filthy incidents, for abuse or ridi-
cule Of prominent persons, and enter
prise ia poking into and reporting
private affairs
1t seems to us that the able editor of
the Post generalizes too readily from a
comparatively limited experience and
passes too easily from the particular to
the universal. We can understand read
lily how man who is a journalist be-
cause he loves his work and believes
in it, and who must live and serve his
public under the shadow of those two
temples of vulgarity and crime from
which issue the World and the Journal,
should be inclined to take this. view.
The strongest argument toward con-
Vincing one that there can be really
such a thing as a decadent age, and
that we are living in it, is found in the
existence and at least temporary sue
cess Of such newspapers as now COM
mand the ear and eye of the New York
public. journalism is, indeed, save for
few honored examples like the Post,
country. One may pardon the pessi-
mistic view when he sees real news
papers like the Times and the Tribune.
which, however narrow and limited
their scope, are at least clean and
fairly reliable, losing circulation and
trembling on the brink of perpetual
bankruptcy, because their constitu-
ency has taken to buying the spotted
sheets that vend their malodorous
wares daily to readers that they can
count by hundreds of thousands. 1t is
a depressing and terrible situation It
cannot long continue without perma-
nently lowering the mental and moral
tone of a public that patronizes or even
permits the existence of such libels
upon Journalism
After all, however, New York is not
the United States, and we are not ready
to believe that there are many eonmun-
tiles in which newspapers would be per-
mitted to promote, crime by picture and
letter press. and Ssuld thrive by so do
ing. The country press does not warrant
the descriptions Of it which we have
quoted. That is the too common metro
politan view of the struggling exist
ence of the local paper 1t is a faulty
and an incorrect view. Men are men,
and journals are journals the world
over. There is about the same percent
age of folly and of moral obliquity ev-
erywhere. Yet we affirm unhesitating-
ly that the local press Of this country
is today manned by men who, how
ever limited may be their powers, and
however they may err in the discus
sion Of public questions, are, on the
whole, sincere, incorruptible and pa
triotic in the service which they are
| endeavoring to render, for an all too
limited compensation, to their public,
and through it to the world.
In other cities than in New York the
same is true. Just as London can Of
fer US illustrations of vices that are
unspeakable and almost unimaginable,
and that have, nevertheless, taken
such firm root in an old and rotten
soil that they cannot be extirpated, so
we believe that what is called journal
ism in New York, when it appears in
the fiashy papers that just now hold
the public ear and eye, Is an excres-
cence denoting deep-seated disease,
and not an indication of the moral
constitution of the people. Outside of
paper has appeared, and none, we be-
lieve. could maintain itself On the
| contrary, there has been great gain
of late years in the tone of journalistic
work. Newspapers less frequently pan
der to the vile and are recognizing with
greater unanimity that they need not
deprave their readers in order to win
or hold them. 1t is this which makes
| journalism an honorable profession