The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-17

may play a part so successfully as to
deceive even himself, bat he Will not
long deceive his readers. There will
flash enough of his real self and shine
out through the types TO reveal him. A
pill is all the same a pill, even wnen
sugar coated, and by no practice can
a coyote cultivate a voice like that OF
an honest watchdog
When an editor uses a paper 10 graf
ify his own sDites, to exalt MS own
personality, to punish his enemies pc
cause they are his enemies; whenever
he forgets that his journal IS sacred
trust. and that when he assumed con-
troll OF it he made an implied contract
to be just to friend and foe, TO MS
country and to society, he can DO much
harm, but before long he is apprecl-
ated al his full worth, and then the
chief anxiety Of decent people is 10
forget that he lives.
We at all times like to expatiate
upon the power of the press. It is
power but to be effective, the pens
tf.at shape its course must be in hands
entirely great.
There is an old story that when the
first locomotive ran through a certain
western state, the engineer one night
stopped at wood-pile, and while the
stoker and brakeman were "woodtng
d..
the machinery.
Just then, two long-haired natives
emerged from the woods hard by and
stood few feet away in reVerent ad-
miration. At last one gathered up
enough courage to address the engl-
neer.
BE that a locomotive?" he asked.
The engineer answered affirmatvely.
A moments pause and then second
question.
BE you the engineer"
Again the answer was yes" Then
there was a longer pause; but finally
the rustic turned slowly to his conn
panion and said:
Jake, it don't take much of man
to make an engineer, do it,
1t is different with the newspaper
1t takes a good deal Of a man TO make
a capable editor.
The locomotive is a good smile by
which TO illustrate the power of the
press. 1t can carry mighty burdens;
it can distance the fieetest bird; when
It is pushed across continents it
changes the channels of trade and
makes new stations for commerce;
when it is driven into the wilderness
savage beasts and savage men alike
retire before it, and civilization, with
unsoiled sandals, follows in its trail.
But it is equally strong when reversed,
and when it forsakes the rails that
make for it q. guide, the stronger 1t Is,
the more complete is the ruin.
There is a benign power in the press;
there is a sinister power. This latter
power is not eXerted by bad men, at
least net for any great length of time.
All through the great war one certain
editor raved with ribaid abuse AT
Abraham Lincoln. He died two weeks
ago in ooscuTfty. and is now well-nigh
forgotten Abraham Lincoln died a
genera ton since, but the glory of his
memory deeDens eve.y year.
No, the chief evil which the press
does is done by honest, but ignorant
or misguided men. An honest editor
in a little while is known to the pub
lie to be honest, and that knowledge
gives him the respect and confidence
of his readers. Now. suppose that with
his integrity the man has the ability
/ to frame good English but that be-
cause OF the nature of his education
or the order of his mind, he is utterly
/ misguided on many most important
/ questions, see what harm such a man
! can :nfiict.
/ We had a most striking example il
! the east three years ago. We are al
/ suffering from its effect now. We can
I not accuse the editors of the grea
/ metropolitan Journals Of the east witt
/ being dishonest, at least not all O
! them.
But they, almost in unbroken chorus
/ urged something upon congress whicl
/ it was plain to US i'm the west woulC
cripple every great industry in thi
/ country. and add so per cent to TIL
burdens of every man who was il
/ debt.
In their sovereign egotisrn they mad
/ prophecies of the good that would sue
/ ceed when their demand should b
/ obeyeCi, and with scorn pointed out tn
manifest want of integrity of all VIII
J did not agree with them. They dit
not know 1t, but they really were en-
/ enies of their country and of the hu
man race.
Of the characteristics and attribute
necessary to becomes journalists, the,
should include special attributes TO
the various departments. The edito
should have first, the clearest judg
ment in the world with a strong de
! velopment of common sense and a lii
! tie at least of the sixth sense, tina
his paper may be next week consiSten
with the paper of this week; that h
may shrewd2y estimate men whom h
! knows, and some whom he never saw
He should have such conscientiousnes
that no enemy could ever cause him t
be uniusl.; that no friend could eve
! beguile him into coCdoning a wrcna
He should have a great store Of know
edge to begin with. and a gift of writ
ing his thoughts clearly in acceptabl,
language. He should write every da
as well as he can, Some men scott a
what is termed fine writing in a dali
journal. My thought is that it Shout
be of the finest, only to be sure tina
the thought keeps up with the words
A high sounding phrase with n
thought behind it is but soundin
brass or tinkling symbol, while
great thought expressed in the sim
rlesit terms strikes the ear as a bat
tie flag strikes the eyes Of an army
a man to whom figures and stats
ties are hobbies. who wild search fo
dates and go through mouldy MANI
scripts for data. with the zeaa of poe
CT lover. is a most valuable man abou
the office of a journal, for afbsolut
correctness is the first attribute of
Journal
The careful man. who can exacti
report an interview or reproduce th
very atmosphere of a public meetine
is Invaluable.
The news editor should be perfect
geography -.aia history, and fagnilia
with the groundworll, at least, of a
the sciences. The classics should a
be within his CAN, and his patriotism
must always keep his heart warm.
The witty men, the droH men. til
satiTical men. are the spice and per
per of journalism.
Every head about newspaper offic
should be a spring and not a rege1
voir. Quick wit and pluck go witt
cut saying.
What could be finer than the pres
ence of mind of the city editor of
Denver paper? A pale. sickly-lookin
man. came in and asked to see the cit