The Monitor-register., 1896-11-20


received a handsomely carved; oakan
chest divided into five compartments.
zach representing one of the fys di-
visions of the world. The chest CON
:ains newspapers from everY kRpwn
quarter of the earth menti6nfa 3ias
,iarck's eightieth birthday. b colfec.
lion contains 760 papers Forty, three
living languages and several dead ones
IRE represented.
lSSACHAR IN JOURNALISM. /
Here Is True Picture Of the Press by .
Swiss Editor.
Issachar, the Scriptures tell us (never
mind about the particulars Of the de-
scriptfon), "stoopeth between two bur-
dens. Mr.. Larned, in his general sur
vey of the mission Of books and of news
papers, is disposed to lay upon our jour
.nalistic Issachar burden grieyous to
be borne. Others have another bach
load ready for his patient dorsaliti4a
A few remarks of different tenor may
therefore be in order at this stagelof the
march of civilization, in which upon
any theory Issaohar has a vested inter-
est.
the Swiss national exposition OF
this, year the newspapers Of that small
rennblio made display Of their foroes,
ering in unexpected mum bers "A
1n6 OF more than.5 90 pages, contain
ing catalogue of /, 003 journals Of all
forms and every kind published in the
oantons, was brought out, and in it were
monographs of history, literature, etc, J
e II tethe origin and development
Of Swiss Journalism, which appears to
be The growth of just one century,. The,
Oldest of the Swiss papers hardly dates
before 1895, and there are but haIf s.
dozen which are 100 years old. A few I
Others are more than so years, but most
of the thousand are of the second half
ct the century. The Swiss of the eight
zenith cei1tofY and we'll into the nine
t1sslskb without newspapers, as
f.iey did N 5fhont doctors and dentists,
saSa&tIa dis volume, and got along we'll
" I65n. But now every one reads
and sedld as be reads. The editor Of
this book f4< 5icitrates a little at this.
He says:
Would That the government whose
faults we cover up, the politicians whose
speeches we correct, the parties whose
platforms we publish, the election COM
mittees whom we lead to victory or
whose defeat we disguise, the incapable
candidate whom we hold up as great
man, the manufacturer whose advertise
ment geff Slipped in, the trader who
Graves our Kindness, the finanoier who
begs on ervices, the hotel keeper who
bril12a r Is of fare from which others
11 the artist who extorts big
ad for very little painting, the
y IL who hores us with his dull vol
dnl9s, the public which assaiis us with
reclamations-in short, the whole world
Of unreasonable grumblers- could thank
us for our inexhaustible and childish
good nature and compensate us by graf
itude and respect for the endless bother
they have given us. But, mol The jour-
i nalfst 1m Switzerland is taken for q
kind Of drudge, of whom anything can
bes exacted, who owes something to
| everybody and to whom nobody ever
thifks Of paying anything whatsoever.
In this childlike ingratitude of the pub
lie we find q lofty satisfaction, unattain-
Fable by s6ommon men-the consoling
knowledge that we are better than our
reputation, that we are creditors Of
many rich folks without ever raising a
finger to collect the debt. All, the draft
they set to our Nps Is Who'll
exquisitely bitter For the man con-
scious Of strength disdain is i divine
| dose. ~
With some exaggerations this Is pic
ture Of the press eyerywhsFc. But there
are compensations. and ti6re Is perhaps
"a good time coming, as the song says
The same lively writer goes on to say,
| "The part that journalism plays in our
public and social life broadens from
year to year and will ever incfaase :,
This is true of America no less than Of
Switzerland, and the exhortation which
f6fNws there is equally in place here:
THAT journalism should always be
beneficial depends on ourselves, on the
estimation, more or less high, in which
we hold our noble profession. ON our
self respect, on our freedom of speech
and our courage in presence of power.
Let us avoid toadies and fatterers, &C.
cept presents from no one, remember
that wealth is often dishonor and power
ty no crime. Let us seek no other re-
ward than the witness of a good CON-
science. If we are truthful and sincere,
we shall be listened to and respected y
Poor'dssachar must drop his ears, take
up his load and jog on with this encour-
| agement