Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-01-10

PRESS GALLERY OF THE III
with men who knew his tender heart
and virile brain. But he established
an era. Other independent men have
followed him, and there is no longer any
question of the parity between newspa-
per men and statesmen.
The ideal correspondent is a gentle
man who represents district or a state
in as full and complete q sense Us does
member of congress. He has educa-
ton, experience, polish, understands
legislation, knows parliamentary law
and precedcnts, is familiar with the
workings of congressional committees,
and knows public men and affairs as
we'll as the best of the statesmen. His
newspaper looks to him for faithful, ac-
curate, loyal service, just as the people
look for just such service from their
congressman. He must be worthy of
his responsible position, or he will lose
it. The statesmen must make q history.
The correspondent must accurately
portray it. Side by side the scribe and
the legislator labor for the welfare and
enlightenment of the people. The con-
gressmen receive $4,000 per annum for
their services. The successful and
worthy correspondents receive approx
innate compensation from their papers.
The brain of the one is as good as the
brain of the other. In education and re-
quirements they are on parity.
The saith congress has assembled. The
gentlemen upon the floor of the senate
and of the house have multiform duties
of Importance which the people expect
to be attended to with skill and patri-
otism. The gentlemen in the press gall
leries will be expected to faithfully por-
tray the work of the statesmen. The
people will hold their public servants
to strict accountability for their prom
Uses and performances. They must not
be misrcpresented by the correspond
ents, and they will not be. Their best
friends are in the press galleries. They
have only to be true to themselves and
prove themselves worthy of the trusts
which have been confided to them.
1t will be remembered that not quite
two years ago certain correspondents
published stories indicating that menu
bers of the United States senate were
suspected of having been bribed by tho
great sugar trust while tariff bill was
pending. Immediately resolution
was offered for an investigation of the
charges, and the newspaper men were
regarded as being in contempt of the
senate. The writer's We're called be-
fore dignified committee and refused
to divulge the sources of their informn-
ton. Thereupon they were warranted
to appear before local court, but moth
ing came of it. The gentlemen were
right in refusing to give the names Of
their informants. and every senator re-
spected them for their loyalty to their
friends. Many state secret is con-
fided to gentlemen of the press, solely
for their individual information, in or
der that they may have inside facts to
use several weeks or months later on,
when such knowledge may prove of
great value. The journalist who would
betray his senatorial friend would be
IN anathema on the floor of the senate
and also among his confreres of the gal
leries. 1t is part of the unwritten con-
stitution of the profession that secrets
SO obtained shall be held inviolable.
The illustration of the press gallery
of the house of representatives might
be misleading without word of ex-
ulanation. The picture shows the press