The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-20
sicued EdiforfaIs.

As most readers know, there Is a ten
dency among certain highly colored jour
nais to use -signed editorials. as they
are dubbed BY the newspapers in ques-
tion-in other words, brsef expressions OF
opinion from weIl-known peopIe-authors.
actors. clergymer, murleFers, pugilists,
merchants. or POLITICIANS. The opinions
may or may not be interesting. and they
are seldom the work Of the alleged writ
ers. The paper sends reporter to inter
view the person who is 10 write the "edi
torial,'' and out of the interview the re-
porter makes an article, which Is signed
by the person who appears before the
public as the author. Very nearly all
prominent men ave been approached by
the editorial hunter. end most OF them
have suceumbed One of the few who have
not is Mark Twain, who, with his Gus
tonary good American eomRaon sense,
sticks TO The oId-fashioned interview. He
said to the Representative OF an editorial
evnaieate who came to him the other day:
My friead. when 1 arrive II a country
sec ali the reporters and give then one talk. II
IS very good matter, and Is one Of those in
pronptus which write With .tlle greatest care a
write / sell and pocket the proceeds"
This is the sensible view of the matter
It Will be easily seen that the thoughtful
wen-considered utterance Of a profes-
sionaI author IS worth money, not as an
editorial. bat as iutrinsically valuable.
Its value depends, Of course, upon the
knowledge which ne happens 20 have of
the subject under discussion, but If he
Is careful OF his reputation he will not
rush into print with remarks on a matter
of which he knows little or nothing The
opinion Of Harriet BeecRer Stowe on the
relative merits Of two pugilists. or the
opinions of the pUgilists on a theological
dispute, would not be likely TO be OF much
use IN this age Of specialization per-
son who is great in his own line may be
ignorant of subjects which are not in his
line; and to Interview him on these sub
jeets is simply to invite him to show
the average side of himself. which IS of
no value to the world. The only part
of a man with which the public has any
concern is the element in his nature
which Influences the public. An inventor
serves his country by his inventions; his
private life is his own. and nobody has
any business to NEEDLE with it. So with
the statesman, the author, the singer.
the artist. To insist that all these peo-
pie shall either literally or metaphor
icaIIy live OF exhibition, as the kings of
France used to do, is barbarism. II
writer NEEDLES. publicly. with things of
which he knows Eothing. he obtrudes his
personality upon world which needs
only the best part of the intellect. It
is bad taste in him, and 1t is extremely
bad taste in any newspaper to encourage
him
The impersonaI character of Journalism
is one secret Of It's power The newspa-
per is the work of a small regiment OF
men. working, not for their own indi-
yiduai fame, but for the glory of the pa
per. The .thoroughgoing newspaper man
does not care to sign his work. He pre-
fers that II shall remain unassoeiated
with his personality, and be accepted not
because he wrote it. but because it is
good. The signed editorial business Is
wholly contrary to this principle of true
Journalism. and that is one reason Why
it is Objectionable