The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-01-26


knowledge of the people who read pub
lie journals no man can be successful
in that profession. The misfortune of
many ministers is that they study very
carefully the bible and the dogmas they
preach and give little or no study to
the people to whom they preach. Many
of the most intellectual ministers of the
land live and work and die with few
stars for their crowns because they
have not understood the people they
were teaching. Ministers who lack this
essential tribute may be the respected
rectors of parishes, but there can be
no such success for the journalist who
is not first of all thoroughly acquainted
with mankind.
1t is now forty three years since /
began newspaper work as the editor and
proprietor of a village newspaper and
became somewhat familiar with the
journalistic field of that day. There
were then few opportunities for journal
lists. The country newspaper was con-
Quoted by man who was, as a rule,
sole editor, reporter, clerk, cashier, and
canvasser, assisted usually by an ap-
prentice in typesetting and press work.
The city newspaper of that day had
little circulation and employed a very
limited number Of writer's.
/ regard journalism as one of the
most promising fields for usefulness and
success that the brainy, energetic,
practical and progressive young man
of today can find. journalism will con-
tinue to lead in the marvellous progress
of the age. How newspapers are to
improve in their resources of educating
the public seems hard to understand,
but have long since learned that each
new day brings some new duty, some
new opportunity and some new resource
for the advancement of our great
civilization.
There is hardly week that I do not
receive letters from young men asking
what preparation should be made to
begin work in the profession of journal
ism. 1t is simply impossible to give
any intelligent answer to these in
quiries that would be generally appl-
cable. l do not believe that any course
of collegiate instruction can make
journalist. 1t may greatly aid him in
his work, but even after he finishes his
college course he must begin at the
lower round of the ladder to understand
the duties and opportunities Of journal
lists, In olden times journalism consist
ed in the ability to write political and
| other essays; but later such men as
| Thurlow Weed, Horace Greeley and
John w. Forney made their names
| memorable as paragraphists. Weed
| rarely wrote what would not be called a
/ leader, but he had the capacity to
crowd into paragraph more than most
4 men could say in column. Greeley and
Forney were the most forceful and pun
gent paragraphists of their day, while
both often wrote elaborate leaders.
Until quarter of century ago edi-
| torials were the great feature of our
leading newspapers, and every in
huential public journal received it's
| chief power from some strong person.
| ality. That age of journalism has
passed away, never to return. The
| newspaper of today is first of all a
newspaper and it's news is paramount.
In addition it must be a magazine of
| literature; it must be frightened by
| sparkling correspondence and reports
| and it must cover the whole field of
popular education, including literature
politics, art, science and all else that
goes to complete the circle of the news
paper work that is today the great
teacher of our nearly SO,OOO,OOO people.
The field of journalism seems to have
widened until it covers every feature
of intellectual progress and where car
young men of ability, energy and
practical effort find an equal opening
for their labors? There are specialists
in journalism as in all other pursuits
thus opening the way for even the
cloistered student, but his usefulness is
limited. The all-around, capable ant
honest Journalist has all the varied
channels of intellectual advancement tC
invite him into journalism, and hescan
not fail to succeed if true to himself.