New-York tribune., 1901-05-03
COL. .N'CLURES FAREWELL.
THE VETERAN EDITOR MARKS THE
SIGNS OF PROGRESS-SPEECH To
CLOVER CLUB MEMBERS.

Philadelphia, May 2.-The Clover Club tonight
gave banquet in commemoration of the retire
ment of Colonel Alexander X Mcclure from ac-
tive journalism after busy career of ffty-fve
years.
Covers were laid for over three hundred and the
participants included soldiers and statesmen writer's
and publishers. and others prominent in national.
State and city life. Among them were Lieutenant
General Nelson A. Miles, former Attorney General
Judson Harmon. Murat Halstead. Felix Agnus.
Governor Stone. Justices Dean and Mitchell of the
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Attorney General
Elkin, of Pennsylvania; Mayor Ashbridge and many
other we'll known men,
There was much interest taken iu the address
made by General Miles Among other things, he
said:
formed by the Journalists There is a far greater
necessity, to-day for fine editorial writer than
mightier than he who wields the sword. Journalism
Of which the sooo 900 people Of this great and
can boast
There were several other speeches made. includ-
ing one by Murat Halstead. Colonel Mcclure, in
the course of his speech. said:
/ have ever conscientfolsIy appreciated the ex-
ceptional responsibilities of the editorial direction
widely read daily newspaper, and in retiring from
that, fully appreciating the errors which a
mon inheritance to the best OF human efforts there
are very few of my many earnest editorial strug-
nalism.
cause of the necessity for prompt criticism of
public men and measures, and 1t has always been a
journalism to public interests imperfectly ap-
Is ample time for the fullest consideration Of every
subject; but the editor is called upon to give ex-
sources of news embracing the circle OF the world
itself. Journalism is often criticised for reckless
ness In publishing news which the trained lightning
and its host of contributors pour into the sanctum
in the midnight hour. but there few indeed out
side OF the profession who understand the care that
is exercised to assure fidelity to the public. and the
times in every well regulated newspaper Office by
9 WHICH @ the guty otten escape Just punishment TO
We have outgrown the age of great editors in the
sense In which they were accepted half a century
among us, but because they have so largely multi
piled as to eface individuality The towering lords
of the journalistic forest great and grand
to-day rs ever in the past. but host of their fe-
logic of their advent has made the journalism Of
to-day, absolutely impersonal This change has
nalism has summoned large proportion of the
the editorial writer has ceased to he the newspaper
indeed, there was not a great editor of the olden
scores in the journalism of to-day and the sober
editorial leaders OF this age are vast improve
whose utterances the nation took pause. The
sGPreme impoTtSnoe OF the EDITOR 10 the supreme
importance OF the newspaper has been accom-
prbshed within my own Journalistic experience, and
The newspaper % to-day is greater and grander
6eSaISe ~ Is Fasty greater ana grander than any
was a luxury; to-day It Is a universal necessity.
graph and in the journalistic mechanism that leads
the mechanism of the world in progress. with the
free school az every crossroads. has made the
newspaper multiply into annual countless millions.
and 1t is to-day the greatest OF the public edu-
Gators II has larger clientele than the school
The college and the pulpit combined. and instead
OF reaching only n few OF the more cultivated and
fortunate classes IL now enters almost every home
and Is read by every class and condition OF our
eighty millions Of people
Friends. pity the man who does not welcome
the gathering or the shadows which lie beyond the
patrlsrehai years The IRE that has fulniied rea-
and mourned IT'S misfortunes. tempered its shadows
and welcomed its blessings. finds ample compensa-
tions in every eetng stage from the fevered hopes
OF youth 20 the mellOwed rpeness OF age and its
paling twilight should come incense TO all
who have traversed the brief and htful journey
from the perishable the imperishable life that is
our common destiny II Is within the power OF ali
from the greatest 10 the humblest, TO teach that
life Is worth the living, and your generous testf-
mony OF tonight will ever be beautiful and
fragrant flowers along my pathway until memory
IS chilled into forgetfulness BY the iuexora bic
senger who summons to the darkness which
breaks in the better life beyond