The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-06-02

HSH 1itaptt - ~ tiit newspaper NNels
ness. He concentrates his brain. quite
legitimately upon the commercial
aspects Of things, upon the ihargin u
profit upon the reduction Of expense $,
upon buying white paper and selling #
printed. and thar Is business But q
man who has the advantage. honor ami
pleasure Of addressing the public every
day as a writer or thinker Is a pro.
fessional man So Of course. Is he who
directs these writer's ana reporters,
who tells them what 70 say and how t0
say It. who shows them how 60 think.
who inspires them. though he may
never write line himself. and decides
what the principles 81 tile paper shall
be, For example. the greatest editor
ia the whole history Of European jour-
nallsm, John Delane, never wrote any
articles 81 his own, although for thirty
six years le was the head, the hcart.
the brain Of the London Zines But
he directed every writer; he furnished
the thought the policy the initintives
he bore the responsibility, ana tx corr
rected both manuscript and proofs.
Nothing less than the highest ideals,
the most serupulous anxiety to right.
the most accurate knowledge Of the
problems it has to meet ana d sincere
sense Of its moral responsibility vii
save journalism from snbservience 10
business interests, seeking selfish ends.
antagonistic to tile public welfare.
Commerciailsm has legitimate
place III a newspaper namely III the
business Office. The more successful
a newspaper IS commercially the bet.
ter for its moral side. The more pros
porous it Is the more independent It
can afford to be. the higher salaries ii
can pay to editors and reporters. the
less subject il will be 70 temptation,
the better II can stand losses for tile
sake Of principle and conviction But
commercialism. which IS proper aud
necessary III the business office, be-
comes d degradation and danger
when It inyades the editorial rooms.
Once let the public come TO regard the
press as exclusively a commercial bust.
ness and there is an end of its moral
power influence cannot exist without
public confidence and that confidence
must have human basis. II must
rest IN the end OH the character Of the
journalist The editor, the Feal jour
nalist' Of the future, must be man Of
such known integrity that he will be
above the suspicion e writing Of edit.
ing against his convictions. ~ must
be known as one who would resign
rather than sacrifice Ills principles to
any business interest It would be
well If the editor Of every newspaper
were also its proprietor, but every ell
tor can be at least the proprietor Of
himself II he cannot keep the paper
from degrading itself, he can refuse
to be party to the degradation
BY far the larger part Of the Ameri
can press is honest, although partisan.
1t means to do right; It would Ike 10
know how. 10 strengthen its resom-
ton aud give To it'll wisdom the indis-
pensable basis Of knowledge aud ii.
dependence is The object Of training III
journalism
We are embarked, whether we lke
1t OF not, upon i revolution ID thought
and life. Progress Is sweeping for
ward with aecelernilng force outsirip-
ping in decades the advance of former
centuries and milenuiums All pros
LESSONS, all occupations but one, are
keeping step With that majestic march.
Its inspiration has fired an ranks Of
the marching army or must We except
the standard bearers. The self CON
stituted leaders aud enlighteners Of the
people what are they doing Stand
ing still. lost in SELF admiration, While
the hosts march byg Are they even
doing as well as thatg II 1t not i fact
that the editors OF seventy years ago
We're, as a rule. better informed In
law. politics. government and history
than those Of today The statesmen
ana lawyers ana political students who
used to do editorial work for ambi
ton or intellectual pleasure have
ceased to frequent the newspaper
offices. There is no trade 50 humble
that It is not developing a standard of
competence based on thorough train
ing. For the more Intellectual pre-
fessions law medicine, ART arcld
lecture music, engineering til all IFS
varied branches tie years Of prepare
ton are stretching over ever lengthen
ing periods
i the most exacting profession Of
an, the one that requires the widest
ana the deepest knowledge and the
firmest foundations Of character. to be
left entirely to the chances Of self edu-
cations n the man who is eyerybody's
critic ana teacher the only one who
does not need 70 be taught hmsef2
Il has been said by some that my OBJ
ject IN founding the College Of Jour
nalism was % help young men who
wish to make this their vocation 9th
ers have commended it as an effort to
raise journalism 70 It's real rank as
one Of the learned professions This