Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-06-23

w. Lee spoke on the Evolution of
Newspaper Men" He said:
This is the seventh convention Of
the National Editorial association that
/ have attended. | have heard ad-
dresses on almost every conceivable
subject relating to the newspaper
business. If have listened carefully,
I have been instructed and well in
structed upon how to edit a newspa-
per, how to run the business office,
how to get circulation and how to
swear about 1t after you do get it, and
incidentally how not to swear about
the preposterous claims of ones COM
petitor at the same time, how to write,
solicit and secure advertising, how to
collect delinquent accounts, how to
build a modern and strictly up.to-date
newspaper office, how to run the
presses and linotype machines, how to
mollify, paralyze or perforate the irate
subscriber as occasion may demand
and, In short, how to do anything and
everything connected with the news
paper business, excepting only one.
THAT topic, which strangely enough
/ regard as the most important OF all,
has been left for me to expound on
this suspicious and delightful occasion
Ito use the same adjectives that we
apply to notable events out in old OF
tumwa1. My subject is The Evolu-
ton Of Newspaper Men Some OF Us
have been pulling steady in the news
paper harness for more than quar-
ter Of a century. I see faces before
me that do not look as young as they
did when first saw them fifteen years
ago. (Of course, my remarks are con-
fined only to the gentlemen Isn't
It startling how fast the years go after
one passes the forty-ffth annual mile
stone?. The speed of modern light
ming express train is not to be com
pared with the flight Of time when
one is getting on toward the fifties.
Sometimes in the afternoon when the
paper has gone to press, yielding to
the lethargy that comes from the re-
Taxation of the tension Of a daily news
paper day, with the rhythmical sound
Of the rapidly speeding press lulling
tired nerves to quiet and repose, there
comes first the vague consciousness
that we are not as, young as we once
were, and following it comes the start
ling search light inquiry: what are we
going to do when the other fellow is
younger. more enterprising and more
tp-to-date than we are? Are we going
to become back number, be out
stripped in the race, sell out and re-
tire from business, or are we going
to make due provision for that CON
tingency? William Allen White puts
the situation strongly. but, neverthe-
fiesss,-iff the -nfain,~truthfully when he
says:
The profession of newspaper max
ing Is young mans profession. me
time will come when over at our Of
Ace there will be shrinkage. Even
now, our Heading citizens never go
away from town and talk to other
newspaper men that they do not say
that If some one would come over
here and start bright, spicy news
paper, he could drive us out OF town
and make money
Gentlemen, we have been there or
we are all getting there. What are we
going to do about it? Do you wonder
that am sincere when l say that
there is no more vitality important
question for our consideration than
that Of the Evolution of Newspaper
Men,
ut is safe to say that there is not
daily newspaper man here, but has
again and again been startled to note
with what astonishing rapidity the lit
tie carrier boys grow up. Today they
are small boys, tomorrow they are oc-
cupying important positions in mercan-
tile houses or are in business for
themselves and in year or two more,
some Of them are your biggest adver-
tissrs.
=. Nobody on earth appeals to me like
a reliable, straightforward, truth tell
ing. capable and ambitious boy. To
have his respect and confidence is, in
my Judgment, distinguishing mark
of true manliness and in this opinion
am confirmed by that of Americas
greatest philosopher, who says OF
boys:
They know truth from counterfeit
as quick as the chemist does They
detect weakness in your eye and be-
havior week before you open your
mouth, and have given you the benefit
of their opinion quick as wink. Their
elections at baseball or cricket are
founded on merit and are right. They
don't pass for swimmers until they can
swim, nor for stroke-oar until they
can row; and desire to be saved from
their contempt. If | can pass with
them can manage well enough with
their fathers
ri am frank to say that | have made
1t q rule Of my life never to deceive or
mistreat boy. or to knowingly violate
his keen and almost infallible sense of
Justice and honor While have done
this because ] believe 1t is the right
thing to do, yet it is also true that this
rule of action has paid me big divi
dends on my business investments
Trust boys and they will trust you;
nor will they forget your faith in them
when in the course of few years they
are named among the prominent and
progressive business men in your com
munity ] love boys and would rath
er help boy develop, or rather give
q boy chance to develop (for after
all he must do it himself) into an hon
orable, self-reliant and successful man