University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1908-10-06


versal heart; in fact, he is in it, and b
knows first how the events, which ar
the material of history, must affect il
before they are transmitted to the hu
man brain, and there intellectualize
into the universal consciousness
Twelve hours or twenty-four hours be
fore these events become part of com
mon experience, he has felt their i'm
pact, analyzed them, assimilated them
and put them in the way of commo,
knowledge. A fire, fraud, murder, /,
divorce, a financial panic, rumor o
war, an elemental catastrophe, terrible
disaster, is transmitted by means of hi.
personal chemistry before it is transmit
ted to the rest of the human race, which
it never reaches in the form of which
he is previously sensible as an intima'
tion from omnipotence. Whether as a
mere reporter. or as an ultimate edi.
torial authority, he has in his degree
appropriated and characterized it, and
his world, a great or small part of the
race. receives it in his Interpretation.
We are not saying that the average
journalist is aware of being prophet of
this sort; very probably he will be as
tonished to learn that he is of any such
mystical make; but his ignorance of it
will not affect the fact. If he ever
comes to a perception of his place and
use in the cosmos, he will probably
find it something like this; he will dis
cover that his role in the great drama
Of life is vaticination from perfectly as
certained premises; his position is that
Of seer always prepared to act in obedi-
ence to the axiom
The Test of Worth.
Don't never prophecy unless We
know" His peculiar knowledge tonight
will be the common knowledge tomor-
.Ow: but all the same it is fOre-knOwl-
edge tonight. If he finds no allure, no
harm in this, he will not become a great
journalist, though he may find the
strongest allure, the most potent charm
n it, and vet not make a great jour-
lalist.
But how" the trembling under -gradu-
tie longing to ''go into journalism" will
sk,-''how am to learn whether am
it for journalism or not"
The way,' We would answer. ''is not
royal road, for there is none to this
earning more than to any other. If
ou imperatively desire to ascertain your
tness or unfitness, you must try by
aking place on a newspaper. You will |
OOn know whether you are journalist |
nough by nature to be improved by ex-
rrience. Unless you have the money |
, buy newspaper. as some successful
mot the best type) have
one, you will probably not be able to
EST yourself on the highest or the high
r planes; you will be allowed, however,
your friends have interest, to enter the
inks of journalism as reporter. This
by no means a contemplate oppor-
unity. Good reporters are almost as
ire as good poets, and to show your
If good reporter is to put your
If i'm a foremost line of advancement.
ut managing editorships are as diff
1T of attainment as ma ajOr- -generalships.
nd there is no promotion by seniority.
till there must be managing editors,
I'd it will be largely. if not essentially.
our own fault if you do not become
le."
This is the sort of vague and evasive
lswer we should make to any specific
quiry. The general question of how
e university may give particular .
aiming for journalism lends itself to
uch the same treatment. In its aca-
mical department, the university af- ,
rds ''the education of a gentleman" 4,
lich nobody. not even a gentleman. can ,
We too much of; but it does not afford
e education of a lawyer or a doctor
a preacher; this is given in particular ,
iools, though whether there can ever -,
ofitably be a school of journalism re- !;
lins to be seen.
A University Newspaper. i
Of course university newspaper on S
: lines of the ordinary newspaper of o
nmeree could always be educatively +
ed, and could be de-amateurized by
lerence to the strict business basis of
, uncloistered journals. That is, when il
did not pay its expenses and some g