The gold leaf., 1909-07-15
Idealism's Journalism.

M. Julian, Editor of the Sails
bury Post, Delivered Before
the North Carolina Press
Association - Journalism
Ideals and the Public Sub.
ject Of His Address-"Noth.
ing Unreal in the Attainable,
However Difficult Achieve
ment of the Goal May Ap-
pear"
Before an audience which filled the
big court room OF Henderson coun-
tvs handsome Temple of Justice,
Hon. John NJ. Julian, editor of the
Salisbury Post, and member of the
Legislature from Rowan. delivered
the annual Grafton at the North Car
DINA Press Convention in Hender-
sonvllle. He commanded the closest
attention OF his audience from begin
ming to end Ofhis able address, which
was as follows:
MR.. JULIAN'S ADDRESS.
The ideal, photographers tell us,
is an unreal something, reaching an
imaginary model or standard of per-
lection. But there are PHILOSOPHERS
and PHILOSOPHERS and the saving
grace of the least as of the best OF
them is that it is susceptible to a
sane adaptation.
There is nothing unreal in the at
tainable, however difficult achieve
ment of the goal may appear.
Man develops as he aspires and his
development is the fruition OF earn
estly applied purpose. This one. con-
trolled by ignOble design, surel v has
no reason to expect immunity from
edict, akin to the Mosaic law, that
the sower must look to his seed for
the harvest; the fruitage of that
others conservation to a lofty pur-
pose is written in different letters. 1t
may not spell place upon Fame's
scroll or a station among earth's ex-
aited; it may even deny the material
compensation accorded the newer of
wood and drawer of water, but this
it does yield-the realization of a
something, a real something contrib
uted towards the strengthening of
civilization
Journalism s Ideals and the Pub
| lie" is the topic | have taken for
what shall be said tonight in dis
charge of my appointed duty and it
| naturally involves the propositions
submitted as it does the question,
SIS ideal journalism a dream?" and
the answer, "No." And then that
other question, '1s it approach
able?" Assuredly Yes. And who
shall make the standard and who
Judge the results? All, who with
clean hands set out with mornings
strength to take, in their sphere, a
part in human activities, and who
when night has come can hold up
these hands and say in truth, "They
are clean"
IDEALISM'S FIRST ESSENTIAL.
Mere disagreement among men as
to point of view or conclusions does
not denote a betrayal of faith or a
falling away from the ideal on the
part Oi one or the other Unanimity
of sentiment in the broader spheres
is, generally speaking, indicative of
decay. But whatever ones attitude
towards a given question the highest
type of journalism demands honesty
with ones self.
There is in this country a news
paper regarded by some q great pub
lication-great, because of its opu-
ence it is able to hire and buy brains.
| Absolutely constituencies, it prates
increasingly of public morals and hu,
man rights. Its henchmen are ever
ready to do its bidding and with
equal facility and plausibility espouse
or oppose any cause.
There is a magazine-One among
Others of its kind-that, in the guise
of a public benefactor, fairly reeks
with scurrility, which it were more
than charity to call iconoclasm. 1t,
too, buys and prostitutes talent.
In neither case is there present this
prime essential to clean, healthful
helpful iournalism-the dominance o.
plain honesty. The word conviction
is a stranger or, if known, an un-
noticed guest in the household OF
both. If Justice is espoused it is be.
cause such espousal pays, if wrong.
uoing is condemned it is sure the til
is in sight.
| Turn from these illustrations of the
venal press to another type of jour.
nalism.
This other type does not nor in
deed need it proclaim itself possessed
parent upon its every page. 1t as.
sumes and exercises certain rights
but does not lose sight of the fact
that there are limitations, conceived
of justice, against the transgressior
OF which it keeps Jealous eye. 1t il
mindful, always, of the rights o
others, sacred in the eye of the mora
law, and thus there is ever present {
dual obligation-the first having te
do with honesty with itself, the othel
relating to the dispensation of iustic'
to Others.
| CONSCIENCE THE BEDROCK.
| have intimated that the bedrocl
upon which the ideal Journalism
islands as unshakable as Gibraltar
is the possession of a conscience, b,
which | intend, among other things
Ito protest at the idealization of i'm
personal journalism. it is to me in
conceivable that journalism of th
| himhoSt chs ractar could hecnma tn