Newark post., 1912-03-27
OUR WORK OUR SHRINE
AN INTERESTING PLEA FOR NEWSPAPER IDEALS

Two city journalists contempt
nous and dcspairing of their pro
fr>sion have given the writer food
fur Thought. One, a Boston scribe.
MS this to say: II have not sent
"ou any more Of my stuff. as we
Il the craft call our humble pro-
"rrtlouS, because d working Jour
mHIi~t turns out so much. that
-mhiu@ seems worth while trou-
su4 his friends with. 1t is shock
,ng to reflect. and an evidence OF
what sins commercial necessity wifi
drive one to commit, that | have in
u'niShy heaps scattered through
the drawers Of a big desk. enough
a my own clippings to fill perhaps
d0rmr considerable volumes. and
ma>t Of what | write | have not
preserved. My Onl y comfort is the
Ihcu4ht that none Of it is actually
ylrinuS or Il reflection Of what | 10
Mm LrIirve.
the rditGr of the London Times
w1tin4 to John Oliver Hobbs some
&raGS ago defended the seeming Sc
verify Of his book reviews in this
~j,p:
"Ihc i'reSs is not corrupt. but it
5 setting disagrceably tainted by
>uIordinating it's news columns to
the desire for advertisements. with
the result that every novel and
every play is declared to be worthy
or 'Ihackcray or of Shakespeare. |
am clad TO see that we don t 90
INTO this hysterical gush about any
one, and the result is that YOU
hardly ever see us quoted in ad-
yrrtiSrments.
The cruX with this journalist
seemed to be whether he should 90
into advertising' and "hysteri-
cal grlSh, or conline himself to
news; Of which Mr.. Pulitzer said
there was really only one kind
worth editing. and that was fight
inv news" Mr.. Pulitzer explained
himself by saying that "fighting
news included everything that
defeated the wrong. and made the
RIGHT victorious.
Now like Martin Luther. the dis
contcntrd journalist defames and
bIarkrrS that which he is. in all de
rrury and loyalty bound to adorn
and lit up. If sick and ashamed
II HI, ajIinG spouse. let him try to
ronSlr her. Let him bring to her
WftS Of cold. frankincense and
mlrrh; praise that energiZeS hon
nrS that decorate: food that nour-
>hc> With his life. if need be, let
him defend her from those who
would rrvilp and Seduce her. Jour
naIiStS who really believe in the
power of the American Press can
moi fail to pnnoble and glOrify it,
One sentence Of truth gallant Y de
IlYcred increases that power Il
thousand times more than reams Of
what its producers quite justly
term stuff and rubbish. - One
journalist pronouncing with con-
viction and a holy arrogance. like
Brunctiprc Of the Revue DIES DeuX
MondeS makes space filters an
injustice against which every hon
est newspaper man should take
arms. Does not the average reader.
like the London Times. weep for
more space for good things. rather
than "Stuff" for ''filling' what
the advertisers have left so scarce
1t is not so bad to have 'hysterical
gu>h in the way Of bookputfing,
suddenly cut off in mid-fiow by a
picture Of Il hair switch which you
may yet by applying to Madame
I.amDaIlp But who can fancy the
Times or the Ieitung stopping
short in a world rousing editorial
to make way for Carter's Little
Liver Pills.
# commercial interests will
not permit journalist to contine
hIS ">tutr' to veracity and value
ol some sort. let him shake off the
dust of his shoes from the whole
Shameless imposition, and no mat
Ter how late in life. turn to an hon
est trade which he may. If he vii.