Year: 1875




g subscriber to the press is free And
: every one of them wants freedom of the
g press. And his notion of free press is
t that it shall reproduce his own notions
/ When it runs counter to his interests or
prejudices, he does what he can to ter
= inmate its existence by withdrawing his
subscription. Yet freedom of the press is
; principle which every American will


fight for, bleed for, die for; do anything


but subscribe twenty-five cents a week
! for


, The press is entirely free to cut short
its existence by heroic devotion to prin-


ciple. Every body admires moral hero
lsm-when it prospers. Everybody has
contempt for the moral hero who does


not prosper. Then the community calls


him impractical.


The generous encouragement given to


the editors moral herosm by his disin-


terested advisers presents human nature


in one of its most smiling aspects. He


is continually exhorted to assail this and


that public or private abuse, or class, or


person. He has always cloud of faith
full witnesses to tell him of things he


should denounce. They do him the


honor to regard him as sort of moral


bludgeon, which they can bring down on


the head of anybody, while they remain


ensconced. If the editor should receive


all this generous encouragement to be a


moral hero, he would find the reward of


virtue in the publication of a paper ex-
clusively for his own reading. And then
| his generous advisers would remark, by


way of epitaph, that he was impractical,


and had too much talent for making en-


emies.


| There is an unwritten law of freedom


of the press, more potent than any of it's
| formulated maxims, that an editor who
! takes any course that loses subscribers


does not understand his trade. And
this is sound rule; for what is jour


nal without subscribers? But there is


no denying that the press is free.


The press being free, the first maxim
laid down by the professors is that it
should be independent. Independent
journalism is declared to be the highest
type, the only kind worthy a noble am
bition and the kind most certain to sue
ceed. Where independence offers honor
and profit, who can choose servitude and
poverty? A choice so unnatural could
only be from ignorance of what inde-
pendent journalism is. Yet it has dis
tinguished professors, and its examples
are cried about the streets To the un-
tutored mind it would seem that if the
editor publishes his sincere convictions
his is an independent journalism very
simple. But this would allow that indie
pendent journalism may be bigoted sec
tartan, and partisan, for such are mems
minds by education and sincere convic-
ton. And these are they that are readi-
est to face unpopularity and money loss
in maintaining their views But the
professors of independent journalism de-
clare that it must be of no party If we
are still so unreasonable as to ask what
are parties, we find that they are a neces-
sary part of the machinery of govern
ment by popular elections; that they are
associations of persons having similar
views of governmental policies for the
purpose of carrying them into the ad-
ministration of affairs. and that all who
maintain any views of public policy are
classed with the party which advocates
them. Therefore to say that lndepen-
dent journalism must have no party, is
to say it must have no principles that
any party holds.


AS parties are maintaining one side or
the other of all the living questions, to
say that Independent journalism must be
of no party, is to say that it must have
no sincere convictions nor honest princi-
pies. This conclusion is further confirm
ed by the paramount principle of the
professors of independent journalism,
which does not allow pecuniary sacrifice
for any cause whatever.


@Thus the nature of independent jour
nalism is so simple that the wayfaring
man can comprehend it. The editor has
only to lift himself to plane above all
human principles and convictions, and
to pursue undeviatingly his own interest.
The truly independent editor of the pro-
sessors is like the sronaut up in a bal
Don. The earnest convictions on great
lffairs and great moral questions are to
4 onnfI1caA onA tho o,,1ty
ion that is of any interest to him is how
20 keep up his own machine


Another of the great maxims is that
journalism must be impersonal: that is
10 say, it must be divested of all identity
With persons, so that no one shall know
he writers of its oracles, or associate any
personality with them. One reason of
his is that the writer may the better lift
himself out of the limitations of human
nature. Another is that the moral effect
# his writings may not be impaired by
his fine sentiments with his
oarse personal presence or character.
10 good an authority as st. Paul refers
o this reason of impersonal journalism
Then he tells how his critics drew dis
araging contrasts between his weighty
nd powerful letters and his weak bodily
resence and contemplate speech. We
an fancy that even the oracle at Delphi
night not have been thought divine had
he veil of its impersonality been lifted,
o that people could see the persons that
Trote its imposing deliverances. Like
rise, if the veil of the impersonality of
he great moral engine should be lifted,
nd people should see behind it a writer
f loose character, it might impair the
feet of the fine moral sentiments of his
ditorial articles.


This sets up for the journalist higher
lw than for the priesthood. For it is
ule of the Church that the backslidings
f the priest in no wise impair the valid
~ of the ordinance she administers. So,
it were possible for the journalist to
ave any vices, they ought not to impair
he effect of the fine moral lessons he
elivers ex cathedra-from the editorial
hair. But this impersonal maxim
hows the progress of journalism since it
anne to be profession; for no great
ournal has yet been created in the Unit
d States that was not identified with the
enius and person of its editor, So far
5 we know by proof, this is the only
ay that a journal can be created. But
ne impersonal rule is now so strictly OBJ
arved that we see editors shrinking
'oEn the public gaze, avoiding all noto-
ety and blushing when their names are
ublished. And when the public reads
he journal, it idealizes the writer as a
IAN divested of all human passions.


Another of the modern maxims is that
he highest office of journalism is not to
orm public opinion, but to carry the
eHs There is n refreshinp humility in