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margin-bottom: .5em; } - .figcenter {font-size: .9em; page-break-inside: avoid; } - div.titlepage {text-align: center; page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; } - div.titlepage p {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 3em; } - .ph1 { text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; font-size: xx-large; - margin: .67em auto; page-break-before: always; } - .ph2 { text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; font-size: x-large; margin: .75em auto; - page-break-before: always; } - .ph3 { text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; font-size: large; margin: .83em auto; - page-break-before: always; } - .box {border-style: solid; border-width: medium; padding: 1em; margin: 0em auto; - max-width: 50%; } - </style> - </head> - <body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Profession of Journalism, by Various - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: The Profession of Journalism - A Collection of Articles on Newspaper Editing and - Publishing, taken from the Atlantic Monthly - -Author: Various - -Editor: Willard Grosvenor Bleyer - -Release Date: April 30, 2020 [EBook #61982] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PROFESSION OF JOURNALISM *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class='tnotes covernote'> - -<p class='c000'><b>Transcriber’s Note:</b></p> - -<p class='c000'>The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.</p> - -</div> - -<div class='section ph1'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>THE PROFESSION OF JOURNALISM</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='box'> - -<div class='section ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>OTHER COLLECTIONS</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<p class='c002'>drawn from <cite>The Atlantic Monthly</cite> are published under the following titles:—</p> - -<table class='table0' summary='OTHER COLLECTIONS'> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Atlantic Classics</span>, <em>First Series</em></td> - <td class='c004'>$1.25</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'> </td> - <td class='c004'> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Atlantic Classics</span>, <em>Second Series</em></td> - <td class='c004'>$1.25</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'> </td> - <td class='c004'> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Headquarters Nights.</span> By <em>Vernon Kellogg</em></td> - <td class='c004'>$1.00</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'> </td> - <td class='c004'> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>The War and the Spirit of Youth.</span> By <em>Maurice Barrès</em> and Others</td> - <td class='c004'>$1.00</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'> </td> - <td class='c004'> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Pan-Germany: The Disease and Cure.</span> By <em>André Chéradame</em></td> - <td class='c004'>$ .35</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'> </td> - <td class='c004'> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>The Assault on Humanism.</span> By <em>Paul Shorey</em></td> - <td class='c004'>$1.00</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'> </td> - <td class='c004'> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Shock at the Front.</span> By <em>William T. Porter M.D.</em></td> - <td class='c004'>$1.25</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'> </td> - <td class='c004'> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Atlantic Narratives.</span> Edited by <em>Charles Swain Thomas</em></td> - <td class='c004'>$1.00</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'> </td> - <td class='c004'> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Essays and Essay Writing.</span> Edited by <em>W. M. Tanner</em></td> - <td class='c004'>$1.00</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS</div> - <div class='c006'>BOSTON</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c006' /> -</div> -<div class='titlepage'> - -<div> - <h1 class='c007'><span class='xlarge'>THE PROFESSION OF</span><br /> JOURNALISM<br /> <span class='large'>A Collection of Articles on Newspaper Editing and Publishing, Taken from the Atlantic Monthly</span></h1> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>EDITED WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY</div> - <div><span class='large'>WILLARD GROSVENOR BLEYER, <span class='sc'>Ph.D.</span></span></div> - <div class='c006'><em>Author of “Newspaper Writing and Editing” and “Types of News Writing”; Professor of Journalism in the University of Wisconsin</em></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/title.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='large'>The Atlantic Monthly Press</span></div> - <div>BOSTON</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div><span class='small'><em>Copyright, 1918, by</em></span></div> - <div>THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS, INC.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c006' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c008'>PREFACE</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>The purpose of this book is to bring together in convenient -form a number of significant contributions to the -discussion of the newspaper and its problems which have -appeared in the <cite>Atlantic Monthly</cite> in recent years. Although -these articles were intended only for the readers of that -magazine at the time of their original publication, they -have permanent value for the general reader, for newspaper -workers, and for students of journalism.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Practically every phase of journalism is taken up in -these articles, including newspaper publishing, news and -editorial policies, the influence of the press, yellow and -sensational journalism, the problems of the newspaper in -small cities, country journalism, the Associated Press, the -law of libel, book-reviewing, dramatic criticism, “comics,” -free-lance writing, and the opportunities in the profession. -For readers who desire to make a further study of any of -the important aspects of the press, a bibliography of such -books and magazine articles as are generally available in -public libraries has been appended.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Most of the authors of the articles in this volume are -newspaper and magazine writers and editors whose long -experience in journalism gives particular value to their -analysis of conditions, past and present. Brief notes on -the journalistic work of the writers are given in the Appendix.</p> - -<p class='c010'>For permission to reprint the articles the editor is indebted -to the writers and to the editor of the <cite>Atlantic -Monthly</cite>.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-r'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>W. G. B.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-l'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><span class='sc'>University of Wisconsin</span>,</div> - <div class='line in4'>January 12, 1918.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c008'>CONTENTS</h2> -</div> - -<table class='table1' summary='CONTENTS'> - <tr> - <th class='c003'></th> - <th class='c011'> </th> - <th class='c004'><span class='small'>PAGE</span></th> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Introduction.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Willard Grosvenor Bleyer</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_ix'>ix</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Some Aspects of Journalism.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Rollo Ogden</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Press Tendencies and Dangers.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Oswald Garrison Villard</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_20'>20</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>The Waning Power of the Press.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Francis E. Leupp</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_30'>30</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Newspaper Morals.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>H. L. Mencken</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_52'>52</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Newspaper Morals: A Reply.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Ralph Pulitzer</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_68'>68</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>The Suppression of Important News.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Edward Alsworth Ross</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_79'>79</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>The Personal Equation in Journalism.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Henry Watterson</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_97'>97</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>The Problem of the Associated Press.</span></td> - <td class='c011'>“<em>An Observer</em>”</td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_112'>112</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>The Associated Press: A Reply.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Melville E. Stone</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_124'>124</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Confessions of a Provincial Editor.</span></td> - <td class='c011'>“<em>Paracelsus</em>”</td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_133'>133</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>The Country Editor of To-day.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Charles Moreau Harger</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_151'>151</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Sensational Journalism and the Law.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>George W. Alger</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_167'>167</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>The Critic and the Law.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Richard Washburn Child</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_181'>181</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Honest Literary Criticism.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Charles Miner Thompson</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_200'>200</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Dramatic Criticism in the American Press.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>James S. Metcalfe</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_224'>224</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>The Humor of the Colored Supplement.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Ralph Bergengren</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_233'>233</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>The American Grub Street.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>James H. Collins</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_243'>243</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Journalism as a Career.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><em>Charles Moreau Harger</em></td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_264'>264</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Bibliography</span></td> - <td class='c011'> </td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_279'>279</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Notes on the Writers</span></td> - <td class='c011'> </td> - <td class='c004'><a href='#Page_290'>290</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_ix'>ix</span> - <h2 class='c008'>INTRODUCTION</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY WILLARD GROSVENOR BLEYER</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>“The food of opinion,” as President Wilson has well said, -“is the news of the day.” The daily newspaper, for the -majority of Americans, is the sole purveyor of this food -for thought. Citizens of a democracy must read and -assimilate the day’s news in order to form opinions on current -events and issues. Again, for the average citizen the -newspaper is almost the only medium for the interpretation -and discussion of questions of the day. The composite -of individual opinions, which we call public opinion, -must express itself in action to be effective. The newspaper, -with its daily reiteration, is the most powerful force -in urging citizens to act in accordance with their convictions. -By reflecting the best sentiment of the community -in which it is published, the newspaper makes articulate -intelligent public opinion that might otherwise remain -unexpressed. Since the success of democracy depends -not only upon intelligent public opinion but upon political -action in accordance with such opinion, it is not too much -to say that the future of democratic government in this -country depends upon the character of its newspapers.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Yet most newspaper readers not unnaturally regard the -daily paper as an ephemeral thing to be read hurriedly and -cast aside. Few appreciate the extent to which their opinions -are affected by the newspaper they read. Nevertheless, -to every newspaper reader—which means almost -every person in this country—the conditions under which -newspapers are produced and the influences that affect the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_x'>x</span>character of news and editorials, should be matters of vital -concern.</p> - -<p class='c010'>To newspaper workers and students of journalism the -analysis of the fundamental questions of their profession -is of especial importance. Discussion of current practices -must precede all effort to arrive at definite standards for -the profession of journalism. Only when the newspaper -man realizes the probable effect of his work on the ideas -and ideals of thousands of readers, and hence on the character -of our democracy, does he appreciate the full significance -of his news story, headline, or editorial.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The modern newspaper has developed so recently from -simple beginnings into a great, complex institution that -no systematic and extensive study has been made of its -problems. Journalism has won recognition as a profession -only within the last seventy-five years, and professional -schools for the training of newspaper writers and editors -have been in existence less than fifteen years. In view of -these conditions, it is not surprising that definite principles -and a generally accepted code of ethics for the practice of -the profession have not been formulated.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Ideal conditions of newspaper editing and publishing are -not likely to be brought about by legislation. So jealous -are the American people of the liberty of their press that -they hesitate, even when their very existence as a nation -is threatened, to impose legal restrictions on the printing of -news and opinion. If regulation does come, it should be -the result, as it has been in the professions of law and -medicine, of the creation of an enlightened public opinion -in support of professional standards adopted by journalists -themselves.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The present is an auspicious time to discuss such standards. -The world war has put to the test, not only men and -machinery, but every institution of society. Of each organized -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xi'>xi</span>activity we ask, Is it serving most effectively the -common good? Not simply service to the state, but service -to society, is being demanded more and more of every -individual and every institution. “These are the times -which try men’s souls,” and that try no less the mediums -through which men’s souls find expression. The newspaper, -as the purveyor of “food of opinion” and as the -medium for expressing opinion, must measure up to the -test of the times.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>II</h3> - -<p class='c013'>The first step in a systematic analysis of the principles -of journalism must be a consideration of the function of -the newspaper in a democracy. In the varied and voluminous -contents of a typical newspaper are to be found news -of all kinds, editorial comment, illustrations of current -events, recipes, comic strips, fashions, cartoons, advice on -affairs of the heart, short stories, answers to questions on -etiquette, dramatic criticism, chapters of a serial, book -reviews, verse, a “colyum,” and advertisements. What in -this mélange is the one element which distinguishes the -newspaper from all other publications? It is the daily -news. Weekly and monthly periodicals do everything -that the newspaper does, except print the news from day -to day.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Whatever other aims a newspaper may have, its primary -purpose must be to give adequate reports of the day’s -news. Although various inducements other than news -may be employed to attract some persons to newspapers -who would not otherwise read them regularly, nevertheless -these features must not be so prominent or attractive -that readers with limited time at their disposal will neglect -the day’s news for entertainment.</p> - -<p class='c010'>To assist the public to grasp the significance of the news -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xii'>xii</span>by means of editorial interpretation and discussion, to -render articulate the best public sentiment, and to persuade -citizens to act in accordance with their opinions, -constitute an important secondary function of the newspaper. -Even though the editorial may seem to exert a -less direct influence upon the opinions and political action -of the average citizen than it did in the period of great -editorial leadership, nevertheless the interpretation and -discussion of timely topics in the editorial columns of -the daily press are a force in democratic government that -cannot be disregarded.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Newspapers by their editorials can perform two peculiarly -important services to the public. First, they can -show the relation of state, national, and international questions -to the home and business interests of their readers. -Only as the great issues of the day are brought home to -the average reader is he likely to become keenly interested -in their solution. Second, newspapers in their editorials -can point out the connection between local questions and -state-wide, nation-wide, or world-wide movements. Only -as questions at issue in a community are shown in their -relation to larger tendencies will the average reader see -them in a perspective that will enable him to think and -act most intelligently.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In addition to fulfilling these two functions, the newspaper -may supply its readers with practical advice and -useful information, as well as with entertaining reading -matter and illustrations. There is more justification for -wholesome advice and entertainment in newspapers that -circulate largely among classes whose only reading matter -is the daily paper than there is in papers whose readers -obtain these features from other periodicals. In view of -the numberless cheap, popular magazines in this country, -the extent to which daily newspapers should devote space -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xiii'>xiii</span>and money to advice and entertainment deserves careful -consideration. That without such consideration these -features may encroach unjustifiably on news and editorials -seems evident.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>III</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Since the primary function of the newspaper is to give -the day’s news, the question arises, What is news? If from -the point of view of successful democracy the value of -news is determined by the extent to which it furnishes -food for thought on current topics, we are at once given -an important criterion for defining news and measuring -news-values. Thus, news is anything timely which is significant -to newspaper readers in their relation to the community, -the state, and the nation.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This conception of news is not essentially at variance -with the commonly accepted definition of it as anything -timely that interests a number of readers, the best news -being that which has greatest interest for the greatest -number. The most vital matters for both men and women -are their home and their business interests, their success -and their happiness. Anything in the day’s news that -touches directly or indirectly these things that are nearest -and dearest to them, they will read with eagerness. As -they may not always be able to see at once the relation of -current events and issues to their home, business, and -community interests, it is the duty of the newspaper to -present news in such a way that its significance to the -average reader will be clear. Every newspaper man knows -the value of “playing up” the “local ends” of events that -take place outside of the community in which his paper is -published, but this method of bringing home to readers -the significance to them of important news has not been -as fully worked out as it will be. On this basis the best -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xiv'>xiv</span>news is that which can be shown to be most closely related -to the interests of the largest number of readers.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“But newspapers must publish entertaining news stories -as well as significant ones,” insists the advocate of things -as they are. This may be conceded, but only with three -important limitations. First, stories for mere entertainment -that deal with events of little or no news-value must -not be allowed to crowd out significant news. Second, such -entertaining news-matter must not be given so much space -and prominence, or be made so attractive, that the average -reader with but limited time in which to read his paper -will neglect news of value. Third, events of importance -must not be so treated as to furnish entertainment primarily, -to the subordination of their true significance. To -substitute the <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hors d’œuvres</span></i>, relishes, and dessert of the day’s -happenings for nourishing “food of opinion” is to serve an -unbalanced, unwholesome mental diet. The relish should -heighten, not destroy, a taste for good food.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>IV</h3> - -<p class='c013'>In order to furnish the average citizen with material from -which to form opinions on all current issues, so that he -may vote intelligently on men and measures, newspapers -must supply significant news in as complete and as accurate -a form as possible. The only important limitations -to completeness are those imposed by the commonly -accepted ideas of decency embodied in the phrase, “All the -news that’s fit to print,” and by the rights of privacy. -Carefully edited newspapers discriminate between what -the public is entitled to know and what an individual has -a right to keep private.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Inaccuracy, due to the necessity for speed in getting -news into print, most newspapers agree must be reduced -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xv'>xv</span>to a minimum. The establishment of bureaus of accuracy, -and constant emphasis on such mottoes as “Accuracy -First,” “Accuracy Always,” and “If you see it in the <cite>Sun</cite>, -it’s so,” are steps in that direction.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Deliberate falsification of news for any purpose, good or -bad, must be regarded as an indefensible violation of the -fundamental purpose of the press. Any cause, no matter -how worthy it may be, which cannot depend on facts and -truth for its support does not deserve to have facts and -truth distorted in its behalf.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The “faking” of news can never be harmless. Even -though the fictitious touches in an apparently innocent -“human-interest” or “feature” story may be recognized by -most readers, yet the effect is harmful. “It’s only a newspaper -story,” expresses the all-too-common attitude of a -public whose confidence in the reliability of newspapers -has been undermined by news stories wholly or partially -“faked.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>The “coloring,” adulteration, and suppression of news as -“food of opinion” is as dangerous to the body politic as -similar manipulation of food-stuffs was to the physical -bodies of our people before such practices were forbidden -by law. How completely the opinions and moral judgments -of a whole nation may be perverted by deliberate -“coloring” and suppression of news, in this case by its own -government, was demonstrated in Germany immediately -before and during the world war.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The jury of newspaper readers must have “the truth, -the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,” if it is to give -an intelligent verdict.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>V</h3> - -<p class='c013'>The so-called “yellow journals” are glaring examples of -newspapers built up on news and editorial policies shaped -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xvi'>xvi</span>to attract undiscriminating readers by sensational methods. -By constantly emphasizing sensational news and by “sensationalizing” -and “melodramatizing” news that is not -sufficiently startling, as well as by editorials stirring up -class feeling among the masses against the monied and -ruling classes, “yellow journals” have been able to outstrip -all other papers in circulation.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Unquestionably the most serious aspect of the influence -of sensational and yellow journalism is the distorted view -of life thus given. Because these papers are widely read -by the partially assimilated groups of foreign immigrants -in large centres of population, like New York and Chicago, -they exert a particularly dangerous influence by giving -these future citizens a wrong conception of American -society and government. That the false ideas of our life -and institutions given to foreign elements of our population -while they are in the process of becoming Americanized -are a serious menace to this country, requires no proof. -No matter who the readers may be, however, news that -is “colored” to appear “yellow,” and misleading editorials, -will always be dangerous to the public welfare.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>VI</h3> - -<p class='c013'>The treatment of sensational events, particularly those -involving crime and scandal, undoubtedly constitutes one -of the difficult problems of all newspapers. The demoralizing -effect of accounts of criminal and vicious acts, when -read by immature and morally unstable individuals, is -generally admitted. On the other hand, fear of publicity -and consequent disgrace to the wrong-doer and his family, -is a powerful deterrent. Moreover, if newspapers suppressed -news of crime and vice, citizens might remain -ignorant of the extent to which they existed in the community, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xvii'>xvii</span>and consequently, with the aid of a corrupt local -government, wrong-doing might flourish until it was a -menace to every member of the community.</p> - -<p class='c010'>To give sufficient publicity to news of crime and scandal -in order to provide the necessary deterrent effect, to furnish -readers with the information to which they are entitled, -and at the same time to present such news so that -it will not give offense or encourage morally weak readers -to emulate the criminal and the vicious, define the middle -course which exponents of constructive journalism must -steer.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>VII</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Criticisms of the newspaper of the present day should -not leave us with the impression that the American press -is deteriorating. No one who compares the newspaper of -to-day with its predecessors of fifty, seventy-five, or a -hundred years ago, can fail to appreciate how immeasurably -superior in every respect is the press of the present -day. In our newspapers now there is much less of narrow -political partisanship, much less of editorial vituperation -and personal abuse, much less of objectionable advertising, -and relatively less news of crime and scandal. Viewed -from a distance of more than half a century, great American -editors loom large, but a critical study of the papers they -edited shows their limitations. They were pioneers in a -new land,—for modern journalism began but eighty-five -years ago,—and as such, they deserve all honor for blazing -the trail; but we must not be blind to the defects of -the papers that they produced, any more than we may -overlook the faults of the press of our own day.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The period of the struggle against slavery culminating -in the Civil War was one of great editorial leadership. To -say that it was the era of great “views-papers” and that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xviii'>xviii</span>the present is the day of great “news-papers” is to sum up -the essential difference between the two periods. In terms -of democratic government, this means that citizens of the -older day were accustomed to accept as their own, political -opinions furnished them ready-made by their favorite -editor, whereas voters to-day want to form their own opinions -on the basis of the news and editorials furnished them -by their favorite paper. This greater independence of judgment, -with its corollary, greater independence in voting, -is a long step forward toward a more complete democracy.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>VIII</h3> - -<p class='c013'>The recent development of community spirit as a means -of realizing more fully the ideals of democracy by fostering -greater solidarity among the diverse elements of our population, -has been reflected in the news policies of many -papers. By “playing up” news that tends to the upbuilding -of the community, and by “playing down,” and even -eliminating entirely, news that tends to exert an unwholesome -influence, newspapers in various parts of the country -have developed a type of constructive journalism. Such -consideration for the effect of news on readers as members -of the community, and hence on community life, is one -of the most important forward steps taken by the modern -newspaper.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Although occasion may arise from time to time for newspapers -to turn the searchlight of publicity on social and -political corruption, the feeling is gaining strength that -newspaper crusades in the interests of institutions and -movements making for community uplift are even more -important than the continued exposure of evils. Many -aggressive, crusading papers, accordingly, have turned -from a policy of exposing such conditions to the constructive -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xix'>xix</span>purpose of showing how various agencies may be -used for community development. “Searchlight” journalism -is thus giving way to “sunlight” journalism. A constructive -policy that aims to handle local news and “local -ends” of all news in such a manner that they will exert a -wholesome, upbuilding influence on the community, is one -of the most potent forces making for a better democracy.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>IX</h3> - -<p class='c013'>With the entry of the United States into world-affairs in -coöperation with other nations, a new duty was placed -upon the American press. For a number of years before -the world war the amount of foreign news in the average -American newspaper was very limited. With the decline -of weekly letters from foreign countries written by well-known -correspondents, and the reliance by newspapers on -the great press associations for foreign news, readers had -had relatively less news of importance from abroad than -formerly. The world war naturally changed this condition -completely.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Unless the United States decides finally to return to its -former policy of isolation, American citizens must be kept -in touch with important movements in other nations, so -that they can form intelligent opinions in regard to the -relation of this country to these nations. Since the daily -newspaper is the principal medium for presenting such -news, it is clear that newspapers must be prepared to -present significant foreign news in such a manner that it -will attract readers, by connecting it with their interests -as American citizens.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>X</h3> - -<p class='c013'>How the future will solve the problems of journalism -must be largely a matter of conjecture. Temporarily the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xx'>xx</span>world war has given rise to peculiar problems, none of -which, however, seems likely to have permanent effects on -our newspapers. Censorship of news and of editorial discussion -has precipitated anew the ever-perplexing question -of the exact limits of the liberty of the press in war times. -War, too, has made clearer the pernicious influence resulting -from the dissemination throughout the world of “colored” -news by means of semi-official news agencies subsidized -and controlled by some of the European nations. -The extent to which a whole nation may be kept in the -dark by government control of news and discussion, as -well as the impossibility of other nations getting important -information to the people of such a country, has been -strikingly exemplified by Germany and Austro-Hungary. -The need of definite provision for international freedom of -the press has been pointed out as an essential factor in any -programme for permanent peace.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The rise in the price of print paper and increased cost -of production, largely the result of war conditions, have -led so generally to the raising of the price of papers from -one to two cents that the penny paper bids fair to disappear -entirely. This increase in price has not appreciably -reduced circulation. To economize in the use of -paper during the war, many papers have reduced the -number of pages by cutting down the amount of reading -matter. Whether or not these changes will continue -when normal conditions of business are restored cannot -be predicted.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Endowed newspapers, municipal newspapers, and even -university newspapers, have been proposed as possible -solutions of the problems of the press. Of these proposals -only one, the municipal newspaper, has had a trial, and -even that has not been tried under conditions that permit -any conclusions as to its feasibility. Although there has -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xxi'>xxi</span>been a marked tendency, hastened by the war, toward -government ownership or control of railroad, telegraph, -and telephone lines, which, like newspapers, are private -enterprises that perform a public function, there has been -no corresponding movement looking toward ownership or -control of newspapers by the federal, state, or local government.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Effective organization of newspaper writers and editors -has been urged as a means of establishing definite standards -for the profession. It seems remarkable that in this -age of organization newspaper workers are the only members -of a great profession who have no national association. -Newspaper publishers, circulation managers, advertising -men, and the editor-publishers of weekly and small -daily newspapers have such organizations. For free-lance -writers there is the Authors’ League of America. In several -Middle Western states organizations of city editors have -been effected; but a movement to unite them into a national -association has not as yet made much progress.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Two national newspaper conferences have been held -under academic auspices to discuss the problems of journalism, -the first at the University of Wisconsin in 1912, -and the second at the University of Kansas, two years -later. Although a number of leaders in the profession took -part in the programmes and interesting discussion resulted, -the attendance of newspaper workers was not sufficiently -large to be representative of the country as a whole, and -no permanent organization was effected.</p> - -<p class='c010'>That a national organization of newspaper men and -women is neither impossible nor ineffectual has been demonstrated -in Great Britain, where three of such associations -have been active for a number of years. The Institute of -Journalists of Great Britain, an association of newspaper -editors and proprietors, holds an annual conference for the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xxii'>xxii</span>discussion of current questions in journalism and has had -as its head such distinguished journalists as Robert Donald -of the London <cite>Daily Chronicle</cite>, A. G. Gardiner of the -London <cite>Daily News</cite>, and J. L. Garvin, formerly editor of -the <cite>Pall Mall Gazette</cite> and now editor of the <cite>Observer</cite>. The -other associations are the National Union of Journalists, -composed exclusively of newspaper workers, which maintains -“branches” and “district councils” in addition to the -national association; and the Society of Women Journalists.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>XI</h3> - -<p class='c013'>There is no one simple solution for the complex problems -of journalism. In so far as the newspaper is a private -business enterprise, it will continue to adjust itself to the -steadily advancing standards of the business world. “Service,” -the new watchword in business, is already being taken -up by the business departments of newspapers in relation -to both advertisers and readers. The rejection of objectionable -advertising and the guaranteeing of all advertising -published have been among the first steps taken toward -serving both readers and honest business men by protecting -them against unscrupulous advertisers. When it is -generally accepted in the business world that service, as -well as honesty, is the best policy, no newspaper can long -afford to pursue any other.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Nor need private ownership be a menace to the completeness -and accuracy with which newspapers present -news and opinion. Just as business men are coming to -realize that truthful advertising is most effective and that -a satisfied customer is the best advertiser, so newspapers -are coming more and more to appreciate the fact that -accuracy and fair play in news and editorials are also “good -business.” Neither the public nor a majority of editors -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xxiii'>xxiii</span>and publishers can afford to permit unscrupulous private -ownership to impair seriously the usefulness and integrity -of any newspaper.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In so far as the newspaper performs a public function, -its usefulness will be measured by the character of the -service that it renders. Its standing will be determined by -the extent to which it serves faithfully the community, -the state, and the nation. Whatever principles are formulated -and whatever code is adopted for the profession of -journalism will be based on the fundamental idea of service -to the people—to the masses as well as to the classes.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Newspaper workers, from the “cub” reporter to the editor-in-chief, -will be recognized as public servants, not as -mere employees of a private business. The high standards -maintained by them in newspaper offices will reinforce the -ideal of public service held up before college men and -women preparing themselves for journalism. The public -will understand more fully than it ever has done the necessity -of supporting heartily the standards established by -newspapers themselves. Requests to “keep it out of the -paper” and threats of “stop my paper” will be less frequent -when advertisers, business men, and readers see that such -attempts at coercion are an indefensible interference with -an institution whose first duty is to the public.</p> - -<p class='c010'>With an ever-increasing appreciation of the value of its -service in business relations and with an ever-broadening -conception of its duties and responsibilities, the newspaper -of to-morrow may be depended on to do its part in the -greatest of all national and international tasks, that of -“making the world safe for democracy.”</p> - -<div class='section ph1'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>THE PROFESSION OF JOURNALISM</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_1'>1</span> - <h2 class='c008'>SOME ASPECTS OF JOURNALISM</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY ROLLO OGDEN</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>It is, in a way, a form of flattery, in the eyes of modern -journalism, that it should be put on its defense—added -to the fascinating list of “problems.” This is a tribute to -its importance. The compliment may often seem oblique. -An editor will, at times, feel himself placed in much the -same category as a famous criminal—a warning, a horrible -example, a target for reproof, but still an interesting -object. That last is the redeeming feature. If the newspaper -of to-day can only be sure that it excites interest in -the multitude, it is content. For to force itself upon the -general notice is the main purpose of its spirit of shrill -insistence, which so many have noted and so many have -disliked.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But the clamorous and assertive tone of the daily press -may charitably be thought of as a natural reaction from -its low estate of a few generations back. Upstart families -or races usually have bad manners, and the newspaper, as -we know it, is very much of an upstart. For long, its lot -was contempt and contumely. In the first half of the -eighteenth century, writing in general was reduced to -extremities. Dr. Johnson says of Richard Savage that, -“having no profession, he became by necessity an author.” -But there was a lower deep, and that was journalism. -Warburton wrote of one who is chiefly known by being -pilloried in the <cite>Dunciad</cite> that he “ended in the common -<span class='pageno' id='Page_2'>2</span>sink of all such writers, a political newspaper.” Even -later it was recorded of the Rev. Dr. Dodd, author of the -<cite>Beauties of Shakespeare</cite>, that he “descended so low as to -become editor of a newspaper.” After that, but one step -remained—to the gallows; and this was duly taken by -Dr. Dodd in 1777, when he was hanged for forgery. A -calling digged from such a pit may, without our special -wonder, display something of the push and insolence natural -in a class whose privileges were long so slender or so -questioned that they must be loudly proclaimed for fear -that they may be forgotten.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This flaunting and over-emphasis also go well with the -charge that the press of to-day is commercialized. That -accusation no one undertaking to comment on newspapers -can pass unnoticed. Yet why should journalism be exempt? -It is as freely asserted that colleges are commercialized; -the theatre is accused of knowing no standard but -that of the box-office; politics has the money-taint upon it; -and even the church is arraigned for ignoring the teachings -of St. James, and being too much a respecter of the persons -of the rich. If it is true that the commercial spirit rules -the press, it is at least in good company. In actual fact, -occasional instances of gross and unscrupulous financial -control of newspapers for selfish or base ends must be admitted -to exist. There are undoubtedly some editors who -bend their conscience to their dealing. Newspaper proprietors -exist who sell themselves for gain. But this is not -what is ordinarily meant by the charge of commercialization. -Reference is, rather, to the newspaper as a money-making -institution. “When shall we have a journal,” -asked a clergyman not long ago, “that will be published -without advertisements?”</p> - -<p class='c010'>The answer is, never—at least, I hope so, for the good -of American journalism. We have no official press. We -<span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span>have no subsidized press. We have not even an endowed -press. What that would be in this country I can scarcely -imagine, but I am sure it would have little or no influence. -A newspaper carries weight only as it can point to evidence -of public sympathy and support. But that means a business -side; it means patronage; it means an eye to money. -A newspaper, like an army, goes upon its belly—though -it does not follow that it must eat dirt. The dispute about -being commercialized is always a question of more or less. -When Horace Greeley founded the <cite>Tribune</cite> in 1841, he had -but a thousand dollars of his own in cash. Yet his struggle -to make the paper a going concern was just as intense as -if he were starting it to-day with a capital (and it would -be needed) of a million. Greeley, to his honor be it said, -refused from the beginning to take certain advertisements. -But so do newspaper proprietors to-day whose expenses -per week are more than Greeley’s were for the first year.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The immensely large capital now required for the conduct -of a daily newspaper in a great city has had important -consequences. It has made the newspaper more of an -institution, less of a personal organ. Men no longer designate -journals by the owner’s or editor’s name. It used to -be Bryant’s paper, or Greeley’s paper, or Raymond’s, or -Bennett’s. Now it is simply <cite>Times</cite>, <cite>Herald</cite>, <cite>Tribune</cite>, and -so on. No single personality can stamp itself upon the -whole organism. It is too vast. It is a great piece of property, -to be administered with skill; it is a carefully planned -organization which best produces the effect when the personalities -of those who work for it are swallowed up. The -individual withers, but the newspaper is more and more. -Journalism becomes impersonal. There are no more “great -editors,” but there is a finer <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">esprit de corps</span></i>, better “team -play,” an institution more and more firmly established and -able to justify itself.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>Large capital in newspapers, and their heightened earning -power, tend to steady them. Freaks and rash experiments -are also shut out by lack of means. Greeley reckoned -up a hundred or more newspapers that had died in -New York before 1850. Since that time it would be hard -to name ten. I can remember but two metropolitan dailies -within twenty-five years that have absolutely suspended -publication. Only contrast the state of things in Parisian -journalism. There must be at least thirty daily newspapers -in the French capital. Few of them have the air of living -off their own business. Yet the necessary capital and the -cost of production are so much smaller than ours that -their various backers can afford to keep them afloat. But -this fact does not make their sincerity or purity the more -evident. On the contrary, the rumor of sinister control is -more frequently circulated in connection with the French -press than with our own. Our higher capitalization helps -us. Just because a great sum is invested, it cannot be -imperiled by allowing unscrupulous men to make use of -the newspaper property; for that way ruin lies, in the end. -The corrupt employment has to be concealed. If it had -been known surely, for example, that Mr. Morgan, or Mr. -Ryan, or Mr. Harriman owned a New York newspaper, -and was utilizing it as a means of furthering his schemes, -support would speedily have failed it, and it would soon -have dried up from the roots.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This give and take between the press and the public is -vital to a just conception of American journalism. The -editor does not nonchalantly project his thoughts into the -void. He listens for the echo of his words. His relation -to his supporters is not unlike Gladstone’s definition of the -intimate connection between the orator and his audience. -As the speaker gets from his hearers in mist what he gives -back in shower, so the newspaper receives from the public -<span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span>as well as gives to it. Too often it gets as dust what it -gives back as mud; but that does not alter the relation. -Action and reaction are all the while going on between the -press and its patrons. Hence it follows that the responsibility -for the more crying evils of journalism must be -divided.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I would urge no exculpation for the editor who exploits -crime, scatters filth, and infects the community with moral -poison. The original responsibility is his, and it is a fearful -one. But it is not solely his. The basest and most demoralizing -journal that lives, lives by public approval -or tolerance. Its readers and advertisers have its life in -their hands. At a word from them, it would either reform -or die. They have the power of “recall” over it, as it -is by some proposed to grant the people a power of recall -over bad representatives in legislature or Congress. The -very dependence of the press upon support gives its patrons -the power of life and death over it.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Advertisers are known to go to a newspaper office to seek -favors, sometimes improper, often innocent. Why should -they, and mere readers, too, not exercise their implied right -to protest against vulgarity, the exaggeration of the trivial, -hysteria, indecency, immorality, in the newspaper which -they are asked to buy or to patronize? To a journalist of -the offensive class they could say: “You excuse yourself -by alleging that you simply give what the public demands; -but we say that your very assertion is an insult to us and -an outrage upon the public. You say that nobody protests -against your course; well, we are here to protest. You -point to your sales; we tell you that, unless you mend your -columns, we will buy no more.” There lies here, I am persuaded, -a vast unused power for the toning up of our -journalism. At any rate, the reform of a free press in a -free people can be brought about only by some such reaction -<span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span>of the medium upon the instrument. Legislation direct -would be powerless. Sir Samuel Romilly perceived -this when he argued in Parliament against proposals to -restrict by law the “licentious press.” He said that, if the -press were more licentious than formerly, it was because it -had not yet got over the evils of earlier arbitrary control; -and the only sure way to reform it was to make it still more -free. Romilly would doubtless have agreed that a free -people will, in the long run, have as good newspapers as it -wants and deserves to have.</p> - -<p class='c010'>As it is, public sentiment has a way, on occasion, of -speaking through the press with astonishing directness and -power. All the noise and extravagance, the ignorance and -the distortion, cannot obscure this. There is a rough but -great value in the mere publicity which the newspaper -affords. The free handling of rulers has much for the -credit side. When Senior was talking with Thiers in 1856, -the conversation fell upon the severe press laws under -Napoleon III. The Englishman said that perhaps these -were due to the license of newspapers in the time of the -foregoing republic, when their attacks on public men were -often the extreme of scurrility. “C’était horrible,” said -Thiers; “mais, pour moi, j’aime mieux être gouverné par -des honnêtes gens qu’on traite comme des voleurs, que par -des voleurs qu’on traite en honnêtes gens.”<a id='r1' /><a href='#f1' class='c015'><sup>[1]</sup></a> And when -you have some powerful robbers to invoke the popular -verdict upon, there is nothing like modern journalism for -doing the job thoroughly. Those great names in our business -and political firmament which lately have fallen like -Lucifer, dreaded exposure in the press most of all. Courts -and juries they could have faced with equanimity; or, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>rather, their lawyers would have done it for them in the -most beautiful illustration of the law’s delay. But the -very clamor of newspaper publicity was like an embodied -public conscience pronouncing condemnation—every -headline an officer. I know of no other power on earth that -could have stripped away from these rogues every shelter -which their money could buy, and have been to them -such an advance section of the Day of Judgment. In the -immense publicity that dogged them they saw that worst -of all punishments described by Shelley:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c016'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>—when thou must <em>appear</em> to be</div> - <div class='line'>That which thou art internally;</div> - <div class='line'>And after many a false and fruitless crime,</div> - <div class='line'>Scorn track thy lagging fall.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f1'> -<p class='c010'><a href='#r1'>1</a>. “It is terrible, but for my part, I would rather be governed by honest -men who are treated as though they were thieves, than by thieves who -are treated as though they were honest men.”—<span class='sc'>Ed.</span></p> -</div> - -<h3 class='c014'>II</h3> - -<p class='c013'>It is, no doubt, a belief in this honestly and wholesomely -scourging power of newspapers which has made the -champions of modern democracy champions also of the -freedom of the press. It has not been seriously hampered -or shackled in this country; but the history of its emancipation -from burdensome taxation in England shows how -the progressive and reactionary motives or temperaments -come to view. When Gladstone was laboring, fifty years -ago, to remove the last special tax upon newspapers, Lord -Salisbury—he was then Lord Robert Cecil—opposed -him with some of his finest sneers. Could it be maintained -that a person of any education could learn anything from -a penny paper? It might be said that the people would -learn from the press what had been uttered by their representatives -in Parliament, but how much would that add -to their education? They might even discover the opinions -of the editor. All this was very interesting, but it did -<span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span>not carry real instruction to the mind. To talk about a -tax on newspapers being a tax on knowledge was a prostitution -of real education. And so on. But contrast this -with John Bright’s opinion. In a letter written in 1885, -but not published till this year, he said: “Few men in England -owe so much to the press as I do. Its progress has -been very great. I was one of those who worked earnestly -to overthrow the system of taxation which from the time -of Queen Anne had fettered, I might almost say, strangled -it out of existence.... I hope the editors and conductors -of our journals may regard themselves as under a great -responsibility, as men engaged in the great work of instructing -and guiding our people.... On the faithful -performance of their duties, on their truthfulness and their -adherence to the moral law, the future of our country -depends.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>To pass from these ideals to the tendencies and perplexities -of newspapers as they are is not possible without -the sensation of a jar. For specimens of the faults found -in even the reputable press by fair-minded men we may -turn to a recent address before a university audience by -Professor Butcher. Admitting that journalism had never -before been “so many-sided, so well informed, so intellectually -alert,” he yet noted several literary and moral defects. -Of these he dwelt first upon “hasty production.” “Formerly, -the question was, who is to have the last word; now -it is a wild race between journalists as to who will get the -<em>first</em> word.” The professor found the marks of hurry -written all over modern newspapers. Breathless haste -could not but affect the editorial style. “It is smartly -pictorial, restless, impatient, emphatic.” This charge no -editor of a daily paper can find it in his heart confidently -to attempt to repel. His work has to be done under narrow -and cramping conditions of time. The hour of going -<span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span>to press is ever before him as an inexorable fate. And that -judgments formed and opinions expressed under such -stress are often of a sort that one would fain withdraw, no -sane writer for the press thinks of denying. This ancient -handicap of the pressman was described by Cowper in -1780. “I began to think better of his [Burke’s] cause,” -he wrote to the Rev. Mr. Unwin, “and burnt my verses. -Such is the lot of the man who writes upon the subject of -the day; the aspect of affairs changes in an hour or two, -and his opinion with it; what was just and well-deserved -satire in the morning, in the evening becomes a libel; the -author commences his own judge, and, while he condemns -with unrelenting severity what he so lately approved, is -sorry to find that he has laid his leaf gold upon touchwood, -which crumbled away under his finger.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>While all this is sorrowfully true,—to none so sorrowful -as those who have it frequently borne in upon them by -personal experience,—it is, after all, <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">du métier</span></i>. It is a -condition under which the work must be done, or not at all. -A public which occasionally disapproves of a newspaper too -quick on the trigger would not put up at all with one -which held its fire too long. And there is, when all is said, -a good deal of the philosophy of life in the compulsion to -“go to press.” Only in that spirit can the rough work of -the world get done. The artist may file and polish endlessly; -the genius may brood; but the newspaper man -must cut short his search for the full thought or the perfect -phrase, and get into type with the best at the moment -attainable. At any rate, this makes for energy decision, -and a ready practicality. Life is made up of such compromises, -such forced adjustments, such constant striving -for the ideal with the necessitated acceptance of the -closest approach to it possible, as are of the very atmosphere -in the office of a daily newspaper. But the result is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>got. The pressure may be bad for literary technique but -at all events it forces out the work. If Lord Acton had -known something of the driving motives of a journalist, -he would not have spent fifty years collecting material for -a great history of liberty, and then died before being quite -persuaded in his own mind that he was ready to write it. -The counsel of wisdom which Mr. Brooke gives in <cite>Middlemarch</cite> -need never be addressed to a newspaper writer; that -he must “pull up” in time, every day teaches him.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Professor Butcher also drew an ingenious parallel between -the Sophists of ancient Greece and present-day -journalists. It was not very flattering to the latter. One -of the points of comparison was that “their pretensions -were high and their basis of knowledge generally slight.” -Now, “ignorance,” added the uncomplimentary professor, -“has its own appropriate manner, and most journalists, -being very clever fellows, are, when they are ignorant, -conscious of their ignorance. A fine, elusive manner is -therefore adopted; it is enveloped in a haze.” To this -charge, also, a bold and full plea of not guilty cannot be -entered by a newspaper man. If his own conscience would -allow it, he knows that too many of his own calling would -rise up to confute him. The jokes, flings, stories, confessions -are too numerous about the easy and empty assumptions -of omniscience by the press. Mr. Barrie has, in his -reminiscential <cite>When a Man’s Single</cite>, told too many tales -out of the sanctum. Some of them bear on the point in -hand. For example:—</p> - -<p class='c010'>“‘I am not sure that I know what the journalistic instinct -precisely is,’ Rob said, ‘and still less whether I possess -it.’</p> - -<p class='c010'>“‘Ah, just let me put you through your paces,’ replied -Simms. ‘Suppose yourself up for an exam. in journalism, -and that I am your examiner. Question One: The house -<span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>was soon on fire; much sympathy is expressed with the sufferers. -Can you translate that into newspaper English?’</p> - -<p class='c010'>“‘Let me see,’ answered Rob, entering into the spirit -of the examination. ‘How would this do: In a moment -the edifice was enveloped in shooting tongues of flame; -the appalling catastrophe has plunged the whole street into -the gloom of night’?</p> - -<p class='c010'>“‘Good. Question Two: A man hangs himself; what -is the technical heading for this?’</p> - -<p class='c010'>“‘Either “Shocking Occurrence” or “Rash Act.’”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“‘Question Three: <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Pabulum, Cela va sans dire, Par excellence, -Ne plus ultra.</span></i> What are these? Are there any -more of them?’</p> - -<p class='c010'>“‘They are scholarships,’ replied Rob; ‘and there are -two more, namely, <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Tour de force</span></i> and <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">Terra firma</span></i>.’</p> - -<p class='c010'>“‘Question Four: A. (a soldier) dies at 6 <span class='fss'>P.M.</span> with his -back to the foe; B. (a philanthropist) dies at 1 <span class='fss'>A.M.</span>; which -of these, speaking technically, would you call a creditable -death?’</p> - -<p class='c010'>“‘The soldier’s, because time was given to set it.’</p> - -<p class='c010'>“‘Quite right. Question Five: Have you ever known -a newspaper which did not have the largest circulation and -was not the most influential advertising medium?’</p> - -<p class='c010'>“‘Never.’</p> - -<p class='c010'>“‘Well, Mr. Angus,’ said Simms, tiring of the examination, -‘you have passed with honors.’”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Many cynical admissions by the initiate could be quoted. -The question was recently put to a young man who had a -place on the staff of a morning newspaper: “Are you not -often brought to a standstill for lack of knowledge?” -“No,” he replied, “as a rule I go gayly ahead, and without -a pause. My only difficulty is when I happen to know -something of the subject.” But no one takes these sarcasms -too seriously. They are a part of the Bohemian -<span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>tradition of journalism. But Bohemianism has gone out -of the newspaper world, as the profession has become more -specialized, more of a serious business. Even in his time, -Jules Janin, writing to Madame de Girardin apropos of -her <cite><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">École des Journalistes</span></cite>, happily exposed the “assumption -that good leading articles ever were or ever could be -produced over punch and broiled bones, amidst intoxication -and revelry.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Editors may still be ignorant, but at any rate they are -not unblushingly devil-may-care about it. They do not -take their work as a pure lark. They try to get their -facts right. And the appreciation of accurate knowledge, -if not always the market for it, is certainly higher now -in newspaper offices than it used to be. The multiplied -apparatus of information has done at least that for the -profession. Much of its knowledge may be “index-learning,” -but at any rate it gets the eel by the tail. And the -editor has a fairish retort for the general writer in the -fact that the latter might more often be caught tripping if -he had to produce his wisdom on demand and get it irrevocably -down in black and white and in a thousand hands -without time for consideration or amendment. This truth -was frankly put by Motley in a letter to Holmes in 1862: -“I take great pleasure in reading your prophecies, and -intend to be just as free in hazarding my own.... If -you make mistakes, you shall never hear of them again, -and I promise to forget them. Let me ask the same indulgence -from you in return. This is what makes letter-writing -a comfort, and journalism dangerous.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is a distinction which an editor may well lay to his -soul when accused of being a mere Gigadibs—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c016'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>You, for example, clever to a fault,</div> - <div class='line'>The rough and ready man who write apace,</div> - <div class='line'>Read somewhat seldomer, think, perhaps, even less.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>Even in journalism, the Spanish proverb holds that -knowing something does not take up any room—<i><span lang="es" xml:lang="es">el saber -no ocupa lugar</span></i>. Special information is, as I often have -occasion to say to applicants for work, the one thing that -gives a stranger a chance in a newspaper office. The most -out-of-the-way knowledge has a trick of falling pat to the -day’s need. A successful London journalist got his first -foothold by knowing all about Scottish Disruption, when -that struggle between the Established and Free churches -burst upon the horizon. The editor simply had to have -the services of a man who could tell an interested English -public all about the question which was setting the heather -afire. Similarly, not long since, a young American turned -up in New York with apparently the most hopeless outfit -for journalistic work. He had spent eight years in Italy -studying mediæval church history—and that was his -basis for thinking he could write for a daily paper of the -palpitating present! But it happened just then that the -aged Leo XIII drew to his end, and here was a man who -knew all the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">Papabili</span></i>—cardinals and archbishops; who -understood thoroughly the ceremony and procedure of -electing a pope; who was drenched in all the actualities of -the situation, and who could, therefore, write about it -with an intelligence and sympathy which made his work -compel acceptance, and gave him entrance into journalism -by the unlikely Porta Romana. It is but an instance of -the way in which a profession growing more serious is -bound to take knowledge more seriously.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>III</h3> - -<p class='c013'>It is, however, what Sir Wemyss Reid called the “Wegotism” -of the press that some fastidious souls find more -offensive than its occasional betrayals of crass ignorance. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>Lecky remarked upon it, in his chapters on the rise of newspapers -in England. “Few things to a reflecting mind are -more curious than the extraordinary weight which is attached -to the anonymous expression of political opinion. -Partly by the illusion of the imagination, partly by the -weight of emphatic assertion, a plural pronoun, conspicuous -type, and continual repetition, unknown men are able, -without exciting any surprise or sense of incongruity, to -assume the language of the accredited representatives of -the nation, and to rebuke, patronize, or insult its leading -men with a tone of authority which would not be tolerated -from the foremost statesmen of their time.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>A remedy frequently suggested is signed editorials. Let -the Great Unknown come out from behind his veil of -anonymity, and drop his “plural of majesty.” Then we -should know him for the insignificant and negligible individual -he is. It is true that some hesitating attempts of -that kind have been made in this country, mostly in the -baser journalism, but they have not succeeded. There is -no reason to think that this practice will ever take root -among us. It arose in France under conditions of rigorous -press censorship, and really goes in spirit with the wish of -government or society to limit that perfect freedom of discussion -which anonymous journalism alone can enjoy. -Legal responsibility is, of course, fixed in the editor and -proprietors. Nor is the literary disguise, as a rule, of such -great consequence, or so difficult to penetrate. Most editors -would feel like making the same answer to an aggrieved -person that Swift gave to one of his victims. In one of -his short poems he threw some of his choicest vitriol upon -one Bettesworth, a lawyer of considerable eminence, who -in a rage went to Swift and demanded whether he was the -author of that poem. The Dean’s reply was: “Mr. Bettesworth, -I was in my youth acquainted with great lawyers -<span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>who, knowing my disposition to satire, advised me that, -if any scoundrel or blockhead whom I had lampooned -should ask, ‘Are you the author of this paper?’ I should -tell him that I was not the author; and therefore I tell you, -Mr. Bettesworth, that I am not the author of these lines.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>But the real defense of impersonal journalism lies in the -conception of a newspaper, not as an individual organ, but -as a public institution. Walter Bagehot, in his <cite>Physics and -Politics</cite>, uses the newspaper as a good illustration of an -organism subduing everything to type. Individual style -becomes blended in the common style. The excellent work -of assistant editors is ascribed to their chief, just as his -blunders are shouldered off upon them. It becomes impossible -to dissect out the separate personalities which contribute -to the making up of the whole. The paper represents, -not one man’s thought, but a body of opinion. Behind -what is said each day stands a long tradition. Writers, -reviewers, correspondents, clientele, add their mite, but it -is little more than Burns’s snowflake falling into the river. -The great stream flows on. I would not minimize personality -in journalism. It has counted enormously; it still -counts. But the institutional, representative idea is now -most telling. The play of individuality is much restricted; -has to do more with minor things than great policies. John -Stuart Mill, in a letter of 1863 to Motley, very well hit off -what may be called the chance rôle of the individual in -modern journalism: “The line it [the London <cite>Times</cite>] takes -on any particular question is much more a matter of accident -than is supposed. It is sometimes better than the -public, and sometimes worse. It was better on the Competitive -Examinations and on the Revised Educational -Code, in each case owing to the accidental position of a -particular man who happened to write on it—both which -men I could name to you.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>Wendell Phillips told of once taking a letter to the editor -of a Boston paper, whom he knew, with a request that it -be published. The editor read it over, and said, “Mr. -Phillips, that is a very good and interesting letter, and I -shall be glad to publish it; but I wish you would consent -to strike out the last paragraph.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Why,” said Phillips, “that paragraph is the precise -thing for which I wrote the whole letter. Without that it -would be pointless.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Oh, I see that,” replied the editor; “and what you say -in it is perfectly true,—the very children in the streets -know that it is true. I fully agree with it all myself. Yet -it is one of those things which it will not do to say publicly. -However, if you insist upon it, I will publish the letter as -it stands.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>It was published the next morning, and along with it a -short editorial reference to it, saying that a letter from Mr. -Phillips would be found in another column, and that it -was extraordinary that so keen a mind as his should have -fallen into the palpable absurdity contained in the last -paragraph.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The story suggests the harmful side of the interaction -between press and public. It sometimes puts a great strain -upon the intellectual honesty of the editor. He is doubtful -how much truth his public will bear. His audience may -seem to him, on occasions, minatory, as well as, on others, -encouraging. So hard is it for the journalist to be sure, -with Dr. Arnold, that the times will always bear what an -honest man has to say. At this point, undoubtedly, we -come upon the moral perils of the newspaper man. And -when outsiders believe that he writes to order, or without -conviction, they naturally hold a low view of his occupation.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Journalism, wrote Mrs. Mark Pattison in 1879, “harms -<span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>those, even the most gifted, who continue in it after early -life. They cannot honestly write the kind of thing required -for their public if they are really striving to reach the highest -level of thought and work possible to themselves.” If -this were always and absolutely true, little could be said -for the Fourth Estate. We should all have to agree with -James Smith, of <cite>Rejected Addresses</cite> fame:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c016'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>Hard is his lot who edits, thankless job!</div> - <div class='line'>A Sunday journal for the factious mob.</div> - <div class='line'>With bitter paragraph and caustic jest,</div> - <div class='line'>He gives to turbulence the day of rest,</div> - <div class='line'>Condemn’d this week rash rancor to instil,</div> - <div class='line'>Or thrown aside, the next, for one who will.</div> - <div class='line'>Alike undone, or if he praise or rail</div> - <div class='line'>(For this affects his safety, that his sale),</div> - <div class='line'>He sinks, alas, in luckless limbo set—</div> - <div class='line'>If loud for libel, and if dumb for debt.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'>The real libel, however, would be the assertion that the -work of American journalism is done to any large extent -in that spirit of the galley slave. With all its faults, it is -imbued with the desire of being of public service. That is -often overlaid by other motives—money-making, timeserving, -place-hunting. But at the high demand of a great -moral or political crisis, it will assert itself, and editors will -be found as ready as their fellows to hazard their all for -the common weal. To show what sort of fire may burn at -the heart of the true journalist, I append a letter never -before published:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-r c017'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“<span class='sc'>New York</span>, <em>April 23, 1867</em>.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c018'>“There is a man here named Barnard, on the bench of -the Supreme Court. Some years ago he kept a gambling -saloon in San Francisco, and was a notorious blackleg and -<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">vaurien</span></i>. He came then to New York, plunged into the -basest depths of city politics, and emerged Recorder. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span>After two or three years he got by the same means to be -a judge of the Supreme Court. His reputation is now of -the very worst. He is unscrupulous, audacious, barefaced, -and corrupt to the last degree. He not only takes bribes, -but he does not even wait for them to be offered him. He -sends for suitors, or rather for their counsel, and asks for -the money as the price of his judgments. A more unprincipled -scoundrel does not breathe. There is no way in -which he does not prostitute his office, and in saying this -I am giving you the unanimous opinion of the bar and the -public. His appearance on the bench I consider literally -an awful occurrence. Yet the press and bar are muzzled,—for -that is what it comes to,—and this injurious scoundrel -has actually got possession of the highest court in the -State, and dares the Christian public to expose his villainy.</p> - -<p class='c018'>“If I were satisfied that, if the public knew all this, it -would lie down under it, I would hand the <cite>Nation</cite> over to -its creditors and take myself and my children out of the -community. I will not believe that yet. I am about to -say all I dare say—as yet—in the <cite>Nation</cite> to-morrow. -Barnard is capable of ruining us, if he thought it worth -his while, and could of course imprison me for contempt, -if he took it into his head, and I should have no redress. -You have no idea what a labyrinth of wickedness and -chicane surrounds him. Moreover, I have no desire either -for notoriety or martyrdom, and am in various ways not -well fitted to take a stand against rascality on such a scale -as this. But this I do think, that it is the duty of every -honest man to do something. Barnard has now got possession -of the courts, and if he can silence the press also, -where is reform to come from?... I think some movement -ought to be set on foot having for its object the hunting -down of corrupt politicians, the exposure of jobs, the -sharpening of the public conscience on the whole subject -<span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>of political purity. If this cannot be done, the growing -wealth will kill—not the nation, but the form of government -without which, as you and I believe, the nation would -be of little value to humanity.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>This was written to Professor Charles Eliot Norton by -the late Edwin Lawrence Godkin. The Barnard referred -to was, of course, the infamous judge from whom, a few -years later, the judicial robes were stripped. Mr. Godkin’s -attack upon him was, so far as I know, the first that was -made in print. But the passion of indignation which -glowed in that great journalist, with his willingness to -hazard his own fortunes in the public behalf, only sets -forth conspicuously what humbler members of the press -feel as their truest motive and their noblest reward.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span> - <h2 class='c008'>PRESS TENDENCIES AND DANGERS</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY OSWALD GARRISON VILLARD</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'>The passing of the <cite>Boston Journal</cite>, in the eighty-fourth -year of its age, by merger with the <cite>Boston Herald</cite> has -rightly been characterized as a tragedy of journalism. Yet -it is no more significant than the similar merger of the -<cite>Cleveland Plain Dealer</cite> and the <cite>Cleveland Leader</cite>, or the -<cite>New York Press</cite> and the <cite>New York Sun</cite>. All are in obedience -to the drift toward consolidation which has been as -marked in journalism as in other spheres of business activity—for -this is purely a business matter. True, in the -cases of the Sun and the <cite>Press</cite> Mr. Munsey’s controlling -motive was probably the desire to obtain the Associated -Press service for the <cite>Sun</cite>, which he could have secured in -no other way. But Mr. Munsey was not blind to the -advantages of combining the circulation of the <cite>Press</cite> and -the <cite>Sun</cite>, and has profited by it.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is quite possible that there will be further consolidations -in New York and Boston before long; at least conditions -are ripe for them. Chicago has now only four morning -newspapers, including the <cite><span lang="de" xml:lang="de">Staats-Zeitung</span></cite>, but one of -these has an uncertain future before it. The <cite>Herald</cite> of that -city is the net result of amalgamations which successively -wiped out the <cite>Record</cite>, the <cite>Times</cite>, the <cite>Chronicle</cite>, and the -<cite>Inter-Ocean</cite>. It is only a few years ago that the <cite>Boston -Traveler</cite> and the <cite>Evening Herald</cite> were consolidated, and -Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, Portland (Oregon), -and Philadelphia are other cities in which there has been -a reduction in the number of dailies.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the main it is correct to say that the decreasing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>number of newspapers in our larger American cities is due -to the enormously increased costs of maintaining great -dailies. This has been found to limit the number which a -given advertising territory will support. It is a fact, too, -that there are few other fields of enterprise in which so -many unprofitable enterprises are maintained. There is -one penny daily in New York which has not paid a cent -to its owners in twenty years; during that time its income -has met its expenses only once. Another of our New York -dailies loses between $400,000 and $500,000 a year, if well-founded -report is correct, but the deficit is cheerfully met -each year. It may be safely stated that scarcely half of -our New York morning and evening newspapers return an -adequate profit.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The most striking fact about the recent consolidations is -that this leaves Cleveland with only one morning newspaper, -the <cite>Plain Dealer</cite>. It is the sixth city in size in the -United States, yet it has not appeared to be large enough -to support both the <cite>Plain Dealer</cite> and the <cite>Leader</cite>, not even -with the aid of what is called “foreign,” or national, advertising, -that is, advertising which originates outside of -Cleveland. There are now many other cities in which the -seeker after morning news is compelled to take it from one -source only, whatever his political affiliations may be: in -Indianapolis, from the <cite>Star</cite>; in Detroit, from the <cite>Free -Press</cite>; in Toledo, from the <cite>Times</cite>; in Columbus, from the -<cite>State Journal</cite>; in Scranton, from the <cite>Republican</cite>; in St. -Paul, from the <cite>Pioneer Press</cite>; and in New Orleans, from the -<cite>Times-Picayune</cite>. This circumstance comes as a good deal -of a shock to those who fancy that at least the chief political -parties should have their representative dailies in each -city—for that is the old American tradition.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Turning to the State of Michigan, we find that the development -has gone even further, for here are some sizable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>cities with no morning newspaper and but one in the evening -field. In fourteen cities whose population has more -than doubled during the last twenty-five years the number -of daily newspapers printed in the English language has -shrunk from 42 to only 23. In nine of these fourteen cities -there is not a single morning newspaper; they have but -one evening newspaper each to give them the news of the -world, unless they are content to receive their news by -mail from distant cities. On Sunday they are better off, -for there are seven Sunday newspapers in these towns. In -the five cities having more than one newspaper, there are -six dailies that are thought to be unprofitable to their -owners, and it is believed that, within a short time, the -number of one-newspaper cities will grow to twelve, in -which case Detroit and Grand Rapids will be the only -cities with morning dailies. It is reported by competent -witnesses that the one-newspaper towns are not only well -content with this state of affairs, but that they actively -resist any attempt to change the situation, the merchants -in some cases banding together voluntarily to maintain -the monopoly by refusing advertising to those wishing to -start competition.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is of course true that in the larger cities of the East -there are other causes than the lack of advertising to account -for the disappearance of certain newspapers. Many -of them have deserved to perish because they were inefficiently -managed or improperly edited. The <cite>Boston Transcript</cite> -declares that the reason for the <cite>Journal’s</cite> demise was -lack “of that singleness and clearness of direction and purpose -which alone establish confidence in and guarantee -abiding support of a newspaper.” If some of the Hearst -newspapers may be cited as examples of successful journals -that have neither clearness nor honesty of purpose, it is -not to be questioned that a newspaper with clear-cut, vigorous -<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>personalities behind it is far more likely to survive -than one that does not have them. But it does not help -the situation to point out, as does the <cite>Columbia</cite> (S. C.) -<cite>State</cite>, that “sentiment and passion” have been responsible -for the launching of many of the newspaper wrecks; for -often sentiment and the righteous passion of indignation -have been responsible for the foundation of notable newspapers -such as the <cite>New York Tribune</cite>, whose financial -success was, for a time at least, quite notable. It is the -danger that newspaper conditions, because of the enormously -increased costs and this tendency to monopoly, -may prevent people who are actuated by passion and sentiment -from founding newspapers, which is causing many -students of the situation much concern. What is to be -the hope for the advocates of new-born and unpopular reforms -if they cannot have a press of their own, as the Abolitionists -and the founders of the Republican party set up -theirs in a remarkably short time, usually with poverty-stricken -bank accounts?</p> - -<p class='c010'>If no good American can read of cities having only one -newspaper without concern,—since democracy depends -largely upon the presenting of both sides of every issue,—it -does not add any comfort to know that it would take -millions to found a new paper, on a strictly business basis, -in our largest cities. Only extremely wealthy men could -undertake such a venture,—precisely as the rejuvenated -<cite>Chicago Herald</cite> has been financed by a group of the city’s -wealthiest magnates,—and even then the success of the -undertaking would be questionable if it were not possible -to secure the Associated Press service for the newcomer.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The “journal of protest,” it may be truthfully said, is -to-day being confined, outside of the Socialistic press, to -weeklies of varying types, of which the <cite>Survey</cite>, the <cite>Public</cite>, -and the <cite>St. Louis Mirror</cite>, are examples; and scores of them -<span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span>fall by the wayside. The large sums necessary to establish -a journal of opinion are being demonstrated by the -<cite>New Republic</cite>. Gone is the day when a <cite>Liberator</cite> can be -founded with a couple of hundred dollars as capital. The -struggle of the <cite>New York Call</cite> to keep alive, and that of -some of our Jewish newspapers, are clear proof that conditions -to-day make strongly against those who are fired by -passion and sentiment to give a new and radical message -to the world.</p> - -<p class='c010'>True, there is still opportunity in small towns for editorial -courage and ability; William Allen White has demonstrated -that. But in the small towns the increased costs -due to the war are being felt as keenly as in the larger -cities. <cite>Ayer’s Newspaper Directory</cite> shows a steady shrinkage -during the last three years in the weeklies, semi-weeklies, -tri-weeklies, and semi-monthlies, there being 300 less -in 1916 than in 1914. There lies before me a list of 76 -dailies and weeklies over which the funeral rites have been -held since January 1, 1917; to some of them the government -has administered the <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coup de grace</span></i>. There are three -Montreal journals among them, and a number of little -German publications, together with the notorious <cite>Appeal -to Reason</cite> and a couple of farm journals: 21 states are -represented in the list, which is surely not complete.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Many dailies have sought to save themselves by increasing -their price to two cents, as in Chicago, Pittsburg, -Buffalo, and Philadelphia; and everywhere there has been -a raising of mail-subscription and advertising rates, in an -effort to offset the enormous and persistent rise in the cost -of paper and labor. It is indisputable, however, that, if -we are in for a long war, many of the weaker city dailies -and the country dailies must go to the wall, just as there -have been similar failures in every one of the warring -nations of Europe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span>Surveying the newspaper field as a whole, there has not -been of late years a marked development of the tendency -to group together a number of newspapers under one -ownership in the manner of Northcliffe. Mr. Hearst, -thanks be to fortune, has not added to his string lately; -his group of <cite>Examiners</cite>, <cite>Journals</cite>, and <cite>Americans</cite> is popularly -believed not to be making any large sums of money -for him, because the weaker members offset the earnings -of the prosperous ones, and there is reputed to be great -managerial waste.<a id='r2' /><a href='#f2' class='c015'><sup>[2]</sup></a> When Mr. Munsey buys another daily, -he usually sells an unprosperous one or adds another grave -to his private and sizable newspaper cemetery. The -Scripps-McRae Syndicate, comprising some 22 dailies, -has not added to its number since 1911.</p> - -<div class='footnote' id='f2'> -<p class='c010'><a href='#r2'>2</a>. Mr. Hearst acquired the <cite>Boston Advertiser</cite> in November 1917, -shortly after this article was written.-<span class='sc'>Ed.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c010'>In Michigan the Booth Brothers control six clean, independent -papers, which, for the local reasons given above, -exercise a remarkable influence. The situation in that -state shows clearly how comparatively easy it would be -for rich business men, with selfish or partisan purpose, to -dominate public opinion there and poison the public mind -against anything they disliked. It is a situation to cause -much uneasiness when one looks into the more distant -future and considers the distrust of the press because of a -far-reaching belief that the large city newspaper, being a -several-million-dollar affair, must necessarily have managers -in close alliance with other men in great business enterprises,—the -chamber of commerce, the merchants’ association -group,—and therefore wholly detached from the -aspirations of the plain people.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Those who feel thus will be disturbed by another remarkable -consolidation in the field of newspaper-making—the -recent absorption of a large portion of the business of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>American Press Association by the Western Newspaper -Union. The latter now has an almost absolute monopoly -in supplying “plate” and “ready to print” matter to the -small daily newspapers and the country weeklies—“patent -insides” is a more familiar term. The Western Newspaper -Union to-day furnishes plate matter to nearly fourteen -thousand newspapers—a stupendous number. In -1912 a United States court in Chicago forbade this very -consolidation as one in restraint of trade; to-day it permits -it because the great rise in the cost of plate matter, from -four to seventeen cents a pound, seems to necessitate the -extinction of the old competition and the establishment of -a monopoly. The court was convinced that this field of -newspaper enterprise will no longer support two rival concerns. -An immense power which could be used to influence -public opinion is thus placed in the hands of the officers of -a money-making concern, for news matter is furnished as -well as news photogravures.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Only the other day I heard of a boast that a laudatory -article praising a certain astute Democratic politician had -appeared in no less than 7,000 publications of the Union’s -clients. Who can estimate the value of such an advertisement? -Who can deny the power enormously to influence -rural public opinion for better or for worse? Who can -deny that the very innocent aspect of such a publication -makes it a particularly easy, as well as effective, way of -conducting propaganda for better or for worse? So far it -has been to the advantage of both the associations to carry -the propaganda matter of the great political parties,—they -deny any intentional propaganda of their own,—but -one cannot help wondering whether this will always be -the case, and whether there is not danger that some day -this tremendous power may be used in the interest of some -privileged undertaking or some self-seeking politicians. At -<span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>least, it would seem as if our law-makers, already so critical -of the press, might be tempted to declare the Union a public-service -corporation and, therefore, bound to transmit -all legitimate news offered to it.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the strictly news-gathering field there is probably a -decrease of competition at hand. The Allied governments -abroad and our courts at home have struck a hard blow at -the Hearst news-gathering concern, the International News -Association, which has been excluded from England and -her colonies, Italy, and France, and has recently been -convicted of news-stealing and falsification on the complaint -of the Associated Press. The case is now pending -an appeal in the Supreme Court, when the decision of -the lower court may be reversed. If, as a result of these -proceedings, the association eventually goes out of business, -it will be to the public advantage, that is, if honest, -uncolored news is a desideratum. This will give to -the Associated Press—the only press association which is -altogether coöperative and makes no profit by the sale of -its news—a monopoly in the morning field. If this lack -of organized competition—it is daily competing with the -special correspondents of all the great newspapers—has -its drawbacks, it is certainly reassuring that throughout -this unprecedented war the Associated Press has brought -over an enormous volume of news with a minimum of -just complaints as to the fidelity of that news—save -that it is, of course, rigidly censored in every country, and -particularly in passing through England. It has met vast -problems with astounding success.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But it is in considerable degree dependent upon foreign -news agencies, like Reuter’s, the Havas Agency in France, -the Wolf Agency in Germany, and others, including the -official Russian agency. Where these are not frankly official -agencies, they are the creatures of their governments -<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>and have been either deliberately used by them to mislead -others, and particularly foreign nations, or to conceal the -truth from their own subjects. As Dean Walter Williams, -of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, has -lately pointed out, if there is one thing needed after this -war, it is the abolition of these official and semi-official -agencies with their frequent stirring up of racial and international -hatreds. A free press after the war is as badly -needed as freedom of the seas and freedom from conscienceless -kaisers and autocrats.</p> - -<p class='c010'>At home, when the war is over, there is certain to be -as relatively striking a slant toward social reorganization, -reform, and economic revolution as had taken place in -Russia, and is taking place in England as related by the -<cite>London Times</cite>. When that day comes here, the deep -smouldering distrust of our press will make itself felt. Our -Fourth Estate is to have its day of overhauling and of -being muckraked. The perfectly obvious hostility toward -newspapers of the present Congress, as illustrated by its -attempt to impose a direct and special tax upon them; its -rigorous censorship in spite of the profession’s protest of -last spring; and the heavy additional postage taxes levied -upon some classes of newspapers and the magazines, goes -far to prove this. But even more convincing is the dissatisfaction -with the metropolitan press in every reform -camp and among the plain people. It has grown tremendously -because the masses are, rightly or wrongly, convinced -that the newspapers with heavy capital investments -are a “capitalistic” press and, therefore, opposed -to their interests.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This feeling has grown all the more because so many -hundreds of thousands who were opposed to our going to -war and are opposed to it now still feel that their views—as -opposed to those of the prosperous and intellectual -<span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>classes—were not voiced in the press last winter. They -know that their position to-day is being misrepresented as -disloyal or pro-German by the bulk of the newspapers. In -this situation many are turning to the Socialistic press as -their one refuge. They, and multitudes who have gradually -been losing faith in the reliability of our journalism, -for one reason or another, can still be won back if we -journalists will but slake their intense thirst for reliable, -trustworthy news, for opinions free from class bias and -not always set forth from the point of view of the well-to-do -and the privileged. How to respond to this need is -the greatest problem before the American press. Meanwhile, -on the business side we drift toward consolidation -on a resistless economic current, which foams past numberless -rocks, and leads no man knows whither.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span> - <h2 class='c008'>THE WANING POWER OF THE PRESS</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY FRANCIS E. LEUPP</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>After the last ballot had been cast and counted in the -recent mayoralty contest in New York, the successful -candidate paid his respects to the newspapers which had -opposed him. This is equivalent to saying that he paid -them to the whole metropolitan press; for every great daily -newspaper except one had done its best to defeat him, -and that one had given him only a left-handed support.<a id='r3' /><a href='#f3' class='c015'><sup>[3]</sup></a> -The comments of the mayor-elect, although not ill-tempered, -led up to the conclusion that in our common-sense -generation nobody cares what the newspapers say.</p> - -<div class='footnote' id='f3'> -<p class='c010'><a href='#r3'>3</a>. The conditions here referred to in the election of Mayor Gaynor in -1909 were almost duplicated in 1917, when Mayor Mitchel was defeated -for reëlection, although all the New York newspapers, except the two -Hearst papers and the Socialist daily, supported him.—<span class='sc'>Ed.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c010'>Unflattering as such a verdict may be, probably a -majority of the community, if polled as a jury, would -concur in it. The airy dismissal of some proposition as -“mere newspaper talk” is heard at every social gathering, -till one who was brought up to regard the press as a mighty -factor in modern civilization is tempted to wonder whether -it has actually lost the power it used to wield among us. -The answer seems to me to depend on whether we are -considering direct or indirect effects. A newspaper exerts -its most direct influence through its definite interpretation -of current events. Its indirect influence radiates from -the amount and character of the news it prints, the particular -features it accentuates, and its method of presenting -<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>these. Hence it is always possible that its direct -influence may be trifling, while its indirect influence is -large; its direct influence harmless, but its indirect influence -pernicious; or <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vice versa</span></i>.</p> - -<p class='c010'>A distinction ought to be made here like that which we -make between credulity and nerves. The fact that a -dwelling in which a mysterious murder has been committed -may for years thereafter go begging in vain for -a tenant, does not mean that a whole cityful of fairly intelligent -people are victims of the ghost obsession; but it -does mean that no person enjoys being reminded of midnight -assassination every time he crosses his own threshold; -for so persistent a companionship with a discomforting -thought is bound to depress the best nervous system ever -planted in a human being. So the constant iteration of -any idea in a daily newspaper will presently capture public -attention, whether the idea be good or bad, sensible -or foolish. Though the influence of the press, through its -ability to keep certain subjects always before its readers, -has grown with its growth in resources and patronage, its -hold on popular confidence has unquestionably been -loosened during the last forty or fifty years. To Mayor -Gaynor’s inference, as to most generalizations of that -sort, we need not attach serious importance. The interplay -of so many forces in a political campaign makes it -impracticable to separate the influence of the newspapers -from the rest, and either hold it solely accountable for the -result, or pass it over as negligible; for if we tried to -formulate any sweeping rules, we should find it hard to -explain the variegated records of success and defeat among -newspaper favorites. But it may be worth while to -inquire why an institution so full of potentialities as a -free press does not produce more effect than it does, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>why so many of its leading writers to-day find reason to -deplore the altered attitude of the people toward it.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Not necessarily in their order of importance, but for -convenience of consideration, I should list the causes for -this change about as follows: the transfer of both properties -and policies from personal to impersonal control; -the rise of the cheap magazine; the tendency to specialization -in all forms of public instruction; the fierceness of -competition in the newspaper business; the demand for -larger capital, unsettling the former equipoise between -counting-room and editorial room; the invasion of newspaper -offices by the universal mania of hurry; the development -of the news-getting at the expense of the news-interpreting -function; the tendency to remould narratives -of fact so as to confirm office-made policies; the growing -disregard of decency in the choice of news to be specially -exploited; and the scant time now spared by men of the -world for reading journals of general intelligence.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the old-style newspaper, in spite of the fact that the -editorial articles were usually anonymous, the editor’s -name appeared among the standing notices somewhere -in every issue, or was so well known to the public that we -talked about “what Greeley thought” of this or that, or -wondered “whether Bryant was going to support” a -certain ticket, or shook our heads over the latest sensational -screed in “Bennett’s paper.” The identity of such -men was clear in the minds of a multitude of readers who -might sometimes have been puzzled to recall the title of -the sheet edited by each. We knew their private histories -and their idiosyncrasies; they were to us no mere abstractions -on the one hand, or wire-worked puppets on the -other, but living, moving, sentient human beings; and our -acquaintance with them enabled us, as we believed, to -locate fairly well their springs of thought and action. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span>Indeed, their very foibles sometimes furnished our best -exegetical key to their writings.</p> - -<p class='c010'>When a politician whom Bryant had criticised threatened -to pull his nose, and Bryant responded by stalking -ostentatiously three times around the bully at their next -meeting in public, the readers of the <cite>Evening Post</cite> did not -lose faith in the editor because he was only human, but -guessed about how far to discount future utterances of -the paper with regard to his antagonist. When Bennett -avowed his intention of advertising the <cite>Herald</cite> without -the expenditure of a dollar, by attacking his enemies so -savagely as to goad them into a physical assault, everybody -understood the motives behind the warfare on both -sides, and attached to it only the significance that the facts -warranted. Knowing Dana’s affiliations, no one mistook -the meaning of the <cite>Sun’s</cite> dismissal of General Hancock as -“a good man, weighing two hundred and fifty pounds, -but ... not Samuel J. Tilden.” And Greeley’s retort -to Bryant, “You lie, villain! willfully, wickedly, basely -lie!” and his denunciation of Bennett as a “low-mouthed, -blatant, witless, brutal scoundrel,” though not preserved as -models of amenity for the emulation of budding editors, -were felt to be balanced by the delicious frankness of the -<cite>Tribune’s</cite> announcement of “the dissolution of the political -firm of Seward, Weed & Greeley by the withdrawal of the -junior partner.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>With all its faults, that era of personal journalism had -some rugged virtues. In referring to it, I am reminded -of a remark made to me, years ago, by the oldest editor -then living,—so old that he had employed Weed as a -journeyman, and refused to hire Greeley as a tramp -printer,—that “in the golden age of our craft, every -editor wore his conscience on his arm, and carried his -dueling weapon in his hand, walked always in the light -<span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>where the whole world could see him, and was prepared to -defend his published opinions with his life if need be.” -Without going to that extreme, it is easy to sympathize -with the veteran’s view that a man of force, who writes -nothing for which he is not ready to be personally responsible, -commands more respect from the mass of his fellows -than one who shields himself behind a rampart of anonymity, -and voices only the sentiments of a profit-seeking -corporation.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Of course, the transfer of our newspapers from personal -to corporate ownership and control was not a matter of -preference, but a practical necessity. The expense of -modernizing the mechanical equipment alone imposed a -burden which few newspaper proprietors were able to -carry unaided. Add to that the cost of an ever-expanding -news-service, and the higher salaries demanded by satisfactory -employees in all departments, and it is hardly -wonderful that one private owner after another gave up -his single-handed struggle against hopeless financial odds, -and sought aid from men of larger means. Partnership -relations involve so many risks, and are so hard to shift -in an emergency, that resort was had to the form of a -corporation, which afforded the advantage of a limited -liability, and enabled a shareholder to dispose of his -interest if he tired of the game. Since the dependence of -a newspaper on the favor of an often whimsical public -placed it among the least attractive forms of investment, -even under these well-guarded conditions, the capitalists -who were willing to take large blocks of stock were usually -men with political or speculative ends to gain, to which -they could make a newspaper minister by way of compensating -them for the hazards they faced.</p> - -<p class='c010'>These newcomers were not idealists, like the founders -and managers of most of the important journals of an -<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>earlier period. They were men of keen commercial instincts, -evidenced by the fact that they had accumulated -wealth. They naturally looked at everything through -the medium of the balance-sheet. Here was a paper with -a fine reputation, but uncertain or disappearing profits; it -must be strengthened, enlarged, and made to pay. Principles? -Yes, principles were good things, but we must -not ride even good things to death. The noblest cause -in creation cannot be promoted by a defunct newspaper, -and to keep its champion alive there must be a net cash -income. The circulation must be pushed, and the advertising -patronage increased. More circulation can be secured -only by keeping the public stirred up. Employ -private detectives to pursue the runaway husband, and -bring him back to his wife; organize a marine expedition -to find the missing ship; send a reporter into the Soudan -to interview the beleaguered general whose own government -is powerless to reach him with an army. Blow the -trumpet, and make ringing announcements every day. If -nothing new is to be had, refurbish something so old that -people have forgotten it, and spread it over lots of space. -Who will know the difference?</p> - -<p class='c010'>What one newspaper did, that others were forced to do -or be distanced in the competition. It all had its effect. -A craving for excitement was first aroused in the public, -and then satisfied by the same hand that had aroused it. -Nobody wished to be behind the times, so circulations -were swelled gradually to tenfold their old dimensions. -Rivalry was worked up among the advertisers in their -turn, till a half-page in a big newspaper commanded a -price undreamed of a few years before. Thus one interest -was made to foster another, each increase of income involving -also an increase of cost, and each additional outlay -bringing fresh returns. In such a race for business -<span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span>success, with such forces behind the runners, can we marvel -at the subsidence of ideals which in the days of individual -control and slower gait were uppermost? With the capitalists’ -plans to promote, and powerful advertisers to -conciliate by emphasizing this subject or discreetly ignoring -that, is not the wonder rather that the moral quality of -our press has not fallen below its present standard?</p> - -<p class='c010'>Even in our day we occasionally find an editor who pays -his individual tribute to the old conception of personal -responsibility by giving his surname to his periodical or -signing his leading articles himself. In such newspaper -ventures as Mr. Bryan and Mr. La Follette have launched -within a few years, albeit their motives are known to be -political and partisan, more attention is attracted by one -of their deliverances than by a score of impersonal preachments. -Mr. Hearst, the high priest of sensational journalism, -though not exploiting his own authority in the -same way, has always taken pains to advertise the individual -work of such lieutenants as Bierce and Brisbane; -and he, like Colonel Taylor of Boston, early opened his -editorial pages to contributions from distinguished authors -outside of his staff, with their signatures attached. A few -editors I have known who, in whatever they wrote with -their own hands, dropped the diffusive “we” and adopted -the more direct and intimate “I.” These things go to -show that even journalists who have received most of -their training in the modern school appreciate that trait -in our common human nature which prompts us to pay -more heed to a living voice than to a talking-machine.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>II</h3> - -<p class='c013'>The importance of a responsible personality finds further -confirmation in the evolution of the modern magazine. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>From being what its title indicates, a place of storage for -articles believed to have some permanent value, the magazine -began to take on a new character about twenty years -ago. While preserving its distinct identity and its originality, -it leaped boldly into the newspaper arena, and -sought its topics in the happenings of the day, regardless -of their evanescence. It raised a corps of men and women -who might otherwise have toiled in obscurity all their -lives, and gave them a chance to become authorities on -questions of immediate interest, till they are now recognized -as constituting a limited but highly specialized profession. -One group occupied itself with trusts and trust -magnates; another with politicians whose rise had been so -meteoric as to suggest a romance behind it; another with -the inside history of international episodes; another with -new religious movements and their leaders, and so on.</p> - -<p class='c010'>What was the result? The public following which the -newspaper editors used to command when they did business -in the open, but which was falling away from their -anonymous successors, attached itself promptly to the -magazinists. The citizen interested in insurance reform -turned eagerly to all that emanated from the group in -charge of that topic; whoever aspired to take part in the -social uplift bought every number of every periodical in -which the contributions of another group appeared; the -hater of monopoly paid a third group the same compliment. -What was more, the readers pinned their faith to -their favorite writers, and quoted Mr. Steffens and Miss -Tarbell and Mr. Baker on the specialty each had taken, -with much the same freedom with which they might have -quoted Darwin on plant-life, or Edison on electricity. -If any anonymous editor ventured to question the infallibility -of one of these prophets of the magazine world, the -common multitude wasted no thought on the merits of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>the issue, but sided at once with the teacher whom they -knew at least by name, against the critic whom they knew -not at all. The uncomplimentary assumption as to the -latter always seemed to be that, as only a subordinate -part of a big organism, he was speaking, not from his heart, -but from his orders; and that he must have some sinister -design in trying to discredit an opponent who was not -afraid to stand out and face his fire.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Apropos, let us not fail to note the constant trend, of -recent years, toward specialization in every department of -life and thought. There was a time when a pronouncement -from certain men on nearly any theme would be -accepted by the public, not only with the outward respect -commanded by persons of their social standing, but with -a large measure of positive credence. One who enjoyed -a general reputation for scholarship might set forth his -views this week on a question of archæology, next week on -the significance of the latest earthquake, and a week later -on the new canals on the planet Mars, with the certainty -that each outgiving would affect public opinion to a -marked degree; whereas nowadays we demand that the -most distinguished members of our learned faculty stick -each to his own hobby; the antiquarian to the excavations, -the seismologist to the tremors of our planet, the astronomer -to our remoter colleagues of the solar system. It is -the same with our writers on political, social, and economic -problems. Whereas the old-time editor was expected to -tell his constituency what to think on any subject called -up by the news overnight, it is now taken for granted that -even news must be classified and distributed between -specialists for comment; and the very sense that only one -writer is trusted to handle any particular class of topics -inspires a desire in the public to know who that writer is -before paying much attention to his opinions.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>The intense competition between newspapers covering -the same field sometimes leads to consequences which do -not strengthen the esteem of the people at large for the -press at large. Witness the controversy which arose over -the conflicting claims of Commander Peary and Dr. Cook -as the original discoverer of the North Pole. One newspaper -syndicate having, at large expense, procured a -narrative directly from the pen of Cook, and another -accomplished a like feat with Peary, to which could “we, -the people,” look for an unbiased opinion on the matters -in dispute? An admission by either that its star contributor -could trifle with the truth was equivalent to -throwing its own exploit into bankruptcy. So each was -bound to stand by the claimant with whom it had first -identified itself, and fight the battle out like an attorney -under retainer; and what started as a serious contest of -priority in a scientific discovery threatened to end as a -wrangle over a newspaper “beat.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Then, too, we must reckon with the progressive acceleration -of the pace of our twentieth-century life generally. -Where we walked in the old times, we run in these; where -we ambled then, we gallop now. It is the age of electric -power, high explosives, articulated steel frames, in the -larger world; of the long-distance telephone, the taxicab, -and the card-index, in the narrower. The problem of -existence is reduced to terms of time-measurement, with -the detached lever substituted for the pendulum because -it produces a faster tick.</p> - -<p class='c010'>What is the effect of all this on the modernized newspaper? -It must be first on the ground at every activity, -foreseen or unforeseeable, as a matter of course. Its -reporter must get off his “story” in advance of all his -rivals. Never mind strict accuracy of detail—effect is -the main thing; he is writing, not for expert accountants, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>or professional statisticians, or analytic philosophers, but -for the public; and what the public wants is, not dry particulars, -but color, vitality, heat. Pictures being a quicker -medium of communication with the reader’s mind than -printed text, nine-tenths of our daily press is illustrated, -and the illustrations of distant events are usually turned -out by artists in the home office from verbal descriptions. -What signifies it if only three cars went off the broken -bridge, and the imaginative draftsman put five into his -picture because he could not wait for the dispatch of correction -which almost always follows the lurid “scoop”? -Who is harmed if the telegram about the suicide reads -“shots” instead of “stabs,” and the artist depicts the self-destroyer -clutching a smoking pistol instead of a dripping -dirk?</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is the province of the champion of the up-to-date -cult to minimize the importance of detail. The purpose -of the picture, he argues, is to stamp a broad impression -instantaneously on the mind, and thus spare it the more -tedious process of reading. And if one detail too many is -put in, or one omitted which ought to have been there, -whoever is sufficiently interested to read the text will -discover the fault, and whoever is not will give it no further -thought anyway. As to the descriptive matter, suppose -it does contain errors? The busy man of our day does not -read his newspaper with the same solemn intent with -which he reads history. What he asks of it is a lightning-like -glimpse of the world which will show him how far it -has moved in the last twelve hours; and he will not pause -to complain of a few deviations from the straight line of -truth, especially if it would have taken more than the -twelve hours to rectify them.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This would perhaps be good logic if the pure-food law -were broadened in scope so as to apply to mental pabulum, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span>and every concocter of newspaper stories and illustrations -were compelled to label his adulterated products. Then -the consumer who does not object to a diet of mixed fact -and falsehood, accuracy and carelessness, so long as the -compound is so seasoned as to tickle his palate, could have -his desire, while his neighbor who wishes an honest article -or nothing at all could have his also. As it is, with no -distinguishing marks, we are liable to buy one thing and -get another.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The new order of “speed before everything” has brought -about its changes at both ends of a newspaper staff. The -editorial writer who used to take a little time to look into -the ramifications of a topic before reducing his opinions -to writing, feels humiliated if an event occurs on which he -cannot turn off a few comments at sight; but he has still -a refuge in such modifying clauses as “in the light of the -meagre details now before us,” or “as it appears at this -writing,” or “in spite of the absence of full particulars, -which may later change the whole aspect of affairs.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>No such covert offers itself to the news-getter in the -open field. What he says must be definite, outright, unqualified, -or the blue pencil slashes remorselessly through -his “it is suspected,” or “according to a rumor which cannot -be traced to its original source.” What business has -he to “suspect”? He is hired to know. For what, pray, -is the newspaper paying him, if not for tracing rumors to -their original source; and further still, if so instructed? -He is there to be, not a thinker, but a worker; a human -machine like a steam potato-digger, which, supplied with -the necessary energizing force from behind, drives its -prods under nature’s mantle, and grubs out the succulent -treasures she is trying to conceal.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span> - <h3 class='c014'>III</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c013'>Nowhere is the change more patent than in the department -of special correspondence. At an important point -like Washington, for instance, the old corps of writers -were men of mature years, most of whom had passed an -apprenticeship in the editorial chair, and still held a -semi-editorial relation to the newspapers they represented. -They had studied political history and economics, social -philosophy, and kindred subjects, as a preparation for their -life-work, and were full of a wholesome sense of responsibility -to the public as well as to their employers. Poore, -Nelson, Boynton, and others of their class, were known -by name, and regarded as authorities, in the communities -to which they daily ministered. They were thoughtful -workers as well as enterprising. They went for their -news to the fountain-head, instead of dipping it out of any -chance pool by the wayside. When they sent in to their -home offices either fact or prophecy, they accompanied -it with an interpretation which both editors and public -knew to be no mere feat in lightning guesswork; and the -fame which any of them prized more than a long calendar -of “beats” and “exclusives” was that which would occasionally -move a worsted competitor to confess, “I missed -that news; but if —— sent it out, it is true.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>When, in the later eighties, the new order came, it came -with a rush. The first inkling of it was a notice received, -in the middle of one busy night, by a correspondent who -had been faithfully serving a prominent Western newspaper -for a dozen years, to turn over his bureau to a young -man who up to that time had been doing local reporting -on its home staff. Transfers of other bureaus followed -fast. A few were left, and still remain, undisturbed in -personnel or character of work. Here and there, too, an -<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>old-fashioned correspondent was retained, but retired to -an emeritus post, with the privilege of writing a signed -letter when the spirit moved him; while a nimbler-footed -successor assumed titular command and sent the daily -dispatches. The bald fact was that the newspaper managers -had bowed to the hustling humor of the age. They -no longer cared to serve journalistic viands, which required -deliberate mastication, to patrons who clamored -for a quick lunch. So they passed on to their representatives -at a distance the same injunction they were incessantly -pressing upon their reporters at home: “Get the -news, and send it while it is hot. Don’t wait to tell us -what it means or what it points to; we can do our own -ratiocinating.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Is the public a loser by this obscuration of the correspondent’s -former function? I believe so. His appeal is -no longer put to the reader directly: he becomes the mere -tool of the newspaper, which in its turn furnishes to the -reader such parts of his and other communications as it -chooses, and in such forms as best suit its ulterior purposes. -Doubtless this conduces to a more perfect administrative -coördination in the staff at large, but it greatly weakens -the correspondent’s sense of personal responsibility. Poore -had his constituency, Boynton had his, Nelson had his. -None of these men would, under any conceivable stress -of competition, have wittingly misled the group of readers -he had attached to himself; nor would one of them have -tolerated any tampering in the home office with essential -matters in a contribution to which he had signed his name. -Indeed, so well was this understood that I never heard of -anybody’s trying to tamper with them. It occasionally -happened that the correspondent set forth a view somewhat -at variance with that expressed on the editorial -page of the same paper; but each party to this disagreement -<span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span>respected the other, and the public was assumed to -be capable of making its own choice between opposing -opinions clearly stated. A special virtue of the plan of -independent correspondence lay in the opportunity it -often afforded the habitual reader of a single newspaper -to get at least a glance at more than one side of a public -question.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Among the conspicuous fruits of the new régime is the -direction sometimes sent to a correspondent to “write -down” this man or “write up” that project. He knows -that it is a case of obey orders or resign, and it brings to -the surface all the Hessian he may have in his blood. If -he is enough of a casuist, he will try to reconcile good conscience -with worldly wisdom by picturing himself as a -soldier commanded to do something of which he does not -approve. Disobedience at the post of duty is treachery; -resignation in the face of an unwelcome billet is desertion. -So he does what he is bidden, though it may be at the cost -of his self-respect and the esteem of others whose kind -opinion he values. I have had a young correspondent -come to me for information about something under advisement -at the White House, and apologize for not going -there himself by showing me a note from his editor telling -him to “give the President hell.” As he had always been -treated with courtesy at the White House, he had not the -hardihood to go there while engaged in his campaign of -abuse.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Another, who had been intimate with a member of the -administration then in power, was suddenly summoned -one day to a conference with the publisher of his paper. -He went in high spirits, believing that the invitation must -mean at least a promotion in rank or an increase of salary. -He returned crestfallen. Several days afterward he revealed -to me in confidence that the paper had been unsuccessfully -<span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>seeking some advertising controlled by his -friend, and that the publisher had offered him one thousand -dollars for a series of articles—anonymous, if he -preferred—exposing the private weaknesses of the eminent -man, and giving full names, dates, and other particulars -as to a certain unsavory association in which he was -reported to find pleasure! Still another brought me a -dispatch he had prepared, requesting me to look it over -and see whether it contained anything strictly libelous. -It proved to be a forecast of the course of the Secretary of -the Treasury in a financial crisis then impending. “Technically -speaking,” I said, after reading it, “there is plenty -of libelous material in this, for it represents the Secretary -as about to do something which, to my personal knowledge, -he has never contemplated, and which would stamp him -as unfit for his position if he should attempt it. But as a -matter of fact he will ignore your story, as he is putting -into type to-day a circular which is to be made public -to-morrow, telling what his plan really is, and that will -authoritatively discredit you.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Thank you,” he answered, rather stiffly. “I have my -orders to pitch into the Secretary whenever I get a chance. -I shall send this to-day, and to-morrow I can send another -saying that my exclusive disclosures forced him to change -his programme at the last moment.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>These are sporadic cases, I admit, yet they indicate -a mischievous tendency; just as each railway accident is -itself sporadic, but too frequent fatalities from a like -cause on the same line point to something wrong in the -management of the road. It is not necessary to call -names on the one hand, or indulge in wholesale denunciation -on the other, in order to indicate the extremes to -which the current pace in journalism must inevitably -lead if kept up. The broadest-minded and most honorable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>men in our calling realize the disagreeable truth. A -few of the great newspapers, too, have the courage to -cling still to the old ideals, both in their editorial attitude -and in their instructions to their news-gatherers. Possibly -their profits are smaller for their squeamishness; but -that the better quality of their patronage makes up in a -measure for its lesser quantity, is evident to any one -familiar with the advertising business. Moreover, in the -character of its employees and in the zeal and intelligence -of their service, a newspaper conducted on the higher -plane possesses an asset which cannot be appraised in -dollars and cents. Of one such paper a famous man once -said to me, “I disagree with half its political views; I am -regarded as a personal enemy by its editor; but I read it -religiously every day, and it is the only daily that enters -the front door of my home. It is a paper written by -gentlemen for gentlemen; and, though it exasperates me -often, it never offends my nostrils with the odors of the -slums.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>This last remark leads to another consideration touching -the relaxed hold of the press on public confidence: I refer -to the topics treated in the news columns, and the manner -of their presentation. Its importance is attested by the -sub-titles or mottoes adopted by several prominent newspapers, -emphasizing their appeal to the family as a special -constituency. In spite of the intense individualism, the -reciprocal independence of the sexes, and the freedom from -the trammels of feudal tradition of which we Americans -boast, the social unit in this country is the family. Toward -it a thousand lines of interest converge, from it a thousand -lines of influence flow. Public opinion is unconsciously -moulded by it, for the atmosphere of the home follows the -father into his office, the son into his college, the daughter -into her intimate companionships. The newspaper, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>therefore, which keeps the family in touch with the outside -world, though it may have to be managed with more -discretion than one whose circulation is chiefly in the -streets, finds its compensation in its increased radius of -influence of the subtler sort. For such a field, nothing is -less fit than the noisome domestic scandals and the gory -horrors which fill so much of the space in newspapers of -the lowest rank, and which in these later years have made -occasional inroads into some of a higher grade. Unfortunately, -these occasional inroads do more to damage the -general standing of the press than the habitual revel in -vulgarity. For a newspaper which frankly avows itself -unhampered by niceties of taste can be branded and set -aside as belonging in the impossible category; whereas, -when one with a clean exterior and a reputation for respectability -proves unworthy, its faithlessness arouses in -the popular mind a distrust of all its class.</p> - -<p class='c010'>And yet, whatever we may say of the modern press on -its less commendable side, we are bound to admit that -newspapers, like governments, fairly reflect the people -they serve. Charles Dudley Warner once went so far as -to say that no matter how objectionable the character -of a paper may be, it is always a trifle better than the -patrons on whom it relies for its support. I suspect that -Mr. Warner’s comparison rested on the greater frankness -of the bad paper, which, by very virtue of its mode of -appeal, is bound to make a brave parade of its worst -qualities; whereas the reader who is loudest in proclaiming -in public his repugnance for horrors, and his detestation -of scandals, may in private be buying daily the sheet -which peddles both most shamelessly.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This sort of conventional hypocrisy among the common -run of people is easier to forgive than the same thing -among the cultivated few whom we accept as mentors. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>I stumbled upon an illuminating incident about five years -ago which I cannot forbear recalling here. A young -man just graduated from college, where he had attracted -some attention by the cleverness of his pen, was invited -to a position on the staff of the <cite>New York Journal</cite>. Visiting -a leading member of the college faculty to say farewell, -he mentioned this compliment with not a little pride. -In an instant the professor was up in arms, with an earnest -protest against his handicapping his whole career by having -anything to do with so monstrous an exponent of yellow -journalism. The lad was deeply moved by the good man’s -outburst, and went home sorrowful. After a night’s -sleep on it, he resolved to profit by the admonition, and -accordingly called upon the editor, and asked permission -to withdraw his tentative acceptance. In the explanation -which followed he inadvertently let slip the name of -his adviser. He saw a cynical smile cross the face of Mr. -Hearst, who summoned a stenographer, and in his presence -dictated a letter to the professor, requesting a five-hundred-word -signed article for the next Sunday’s issue -and inclosing a check for two hundred and fifty dollars. -On Sunday the ingenuous youth beheld the article in a -conspicuous place on the <cite>Journal’s</cite> editorial page, with the -professor’s full name appended in large capitals.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We have already noted some of the effects produced on -the press by the hurry-skurry of our modern life. Quite -as significant are sundry phenomena recorded by Dr. -Walter Dill Scott as the result of an inquiry into the reading -habits of two thousand representative business and -professional men in a typical American city. Among -other things, he discovered that most of them spent not -to exceed fifteen minutes a day on their newspapers. As -some spent less, and some divided the time between two -<span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>or three papers, the average period devoted to any one -paper could safely be placed at from five to ten minutes. -The admitted practice of most of the group was to look -at the headlines, the table of contents, and the weather -reports, and then apparently at some specialty in which -they were individually interested. The editorial articles -seem to have offered them few attractions, but news items -of one sort or another engaged seventy-five per cent of -their attention.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In an age as skeptical as ours, there is nothing astonishing -in the low valuation given, by men of a class competent -to do their own thinking, to anonymous opinion; but it -will strike many as strange that this class takes no deeper -interest in the news of the day. The trained psychologist -may find it worth while to study out here the relation of -cause and effect. Does the ordinary man of affairs show -so scant regard for his newspaper because he no longer -believes half it tells him, or only because his mind is so -absorbed in matters closer at hand, and directly affecting -his livelihood? Have the newspapers perverted the public -taste with sensational surprises till it can no longer appreciate -normal information normally conveyed?</p> - -<p class='c010'>Professor Münsterberg would doubtless have told us that -the foregoing statistics simply justify his charge against -Americans as a people; that we have gone leaping and -gasping through life till we have lost the faculty of mental -concentration, and hence that few of us can read any -more. Whatever the explanation, the central fact has -been duly recognized by all the yellow journals, and by -some also which have not yet passed beyond the cream-colored -stage. The “scare heads” and exaggerated type -which, as a lure for purchasers, filled all their needs a few -years ago, are no longer regarded as sufficient, but have -given way to startling bill-board effects, with huge headlines, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>in block-letter and vermilion ink, spread across an -entire front page.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The worst phase of this whole business, however, is -one which does not appear on the surface, but which certainly -offers food for serious reflection. The point of -view from which all my criticisms have been made is that -of the citizen of fair intelligence and education. It is he -who has been weaned from his faith in the organ of opinion -which satisfied his father, till he habitually sneers at -“mere newspaper talk”; it is he who has descended from -reading to simply skimming the news, and who consciously -suffers from the errors which adulterate, and the vulgarity -which taints, that product. But there is another -element in the community which has not his well-sharpened -instinct for discrimination; which can afford to buy -only the cheapest, and is drawn toward the lowest, daily -prints; which, during the noon hour and at night, finds -time to devour all the tenement tragedies, all the palace -scandals, and all the incendiary appeals designed to make -the poor man think that thrift is robbery. Over that -element we find the vicious newspaper still exercising an -enormous sway; and, admitting that so large a proportion -of the outwardly reputable press has lost its hold upon the -better class of readers, what must we look for as the resultant -of two such unbalanced forces?</p> - -<p class='c010'>Not a line of these few pages has been written in a -carping, much less in a pessimistic spirit. I love the -profession in whose practice I passed the largest and -happiest part of my life; but the very pride I feel in its -worthy achievements makes me, perhaps, the more sensitive -to its shortcomings as these reveal themselves to an -unprejudiced scrutiny. The limits of this article as to -both space and scope forbid my following its subject into -some inviting by-paths: as, for instance, the distinction -<span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>to be observed between initiative and support in comparing -the influence of the modern newspaper with that of -its ancestor of a half-century ago. I am sorry, also, to -put forth so many strictures without furnishing a constructive -sequel. It would be interesting, for example, -to weigh such possibilities as an endowed newspaper which -should do for the press, as a protest against its offenses of -deliberation and its faults of haste and carelessness, what -an endowed theatre might do for the rescue of the stage -from a condition of chronic inanity. But it must remain -for a more profound philosopher, whose function is to -specialize in opinion rather than to generalize in comment, -to show what remedies are practicable for the disorders -which beset the body of our modern journalism.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span> - <h2 class='c008'>NEWSPAPER MORALS</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY H. L. MENCKEN</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Aspiring, toward the end of my nonage, to the black -robes of a dramatic critic, I took counsel with an ancient -whose service went back to the days of <cite>Our American -Cousin</cite>, asking him what qualities were chiefly demanded -by the craft.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“The main idea,” he told me frankly, “is to be interesting, -to write a good story. All else is dross. Of course, I -am not against accuracy, fairness, information, learning. -If you want to read Lessing and Freytag, Hazlitt and -Brunetière, go read them: they will do you no harm. It -is also useful to know something about Shakespeare. But -unless you can make people <em>read</em> your criticisms, you may -as well shut up your shop. And the only way to make -them read you is to give them something exciting.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“You suggest, then,” I ventured, “a certain—ferocity?”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“I do,” replied my venerable friend. “Read George -Henry Lewes, and see how <em>he</em> did it—sometimes with a -bladder on a string, usually with a meat-axe. Knock somebody -on the head every day—if not an actor, then the -author, and if not the author, then the manager. And if -the play and the performance are perfect, then excoriate -someone who doesn’t think so—a fellow critic, a rival -manager, the unappreciative public. But make it hearty; -make it hot! The public would rather be the butt itself -than have no butt in the ring. That is Rule Number 1 -of American psychology—and of English, too, but more -<span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>especially of American. You must give a good show to -get a crowd, and a good show means one with slaughter -in it.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Destiny soon robbed me of my critical shroud, and I fell -into a long succession of less æsthetic newspaper berths, -from that of police reporter to that of managing editor, -but always the advice of my ancient counselor kept turning -over and over in my memory, and as chance offered -I began to act upon it, and whenever I acted upon it I -found that it worked. What is more, I found that other -newspaper men acted upon it too, some of them quite -consciously and frankly, and others through a veil of self-deception, -more or less diaphanous. The primary aim of -all of them, no less when they played the secular Iokanaan -than when they played the mere newsmonger, was to please -the crowd, to give a good show; and the way they set about -giving that good show was by first selecting a deserving -victim, and then putting him magnificently to the torture.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This was their method when they were performing for -their own profit only, when their one motive was to make -the public read their paper; but it was still their method -when they were battling bravely and unselfishly for the -public good, and so discharging the highest duty of their -profession. They lightened the dull days of midsummer -by pursuing recreant aldermen with bloodhounds and -artillery, by muckraking unsanitary milk-dealers, or by -denouncing Sunday liquor-selling in suburban parks—and -they fought constructive campaigns for good government -in exactly the same gothic, melodramatic way. Always -their first aim was to find a concrete target, to visualize -their cause in some definite and defiant opponent. And -always their second aim was to shell that opponent until -he dropped his arms and took to ignominious flight. It -was not enough to maintain and to prove: it was necessary -<span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span>also to pursue and overcome, to lay a specific somebody -low, to give the good show aforesaid.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Does this confession of newspaper practice involve a -libel upon the American people? Perhaps it does—on -the theory, let us say, that the greater the truth, the greater -the libel. But I doubt if any reflective newspaper man, -however lofty his professional ideals, will ever deny any -essential part of that truth. He knows very well that a -definite limit is set, not only upon the people’s capacity -for grasping intellectual concepts, but also upon their capacity -for grasping moral concepts. He knows that it is -necessary, if he would catch and inflame them, to state his -ethical syllogism in the homely terms of their habitual -ethical thinking. And he knows that this is best done by -dramatizing and vulgarizing it, by filling it with dynamic -and emotional significance, by translating all argument for -a principle into rage against a man.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In brief, he knows that it is hard for the plain people to -<em>think</em> about a thing, but easy for them to <em>feel</em>. Error, to -hold their attention, must be visualized as a villain, and -the villain must proceed swiftly to his inevitable retribution. -They can understand that process; it is simple, usual, -satisfying; it squares with their primitive conception of -justice as a form of revenge. The hero fires them too, but -less certainly, less violently than the villain. His defect is -that he offers thrills at second-hand. It is the merit of the -villain, pursued publicly by a <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">posse comitatus</span></i>, that he makes -the public breast the primary seat of heroism, that he -makes every citizen a personal participant in a glorious -act of justice. Wherefore it is ever the aim of the sagacious -journalist to foster that sense of personal participation. -The wars that he wages are always described as the -people’s wars, and he himself affects to be no more than -their strategist and <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">claque</span></i>. When the victory has once -<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>been gained, true enough, he may take all the credit without -a blush; but while the fight is going on he always pretends -that every honest yeoman is enlisted, and he is even -eager to make it appear that the yeomanry began it on -their own motion, and out of the excess of their natural -virtue.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I assume here, as an axiom too obvious to be argued, -that the chief appeal of a newspaper, in all such holy -causes, is not at all to the educated and reflective minority -of citizens, but frankly to the ignorant and unreflective -majority. The truth is that it would usually get a newspaper -nowhere to address its exhortations to the former; -for, in the first place, they are too few in number to make -their support of much value in general engagements, and, -in the second place, it is almost always impossible to convert -them into disciplined and useful soldiers. They are -too cantankerous for that, too ready with embarrassing -strategy of their own. One of the principal marks of an -educated man, indeed, is the fact that he does not take his -opinions from newspapers—not, at any rate, from the -militant, crusading newspapers. On the contrary, his attitude -toward them is almost always one of frank cynicism, -with indifference as its mildest form and contempt as its -commonest. He knows that they are constantly falling -into false reasoning about the things within his personal -knowledge,—that is, within the narrow circle of his special -education,—and so he assumes that they make the -same, or even worse, errors about other things, whether -intellectual or moral. This assumption, it may be said at -once, is quite justified by the facts.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I know of no subject, in truth, save perhaps baseball, -on which the average American newspaper, even in the -larger cities, discourses with unfailing sense and understanding. -Whenever the public journals presume to illuminate -<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>such a matter as municipal taxation, for example, -or the extension of local transportation facilities, or the -punishment of public or private criminals, or the control -of public-service corporations, or the revision of city charters, -the chief effect of their effort is to introduce into it a -host of extraneous issues, most of them wholly emotional, -and so they contrive to make it unintelligible to all earnest -seekers after the truth.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But it does not follow thereby that they also make it -unintelligible to their special client, the man in the street. -Far from it. What they actually accomplish is the exact -opposite. That is to say, it is precisely by this process of -transmutation and emotionalization that they bring a given -problem down to the level of that man’s comprehension, -and, what is more important, within the range of his active -sympathies. He is not interested in anything that does -not stir him, and he is not stirred by anything that fails -to impinge upon his small stock of customary appetites -and attitudes. His daily acts are ordered, not by any complex -process of reasoning, but by a continuous process of -very elemental feeling. He is not at all responsive to -purely intellectual argument, even when its theme is his -own ultimate benefit, for such argument quickly gets -beyond his immediate interest and experience. But he is -very responsive to emotional suggestion, particularly when -it is crudely and violently made; and it is to this weakness -that the newspapers must ever address their endeavors. -In brief, they must try to arouse his horror, or indignation, -or pity, or simply his lust for slaughter. Once they have -done that, they have him safely by the nose. He will follow -blindly until his emotion wears out. He will be ready -to believe anything, however absurd, so long as he is in his -state of psychic tumescence.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the reform campaigns which periodically rock our -<span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span>large cities,—and our small ones, too,—the newspapers -habitually make use of this fact. Such campaigns are not -intellectual wars upon erroneous principles, but emotional -wars upon errant men: they always revolve around the -pursuit of some definite, concrete, fugitive malefactor, or -group of malefactors. That is to say, they belong to popular -sport rather than to the science of government; the -impulse behind them is always far more orgiastic than reflective. -For good government in the abstract, the people -of the United States seem to have no liking, or, at all -events, no passion. It is impossible to get them stirred up -over it, or even to make them give serious thought to it. -They seem to assume that it is a mere phantasm of theorists, -a political will-o’-the-wisp, a utopian dream—wholly -uninteresting, and probably full of dangers and tricks. The -very discussion of it bores them unspeakably, and those -papers which habitually discuss it logically and unemotionally—for -example, the <cite>New York Evening Post</cite>—are -diligently avoided by the mob. What the mob thirsts for -is not good government in itself, but the merry chase of a -definite exponent of bad government. The newspaper -that discovers such an exponent—or, more accurately, -the newspaper that discovers dramatic and overwhelming -evidence against him—has all the material necessary for -a reform wave of the highest emotional intensity. All that -it need do is to goad the victim into a fight. Once he has -formally joined the issue, the people will do the rest. They -are always ready for a man-hunt, and their favorite quarry -is the man of politics. If no such prey is at hand, they will -turn to wealthy debauchees, to fallen Sunday-school superintendents, -to money barons, to white-slave traders, to -un-sedulous chiefs of police. But their first choice is the -boss.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In assaulting bosses, however, a newspaper must look -<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>carefully to its ammunition, and to the order and interrelation -of its salvos. There is such a thing, at the start, as -overshooting the mark, and the danger thereof is very -serious. The people must be aroused by degrees, gently -at first, and then with more and more ferocity. They are -not capable of reaching the maximum of indignation at -one leap: even on the side of pure emotion they have their -rigid limitations. And this, of course, is because even -emotion must have a quasi-intellectual basis, because even -indignation must arise out of facts. One fact at a time! -If a newspaper printed the whole story of a political boss’s -misdeeds in a single article, that article would have scarcely -any effect whatever, for it would be far too long for the -average reader to read and absorb. He would never get -to the end of it, and the part he actually traversed would -remain muddled and distasteful in his memory. Far from -arousing an emotion in him, it would arouse only ennui, -which is the very antithesis of emotion. He cannot read -more than three columns of any one subject without tiring: -6,000 words, I should say, is the extreme limit of his appetite. -And the nearer he is pushed to that limit, the greater -the strain upon his psychic digestion. He can absorb a -single capital fact, leaping from a headline, at one colossal -gulp; but he could not down a dissertation in twenty. And -the first desideratum in a headline is that it deal with a -single and capital fact. It must be, “McGinnis Steals -$1,257,867.25,” not, “McGinnis Lacks Ethical Sense.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Moreover, a newspaper article which presumed to tell -the whole of a thrilling story in one gargantuan installment -would lack the dynamic element, the quality of -mystery and suspense. Even if it should achieve the -miracle of arousing the reader to a high pitch of excitement, -it would let him drop again next day. If he is to -be kept in his frenzy long enough for it to be dangerous to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>the common foe, he must be led into it gradually. The -newspaper in charge of the business must harrow him, -tease him, promise him, hold him. It is thus that his -indignation is transformed from a state of being into a -state of gradual and cumulative becoming; it is thus that -reform takes on the character of a hotly contested game, -with the issue agreeably in doubt. And it is always as a -game, of course, that the man in the street views moral -endeavor. Whether its proposed victim be a political boss, -a police captain, a gambler, a fugitive murderer, or a disgraced -clergyman, his interest in it is almost purely a sporting -interest. And the intensity of that interest, of course, -depends upon the fierceness of the clash. The game is -fascinating in proportion as the morally pursued puts up -a stubborn defense, and in proportion as the newspaper -directing the pursuit is resourceful and merciless, and in -proportion as the eminence of the quarry is great and his -resultant downfall spectacular. A war against a ward -boss seldom attracts much attention, even in the smaller -cities, for he is insignificant to begin with and an inept and -cowardly fellow to end with; but the famous war upon -William M. Tweed shook the whole nation, for he was a -man of tremendous power, he was a brave and enterprising -antagonist, and his fall carried a multitude of other men -with him. Here, indeed, was sport royal, and the plain -people took to it with avidity.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But once such a buccaneer is overhauled and manacled, -the show is over, and the people take no further interest in -reform. In place of the fallen boss, a so-called reformer -has been set up. He goes into office with public opinion -apparently solidly behind him: there is every promise that -the improvement achieved will be lasting. But experience -shows that it seldom is. Reform does not last. The reformer -quickly loses his public. His usual fate, indeed, is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>to become the pet butt and aversion of his public. The -very mob that put him into office chases him out of office. -And after all, there is nothing very astonishing about this -change of front, which is really far less a change of front -than it seems. The mob has been fed, for weeks preceding -the reformer’s elevation, upon the blood of big and little -bosses; it has acquired a taste for their chase, and for the -chase in general. Now, of a sudden, it is deprived of that -stimulating sport. The old bosses are in retreat; there are -yet no new bosses to belabor and pursue; the newspapers -which elected the reformer are busily apologizing for his -amateurish errors—a dull and dispiriting business. No -wonder it now becomes possible for the old bosses, acting -through their inevitable friends on the respectable side,—the -“solid” business men, the takers of favors, the underwriters -of political enterprise, and the newspapers influenced -by these pious fellows,—to start the rabble against -the reformer. The trick is quite as easy as that but lately -done. The rabble wants a good show, a game, a victim: -it doesn’t care who that victim may be. How easy to convince -it that the reformer is a scoundrel himself, that he is -as bad as any of the old bosses, that he ought to go to the -block for high crimes and misdemeanors! It never had -any actual love for him, or even any faith in him; his election -was a mere incident of the chase of his predecessor. -No wonder that it falls upon him eagerly, butchering him -to make a new holiday!</p> - -<p class='c010'>This is what has happened over and over again in every -large American city—Chicago, New York, St. Louis, Cincinnati, -Pittsburg, New Orleans, Baltimore, San Francisco, -St. Paul, Kansas City. Every one of these places has had -its melodramatic reform campaigns and its inevitable reactions. -The people have leaped to the overthrow of bosses, -and then wearied of the ensuing tedium. A perfectly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>typical slipping back, to be matched in a dozen other cities, -is going on in Philadelphia to-day [1914]. Mayor Rudolph -Blankenberg, a veteran war-horse of reform, came into -office through the downfall of the old bosses, a catastrophe -for which he had labored and agitated for more than thirty -years. But now the old bosses are getting their revenge by -telling the people that he is a violent and villainous boss -himself. Certain newspapers are helping them; they have -concealed but powerful support among financiers and business -men; volunteers have even come forward from other -cities—for example, the Mayor of Baltimore. Slowly but -surely this insidious campaign is making itself felt; the -common people show signs of yearning for another <i><span lang="pt" xml:lang="pt">auto-da-fé</span></i>. -Mayor Blankenberg, unless I am the worst prophet -unhung, will meet with an overwhelming defeat in 1915.<a id='r4' /><a href='#f4' class='c015'><sup>[4]</sup></a> -And it will be a very difficult thing to put even a half-decent -man in his place: the victory of the bosses will be -so nearly complete that they will be under no necessity of -offering compromises. Employing a favorite device of -political humor, they may select a harmless blank cartridge, -a respectable numskull, what is commonly called a -perfumer. But the chances are that they will select a frank -ringster, and that the people will elect him with cheers.</p> - -<div class='footnote' id='f4'> -<p class='c010'><a href='#r4'>4</a>. This was written in 1914. The overthrow of Blankenberg took place -as forecast, and Philadelphia has since enjoyed boss rule again, with -plentiful scandals.—H. L. M.</p> -</div> - -<h3 class='c014'>II</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Such is the ebb and flow of emotion in the popular -heart—or perhaps, if we would be more accurate, the popular -liver. It does not constitute an intelligible system of -morality, for morality, at bottom, is not at all an instinctive -matter, but a purely intellectual matter: its essence is the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span>control of impulse by an ideational process, the subordination -of the immediate desire to the distant aim. But such -as it is, it is the only system of morality that the emotional -majority is capable of comprehending and practicing; and -so the newspapers, which deal with majorities quite as -frankly as politicians deal with them, have to admit it -into their own system. That is to say, they cannot accomplish -anything by talking down to the public from a moral -plane higher than its own: they must take careful account -of its habitual ways of thinking, its moral thirsts and prejudices, -its well-defined limitations. They must remember -clearly, as judges and lawyers have to remember it, that -the morality subscribed to by that public is far from the -stern and arctic morality of professors of the science. On -the contrary, it is a mellower and more human thing; it -has room for the antithetical emotions of sympathy and -scorn; it makes no effort to separate the criminal from his -crime.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The higher moralities, running up to that of Puritans -and archbishops, allow no weight to custom, to general reputation, -to temptation; they hold it to be no defense of -a ballot-box stuffer, for example, that he had scores of -accomplices and that he is kind to his little children. But -the popular morality regards such a defense as sound and -apposite; it is perfectly willing to convert a trial on a -specific charge into a trial on a general charge. And in -giving judgment it is always ready to let feeling triumph -over every idea of abstract justice; and very often that -feeling has its origin and support, not in matters actually -in evidence, but in impressions wholly extraneous and irrelevant.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Hence the need of a careful and wary approach in all -newspaper crusades, particularly on the political side. On -the one hand, as I have said, the astute journalist must -<span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>remember the public’s incapacity for taking in more than -one thing at a time, and on the other hand, he must remember -its disposition to be swayed by mere feeling, and -its habit of founding that feeling upon general and indefinite -impressions. Reduced to a rule of everyday practice, -this means that the campaign against a given malefactor -must begin a good while before the capital accusation—that -is, the accusation upon which a verdict of guilty is -sought—is formally brought forward. There must be a -shelling of the fortress before the assault; suspicion must -precede indignation. If this preliminary work is neglected -or ineptly performed, the result is apt to be a collapse of -the campaign. The public is not ready to switch from confidence -to doubt on the instant; if its general attitude toward -a man is sympathetic, that sympathy is likely to survive -even a very vigorous attack. The accomplished mob-master -lays his course accordingly. His first aim is to -arouse suspicion, to break down the presumption of innocence—supposing, -of course, that he finds it to exist. He -knows that he must plant a seed, and tend it long and -lovingly, before he may pluck his dragon-flower. He -knows that all storms of emotion, however suddenly they -may seem to come up, have their origin over the rim of -consciousness, and that their gathering is really a slow, -slow business. I mix the figures shamelessly, as mob-masters -mix their brews!</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is this persistence of an attitude which gives a certain -degree of immunity to all newcomers in office, even in the -face of sharp and resourceful assault. For example, a new -president. The majority in favor of him on Inauguration -Day is usually overwhelming, no matter how small his -plurality in the November preceding, for common self-respect -demands that the people magnify his virtues: to -deny them would be a confession of national failure, a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span>destructive criticism of the Republic. And that benignant -disposition commonly survives until his first year in office -is more than half gone. The public prejudice is wholly -on his side: his critics find it difficult to arouse any indignation -against him, even when the offenses they lay to -him are in violation of the fundamental axioms of popular -morality. This explains why it was that Mr. Wilson was -so little damaged by the charge of federal interference in -the Diggs-Caminetti case—a charge well supported by -the evidence brought forward, and involving a serious violation -of popular notions of virtue. And this explains, too, -why he survived the oratorical pilgrimages of his Secretary -of State at a time of serious international difficulty—pilgrimages -apparently undertaken with his approval, and -hence at his political risk and cost. The people were still -in favor of him, and so he was not brought to irate and -drum-head judgment. No roar of indignation arose to the -heavens. The opposition newspapers, with sure instinct, -felt the irresistible force of public opinion on his side, and -so they ceased their clamor very quickly.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But it is just such a slow accumulation of pin-pricks, -each apparently harmless in itself, that finally draws blood; -it is by just such a leisurely and insidious process that the -presumption of innocence is destroyed, and a hospitality -to suspicion created. The campaign against Governor -Sulzer in New York offers a classic example of this process -in operation, with very skillful gentlemen, journalistic and -political, in control of it. The charges on which Governor -Sulzer was finally brought to impeachment were not -launched at him out of a clear sky, nor while the primary -presumption in his favor remained unshaken. Not at all. -They were launched at a carefully selected and critical -moment—at the end, to wit, of a long and well-managed -series of minor attacks. The fortress of his popularity was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span>bombarded a long while before it was assaulted. He was -pursued with insinuations and innuendoes; various persons, -more or less dubious, were led to make various -charges, more or less vague, against him; the managers of -the campaign sought to poison the plain people with -doubts, misunderstandings, suspicions. This effort, so -diligently made, was highly successful; and so the capital -charges, when they were brought forward at last, had the -effect of confirmations, of corroborations, of proofs. But -if Tammany had made them during the first few months -of Governor Sulzer’s term, while all doubts were yet in -his favor, it would have got only scornful laughter for its -pains. The ground had to be prepared; the public mind -had to be put into training.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The end of my space is near, and I find that I have -written of popular morality very copiously, and of newspaper -morality very little. But, as I have said before, the -one is the other. The newspaper must adapt its pleading -to its clients’ moral limitations, just as the trial lawyer -must adapt <em>his</em> pleading to the jury’s limitations. Neither -may like the job, but both must face it to gain a larger -end. And that end, I believe, is a worthy one in the newspaper’s -case quite as often as in the lawyer’s, and perhaps -far oftener. The art of leading the vulgar, in itself, does -no discredit to its practitioner. Lincoln practiced it unashamed, -and so did Webster, Clay, and Henry. What is -more, these men practiced it with frank allowance for the -naïveté of the people they presumed to lead. It was Lincoln’s -chief source of strength, indeed, that he had a homely -way with him, that he could reduce complex problems to -the simple terms of popular theory and emotion, that he -did not ask little fishes to think and act like whales. This -is the manner in which the newspapers do their work, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>in the long run, I am convinced, they accomplish about as -much good as harm thereby. Dishonesty, of course, is -not unknown among them: we have newspapers in this -land which apply a truly devilish technical skill to the -achievement of unsound and unworthy ends. But not as -many of them as perfectionists usually allege. Taking one -with another, they strive in the right direction. They -realize the massive fact that the plain people, for all their -poverty of wit, cannot be fooled forever. They have a -healthy fear of that heathen rage which so often serves -their uses.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Look back a generation or two. Consider the history of -our democracy since the Civil War. Our most serious -problems, it must be plain, have been solved orgiastically, -and to the tune of deafening newspaper urging and clamor. -Men have been washed into office on waves of emotion, -and washed out again in the same manner. Measures and -policies have been determined by indignation far more -often than by cold reason. But is the net result evil? Is -there even any permanent damage from those debauches -of sentiment in which the newspapers have acted insincerely, -unintelligently, with no thought save for the show -itself? I doubt it. The effect of their long and melodramatic -chase of bosses is an undoubted improvement in -our whole governmental method. The boss of to-day is -not an envied first citizen, but a criminal constantly on -trial. He himself is debarred from all public offices of -honor, and his control over other public officers grows less -and less. Elections are no longer boldly stolen; the humblest -citizen may go to the polls in safety and cast his vote -honestly; the machine grows less dangerous year by year; -perhaps it is already less dangerous than a <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">camorra</span></i> of -utopian and dehumanized reformers would be. We begin -to develop an official morality which actually rises above -<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>our private morality. Bribe-takers are sent to jail by the -votes of jurymen who give presents in their daily business, -and are not above beating the street-car company.</p> - -<p class='c010'>And so, too, in narrower fields. The white-slave agitation -of a year or so ago was ludicrously extravagant and -emotional, but its net effect is a better conscience, a new -alertness. The newspapers discharged broadsides of 12–inch -guns to bring down a flock of buzzards—but they -brought down the buzzards. They have libeled and -lynched the police—but the police are the better for it. -They have represented salicylic acid as an elder brother to -bichloride of mercury—but we are poisoned less than we -used to be. They have lifted the plain people to frenzies -of senseless terror over drinking-cups and neighbors with -coughs—but the death-rate from tuberculosis declines. -They have railroaded men to prison, denying them all -their common rights—but fewer malefactors escape to-day -than yesterday.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The way of ethical progress is not straight. It describes, -to risk a mathematical pun, a sort of drunken hyperbola. -But if we thus move onward and upward by leaps and -bounces, it is certainly better than not moving at all. Each -time, perhaps, we slip back, but each time we stop at a -higher level.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span> - <h2 class='c008'>NEWSPAPER MORALS: A REPLY</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY RALPH PULITZER</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'>The striking article in the March <cite>Atlantic</cite> by Mr. Henry -L. Mencken, on “Newspaper Morals,” is so full of palpable -facts supporting plausible fallacies that simple justice -to press and “proletariat” seems to render proper a few -thoughts in answer to it.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. Mencken’s main facts, summarized, are as follows: -that press and public often approach public questions too -superficially and sentimentally; that the sense of proportion -is too often lost in the heat of campaigns; that the -truth is too often obscured by the intrusion of irrelevant -personalities; and that after the intemperate extremes of -reform waves there always come reactions into indifference -to the evils but yesterday so furiously fought.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. Mencken’s fallacies are: the supercilious assumption -that these weaknesses are not matters of human temperament -running up and down through a certain proportion -of every division of society, but that, on the contrary, -they are class affairs, never tainting the educated classes, -but limited to “the man in the street,” “the rabble,” -“the mob”; that apparently the emotionalizing of public -questions by the press is to be censured in principle and -sneered at in practice; that it means a deliberate truckling -by the newspapers to the ignorant tastes of the masses -when the press fights a public evil by attacking, with argument -and indignation mingled, a man who personifies that -evil, instead of opposing the general principle of that evil -with a wholly passionless intellectualism.</p> - -<p class='c010'>A general fallacy which affects Mr. Mencken’s whole -<span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>article lies in criticising as offenses against “newspaper -morals” those imperfections which, where they exist at all, -could properly be criticised only under such criteria as -suggested by “Newspaper Intellectuals,” or “Newspapers -as the Exponents of Pure Reason.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. Mencken first exposes and deprecates the “aim” of -the newspapers to “knock somebody on the head every -day,” “to please the crowd, to give a good show, by first -selecting a deserving victim and then putting him magnificently -to the torture,” and even to fight “constructive -campaigns for good government in exactly the same gothic, -melodramatic way.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Now “muck-raking” rather than incense-burning is not -a deliberate aim so much as a spontaneous instinct of the -average newspaper. Nor is there anything either mysterious -or reprehensible about this. The public, of all degrees, -is more interested in hitting Wrong than in praising Right, -because fortunately we are still in an optimistic state of -society, where Right is taken for granted and Wrong contains -the element of the unusual and abnormal. If the -day shall ever come when papers will be able to “expose” -Right and regard Wrong as a foregone conclusion, they will -doubtless quickly reverse their treatment of the two. In -an Ali Baba’s cave it might be natural for a paper to discover -some man’s honesty; in a <em>yoshiwara</em> it might be -reasonable for it to expatiate on some woman’s virtue. -But while honesty and virtue and rightness are assumed -to be the normal condition of men and women and things -in general, it does not seem either extraordinary or culpable -that people and press should be more interested in -the polemical than in the platitudinous; in blame than in -painting the lily; in attack than in sending laudatory coals -to Newcastle. It scarcely needs remark, however, that -when the element of surprise is introduced by some deed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>of exceptional heroism or abnegation or inspiration, the -newspapers are not slow in giving it publicity and praise.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. Mencken finds it deplorable that “a very definite -limit is set, not only upon the people’s capacity for grasping -intellectual concepts, but also upon their capacity for -grasping moral concepts”; that, therefore, it is necessary -“to visualize their cause in some definite and defiant opponent ... by translating all arguments for a principle -into rage against a man.” Far be it from me to deny that -people and papers are too prone to get diverted from the -pursuit of some principle by acrimonious personalities -wholly ungermane to that principle. But the protest -against this should not lead to unfair extremes in the opposite -direction. If Mr. Mencken’s ideal is a nation of -philosophers calmly agreeing on the abstract desirability -of honesty while serenely ignoring the specific picking of -their own pockets, we have no ground for argument. But -until we reach such a semi-imbecile Utopia, it would seem -to be no reflection on “the people’s” intellectual or moral -concepts that they should refuse to excite themselves over -any theoretical wrong until their attention is focused on -some practical manifestation of it, in the concrete acts of -some specific individual.</p> - -<p class='c010'>May I add, parenthetically, that some papers and many -acutely intellectual gentlemen find it far more convenient -and comfortable to generalize virtuously than to particularize -virtuously? Nor does it require merely moral or -physical courage to reduce the safely general to the disagreeably -personal. It requires no despicable amount of -intellectual acumen as well.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. Mencken next proceeds to “assume here, as an -axiom too obvious to be argued, that the chief appeal of a -newspaper in all such holy causes is not at all to the educated -and reflective minority of citizens, but to the ignorant -<span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>and unreflective majority.” On the contrary, it is -very far from being “too obvious to be argued.” A great -many persons of guaranteed education are sadly destitute -of any reflectiveness whatsoever, while an appalling number -of “the ignorant” have the effrontery to be able to -reflect very efficiently. This is apart from the fact that -the general intelligence among many of the ignorant is -matched only by the abysmal stupidity of many of the -educated.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Thus it is that the decent paper makes its appeal on -public questions to the numerically large body of reflective -“ignorance” and to the numerically small body of -reflective education, leaving it to the demagogic papers, -which are the exception at one end, to inflame the unreflective -ignorant, and to the sycophantic papers at the -other end to pander to the unreflective educated.</p> - -<p class='c010'>As to Mr. Mencken’s charge that he knows of “no subject, -save perhaps baseball, on which the average American -newspaper discourses with unfailing sense and understanding,” -I know of no subject at all, even including baseball, -on which the most exceptionally gifted man in the world -discourses with unfailing sense and understanding. But -I do know this: that, considering the immense range of -subjects which the American paper is called upon to discuss, -and its meagre limits of time in which to prepare for -such discussion, the failings of that paper in sense and -understanding are probably rarer than would be those -under the same conditions of Mr. Mencken’s most fastidious -selection.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“But,” Mr. Mencken continues, “whenever the public -journals presume to illuminate such a matter as municipal -taxation, for example, or the extension of local transportation -facilities, or the punishment of public or private criminals, -or the control of public-service corporations, or the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span>revision of city charters, the chief effect of their effort is to -introduce into it a host of extraneous issues, most of them -wholly emotional, and so they continue to make it unintelligible -to all earnest seekers after truth.” Here again it -is all a matter of point of view. If Mr. Mencken’s earnest -seekers after truth wish to evolve ideological schemes of -municipal taxation, or supramundane extensions of transportation -facilities, or transcendental control of public-service -corporations, or academic revisions of city charters, -then, indeed, the newspaper discussions of these questions -would be bewildering to these visionary workers in the -realms of pure reason. For the newspapers “presume” to -regard these questions, not as theoretical problems, to be -solved under theoretical conditions, on theoretical populations, -to theoretical perfection, but as workable projects -for a workaday world, in which the most beautiful abstract -reasoning must stand the test of flesh-and-blood conditions; -they regard emotional issues as so far, indeed, from -being extraneous that the human nature of the humblest -men and women must be weighed in the balance against -the nicest syllogisms of the precisest logic. And this is -nothing that Mr. Mencken need condescend to apologize -for so long as “newspaper morals” are under discussion. -For it must be obvious that the honest exposition and -analysis of public questions from a human as well as a -scientific point of view is a higher moral service to the community -than an exclusively scientific, wholly unsympathetic -search after truth by those who regard populations -as mere subjects for the demonstration of principles.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is precisely the honorable prerogative of newspapers -not only to clarify but to vivify, to galvanize dead hypotheses -into living questions, to make the educated and the -ignorant alike feel that public questions should interest -<span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>and stir all good citizens and not merely engross social -philosophers and political theorists.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But here let me avoid joining Mr. Mencken in the pitfall -of generalizations, by drawing a sharp distinction between -the great run of decent papers which do honestly -emotionalize public questions and the relatively few papers -which unscrupulously <em>hystericalize</em> these questions.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. Mencken is entirely correct when he admits that -this emotionalizing brings these problems down to a “man’s -comprehension, and, what is more important, within the -range of his active sympathies.” But he again shows a -very unfortunate class arrogance when he identifies this -man as “the man in the street.” If Mr. Mencken searched -earnestly enough after truth, he would find this man to be -about as extensively the man at the ticker, the man in the -motor-car, the man at the operating table, the man in the -pulpit. In the same vein he continues that the only papers -which discuss good government unemotionally “are diligently -avoided by the <em>mob</em>.” If Mr. Mencken only included -with his proletariat the mob of stockbrokers and -doctors and engineers and lawyers and college graduates -generally, who refuse to read these logical and unemotional -discussions, he would unfortunately be quite right. It -would be a beautiful thing indeed if we had with us to-day -one hundred millions of “earnest seekers after truth,” all -busily engaged in discussing “good government in the abstract,” -“logically and unemotionally.” If they were only -thus dispassionately busied, it is quite true that things -would not be as at present, when “they are always ready -for a man hunt and their favorite quarry is a man of politics. -If no such prey is at hand, they will turn to wealthy -debauchees, to fallen Sunday-school superintendents, to -money barons, to white-slave traders.” In those halcyon -times the one hundred million calm abstractionists would -<span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>discuss the influence of Beaumont and Fletcher on bosses, -or, failing this, the ultimate effect of wealth on eroticism, -the obscure relations between proselyting and decadence, -or the effect of the white-slave traffic on the gold reserve.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But in our present unregenerate epoch Mr. Mencken is -quite right in holding that it is generally the specific evils -of government or society which bring about reform waves, -which in turn crystallize themselves into general principles. -It is a shockingly practical process, I admit; but then, we -are a shockingly practical people, who prefer sordid results -to inspired theories. And at that we are not in such bad -company. For in no country in the world is there such a -thing as a “revealed” civilization. On the contrary, civilization -has always been for the most part purely empirical, -and progress will ever remain so.</p> - -<p class='c010'>There is, therefore, cause not for shame but for pride -when a newspaper reveals some specific iniquity, and by -not merely expounding its isolated character to the public -intelligence, but also by interpreting its general menace to -the public imagination and bringing home its inherent evil -to the public conscience, arouses that public to social legislation, -criminal prosecution, or political reform.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. Mencken next assaults once more his unfortunate -“man in the street” by declaring that “it is always as a -game, of course, that the man in the street views moral -endeavor.... His interest in it is almost always a sporting -interest.” On the contrary, here at last we have a case -where a class distinction can fairly be drawn. “The man -in the street” is a naïve man who takes his melodrama -seriously, who believes robustly in blacks and whites without -subtilizing them into intermediate shades, for whom -villains and heroes really exist. He is the last person on -earth to view the moral endeavor of a political or social -campaign as a game. It is the supercilious class, with its -<span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>sophistication and attendant cynicism, to whom such campaigns -tend to take on the aspect of sporting events and -games of skill.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But it is not necessary to go into the details of Mr. -Mencken’s theory as to the depraved nature of popular -participation in political reform. Its gist is contained in -his truly shocking statement that the war on the Tweed -ring and its extirpation was to the “plain people” nothing -but “sport royal”! Any one who can take one of the -most inspiring civic victories in the history, not alone of a -city, but of a nation, and degrade the spirit that brought -it about to the level of the cockpit or the bull ring, supplies -an argument that needs no reinforcing against his -prejudices on this whole subject.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. Mencken justly deplores the reactions which follow -upon reform successes, but unjustly concentrates the -blame on the fickleness of “the rabble.” This evil is not -a matter of mob-psychology but of unstable human nature, -high and low. These revulsions and reactions are the -shame, impartially, of all classes of our communities. They -permeate the educated atmosphere of fastidious clubs as -extensively as they do the ignorant miasma of vulgar -saloons. If they induce the “ignorant and unreflective” -plebeian to sit in his shirt-sleeves with his legs up, resting -his feet, on election day, instead of doing his duty at the -polls, do they not equally congest the golf links with “earnest -seekers after truth” busily engaged in sacrificing ballots -to Bogeys?</p> - -<p class='c010'>I wholly agree with Mr. Mencken’s strictures on the -public morality which holds it to be a relevant defense for -a ballot-box stuffer “that he is kind to his little children.” -The sentimentalism which so frequently perverts a proper -public conception of public morality is sickening. But -here again the indictment should be against average human -<span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>nature, educated or ignorant, and not against the “man in -the street” as a class and alone. To this man the fact that -the ballot-box stuffer is kind to his little children may -carry more weight than to the man of education and culture. -To the latter the fact that some monopoly-breeding, -law-defying, legislation-bribing, railroad-wrecking gentleman -is kind to his fellow citizens by donating to them picture -galleries and free libraries may carry more weight than -to the former. Is not the one just as much as the other -“ready to let feeling triumph over every idea of abstract -justice”?</p> - -<p class='c010'>Again, with Mr. Mencken’s prescription for making a -successful newspaper crusade there can be no quarrel, save -that here once more he suggests, by referring to the newspaper -as a “mob-master,” that these methods are exclusively -applicable to the same long-suffering “man in the -street.” These methods on which Mr. Mencken elaborates -are the rather obvious ones used by every lawyer, clergyman, -statesman, or publicist the world over who has a -forensic fight to make and win against some public evil—accusation, -iteration, cumulation, and climax. If these -methods are used by “mob-masters,” they are equally used -by snob-servants, and incidentally by the great mass of -honest newspapers which are neither the one thing nor the -other.</p> - -<p class='c010'>At the end of his article, having set up a man of straw -which he found it impossible to knock down, Mr. Mencken -patronizingly pats it on the back:—</p> - -<p class='c010'>“The newspaper must adapt its pleading to its client’s -moral limitations, just as the trial lawyer must adapt his -pleading to the jury’s limitations. Neither may like the -job, but both must face it to gain a larger end. And that -end is a worthy one in the newspaper’s case quite as often -as in the lawyer’s, and perhaps far oftener. The art of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>leading the vulgar in itself does no discredit to its practitioner. -Lincoln practised it unashamed, and so did Webster, -Clay, and Henry.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Alas for this well-intentioned effort at amends! It is -impossible to agree with Mr. Mencken even here when he -praises press and public with such faint damnation.</p> - -<p class='c010'>A decent newspaper does not and must not adapt its -pleadings to its clients’ moral limitations. Intellectual -limitations? Yes. It is restricted by a line beyond which -intelligence and education alike would be at sea, and which -only specialists and experts would understand. But moral -limitations? No. The paper in this regard is less like the -lawyer and more like the judge. A judge can properly -adapt his charge in simplicity of form to the intellectual -limitations of the jury, but it will scarcely be contended -that he may adapt his charge in its substance to the moral -limitations of the jury. No more can any self-respecting -paper palter with what it believes to be the right and the -truth because of any moral limitations in its constituency. -Demagogic papers may do it. Class-catering papers may -do it. But the decent press which lies between does not -thus stultify itself.</p> - -<p class='c010'>And now to Mr. Mencken’s condescending conclusion:—</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Our most serious problems, it must be plain, have been -solved orgiastically and to the tune of deafening newspaper -urging and clamor.... But is the net result evil?... -I doubt it.... The way of ethical progress is not -straight.... But if we thus move onward and upward -by leaps and bounces, it is certainly better than not -moving at all. Each time, perhaps, we slip back, but each -time we stop at a higher level.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Why, then, sweepingly reflect on the morals of the press, -if by humanizing abstract principles, by emotionalizing -academic doctrines, by personifying general theories, it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>has accomplished this progress? Granted that in the heat -of battle it fails to handle the cold conceptions of austere -philosophers with proper scientific etiquette. Granted -that it makes blunders in technical statements which to -the preciosity of specialists seem inexcusable. Granted -that it mixes its science and its sentiment in a manner to -shock the gentlemen of disembodied intellects. Granted -that the press has many more such intellectual peccadilloes -on its conscience.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But if the press does these things honestly, it does them -morally, and does not need to excuse them by their results, -even though these results are in very truth infinitely more -precious to humanity than could be those obtained by the -chill endeavors of what Mr. Mencken himself, with the -perfect accuracy of would-be irony, describes as “a Camorra -of Utopian and dehumanized reformers.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span> - <h2 class='c008'>THE SUPPRESSION OF IMPORTANT NEWS</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY EDWARD ALSWORTH ROSS</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Most of the criticism launched at our daily newspapers -hits the wrong party. Granted that they sensationalize -vice and crime, “play up” trivialities, exploit the private -affairs of prominent people, embroider facts, and offend good -taste with screech, blare, and color. All this may be only -the means of meeting the demand, of “giving the public -what it wants.” The newspaper cannot be expected to -remain dignified and serious now that it caters to the common -millions, instead of, as formerly, to the professional -and business classes. To interest errand-boy and factory-girl -and raw immigrant, it had to become spicy, amusing, -emotional, and chromatic. For these, blame, then, the -American people.</p> - -<p class='c010'>There is just one deadly, damning count against the -daily newspaper as it is coming to be, namely, <em>it does not -give the news</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'>For all its pretensions, many a daily newspaper is not -“giving the public what it wants.” In spite of these widely -trumpeted prodigies of costly journalistic “enterprise,” -these ferreting reporters and hurrying correspondents, -these leased cables and special trains, news, good “live” -news, “red-hot stuff,” is deliberately being suppressed or -distorted. This occurs oftener now than formerly, and bids -fair to occur yet oftener in the future.</p> - -<p class='c010'>And this in spite of the fact that the aspiration of the -press has been upward. Venality has waned. Better and -better men have been drawn into journalism, and they -<span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span>have wrought under more self-restraint. The time when -it could be said, as it was said of the Reverend Dr. Dodd, -that one had “descended so low as to become editor of a -newspaper,” seems as remote as the Ice Age. The editor -who uses his paper to air his prejudices, satisfy his grudges, -and serve his private ambitions, is going out. Sobered by -a growing realization of their social function, newspaper -men have come under a sense of responsibility. Not long -ago it seemed as if a professional spirit and a professional -ethics were about to inspire the newspaper world; and to -this end courses and schools of journalism were established, -with high hopes. The arrest of this promising movement -explains why nine out of ten newspaper men of fifteen -years’ experience are cynics.</p> - -<p class='c010'>As usual, no one is to blame. The apostasy of the daily -press is caused by three economic developments in the -field of newspaper publishing.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>II</h3> - -<p class='c013'>In the first place, the great city daily has become a -blanket sheet with elaborate presswork, printed in mammoth -editions that must be turned out in the least time. -The necessary plant is so costly, and the Associated Press -franchise is so expensive, that the daily newspaper in the -big city has become a capitalistic enterprise. To-day a -million dollars will not begin to outfit a metropolitan newspaper. -The editor is no longer the owner, for he has not, -and cannot command, the capital needed to start it or buy -it. The editor of the type of Greeley, Dana, Medill, Story, -Halstead, and Raymond, who owns his paper and makes -it his astral body, the projection of his character and ideals, -is rare. Perhaps Mr. Watterson and Mr. Nelson [the late -<span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span>William R. Nelson of the <cite>Kansas City Star</cite>] are the best -recent representatives of the type.</p> - -<p class='c010'>More and more the owner of the big daily is a business -man who finds it hard to see why he should run his property -on different lines from the hotel proprietor, the vaudeville -manager, or the owner of an amusement park. The -editors are hired men, and they may put into the paper no -more of their conscience and ideals than comports with -getting the biggest return from the investment. Of course, -the old-time editor who owned his paper tried to make -money,—no sin that!—but just as to-day the author, -the lecturer, or the scholar tries to make money, namely, -within the limitations imposed by his principles and his -professional standards. But, now that the provider of the -newspaper capital hires the editor instead of the editor -hiring the newspaper capital, the paper is likelier to be run -as a money-maker pure and simple—a factory where ink -and brains are so applied to white paper as to turn out -the largest possible marketable product. The capitalist-owner -means no harm, but he is not bothered by the standards -that hamper the editor-owner. He follows a few simple -maxims that work out well enough in selling shoes or -cigars or sheet-music. “Give people what <em>they</em> want, not -what <i>you</i> want.” “Back nothing that will be unpopular.” -“Run the concern for all it is worth.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>This drifting of ultimate control into the hands of men -with business motives is what is known as “the commercialization -of the press.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>The significance of it is apparent when you consider the -second economic development, namely, the growth of newspaper -advertising. The dissemination of news and the -purveying of publicity are two essentially distinct functions, -which, for the sake of convenience, are carried on by -the same agency. The one appeals to subscribers, the other -<span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>to advertisers. The one calls for good faith, the other does -not. The one is the corner-stone of liberty and democracy, -the other a convenience of commerce. Now, the purveying -of publicity is becoming the main concern of the newspaper, -and threatens to throw quite into the shade the -communication of news or opinions. Every year the sale -of advertising yields a larger proportion of the total receipts, -and the subscribers furnish a smaller proportion. -Thirty years ago, advertising yielded less than half of the -earnings of the daily newspapers. To-day, it yields at -least two thirds. In the larger dailies the receipts from -advertisers are several times the receipts from the readers, -in some cases constituting ninety per cent of the total -revenues. As the newspaper expands to eight, twelve, and -sixteen pages, while the price sinks to three cents, two -cents, one cent, the time comes when the advertisers support -the newspaper. The readers are there to <em>read</em>, not to -provide funds. “He who pays the piper calls the tune.” -When news columns and editorial page are a mere incident -in the profitable sale of mercantile publicity, it is strictly -“businesslike” to let the big advertisers censor both.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Of course, you must not let the cat out of the bag, or -you will lose readers, and thereupon advertising. As the -publicity expert, Deweese, frankly puts it, “The reader -must be flimflammed with the idea that the publisher is -really publishing the newspaper or magazine for him.” -The wise owner will “maintain the beautiful and impressive -bluff of running a journal to influence public opinion, -to purify politics, to elevate public morals, etc.” In the -last analysis, then, the smothering of facts in deference to -the advertiser finds a limit in the intelligence and alertness -of the reading public. Handled as “a commercial -proposition,” the newspaper dares not suppress such news -beyond a certain point, and it can always proudly point to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>the unsuppressed news as proof of its independence and -public spirit.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The immunity enjoyed by the big advertiser becomes -more serious as more kinds of business resort to advertising. -Formerly, readers who understood why accidents and -labor troubles never occur in department stores, why -dramatic criticisms are so lenient, and the reviews of books -from the publishers who advertise are so good-natured, -could still expect from their journal an ungloved freedom -in dealing with gas, electric, railroad, and banking companies. -But now the gas people advertise, “Cook with -gas,” the electric people urge you to put your sewing-machine -on their current, and the railroads spill oceans of ink -to attract settlers or tourists. The banks and trust companies -are buyers of space, investment advertising has -sprung up like Jonah’s gourd, and telephone and traction -companies are being drawn into the vortex of competitive -publicity. Presently, in the news-columns of the sheet -that steers by the cash-register, every concern that has -favors to seek, duties to dodge, or regulations to evade, -will be able to press the soft pedal.</p> - -<p class='c010'>A third development is the subordination of newspapers -to other enterprises. After a newspaper becomes a piece -of paying property, detachable from the editor’s personality, -which may be bought and sold like a hotel or mill, it -may come into the hands of those who will hold it in bondage -to other and bigger investments. The magnate-owner -may find it to his advantage not to run it as a newspaper -pure and simple, but to make it—on the sly—an instrument -for coloring certain kinds of news, diffusing certain -misinformation, or fostering certain impressions or prejudices -in its clientele. In a word, he may shape its policy -by non-journalistic considerations. By making his paper -help his other schemes, or further his political or social -<span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span>ambitions, he will hurt it as a money-maker, no doubt, but -he may contrive to fool enough of the people enough of the -time. Aside from such thraldom, newspapers are subject -to the tendency of diverse businesses to become tied together -by the cross-investments of their owners. But -naturally, when the shares of a newspaper lie in the safe-deposit -box cheek by jowl with gas, telephone, and pipeline -stock, a tenderness for these collateral interests is -likely to affect the news columns.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>III</h3> - -<p class='c013'>That in consequence of its commercialization, and its frequent -subjection to outside interests, the daily newspaper -is constantly suppressing important news, will appear from -the instances that follow. They are hardly a third of the -material that has come to the writer’s attention.</p> - -<p class='c010'>A prominent Philadelphia clothier visiting New York -was caught perverting boys, and cut his throat. His firm -being a heavy advertiser, not a single paper in his home -city mentioned the tragedy. One New York paper took -advantage of the situation by sending over an extra edition -containing the story. The firm in question has a large -branch in a Western city. There too the local press was -silent, and the opening was seized by a Chicago paper.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In this same Western city the vice-president of this firm -was indicted for bribing an alderman to secure the passage -of an ordinance authorizing the firm to bridge an alley -separating two of its buildings. Representatives of the -firm requested the newspapers in which it advertised to -ignore the trial. Accordingly the five English papers published -no account of the trial, which lasted a week and disclosed -highly sensational matter. Only the German papers -sent reporters to the trial and published the proceedings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span>In a great jobbing centre, one of the most prominent -cases of the United States District Attorney was the prosecution -of certain firms for misbranding goods. The facts -brought out appeared in the press of the smaller centres, -but not a word was printed in the local papers. In another -centre, four firms were fined for selling potted cheese -which had been treated with preservatives. The local -newspapers stated the facts, but withheld the names of the -firms—a consideration they are not likely to show to the -ordinary culprit.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In a trial in a great city it was brought out by sworn -testimony that, during a recent labor struggle which involved -teamsters on the one hand and the department -stores and the mail-order houses on the other, the employers -had plotted to provoke the strikers to violence by sending -a long line of strike-breaking wagons out of their way -to pass a lot on which the strikers were meeting. These -wagons were the bait to a trap, for a strong force of policemen -was held in readiness in the vicinity, and the governor -of the state was at the telephone ready to call out the -militia if a riot broke out. Fortunately, the strikers restrained -themselves, and the trap was not sprung. It is -easy to imagine the headlines that would have been used -if labor had been found in so diabolical a plot. Yet the -newspapers unanimously refused to print this testimony.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the same city, during a strike of the elevator men in -the large stores, the business agent of the elevator-starters’ -union was beaten to death, in an alley behind a certain -emporium, by a “strong-arm” man hired by that firm. -The story, supported by affidavits, was given by a responsible -lawyer to three newspaper men, each of whom accepted -it as true and promised to print it. The account -never appeared.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In another city the sales-girls in the big shops had to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span>sign an exceedingly mean and oppressive contract which, -if generally known, would have made the firms odious to -the public. A prominent social worker carried these contracts, -and evidence as to the bad conditions that had -become established under them, to every newspaper in the -city. Not one would print a line on the subject.</p> - -<p class='c010'>On the outbreak of a justifiable street-car strike the -newspapers were disposed to treat it in a sympathetic way. -Suddenly they veered, and became unanimously hostile to -the strikers. Inquiry showed that the big merchants had -threatened to withdraw their advertisements unless the -newspapers changed their attitude.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the summer of 1908 disastrous fires raged in the -northern Lake country, and great areas of standing timber -were destroyed. A prominent organ of the lumber industry -belittled the losses and printed reassuring statements -from lumbermen who were at the very moment calling -upon the state for a fire patrol. When taxed with the -deceit, the organ pleaded its obligation to support the -market for the bonds which the lumber companies of the -Lake region had been advertising in its columns.</p> - -<p class='c010'>On account of agitating for teachers’ pensions, a teacher -was summarily dismissed by a corrupt school board, in violation -of their own published rule regarding tenure. An -influential newspaper published the facts of school-board -grafting brought out in the teacher’s suit for reinstatement -until, through his club affiliations, a big merchant was induced -to threaten the paper with the withdrawal of his -advertising. No further reports of the revelations appeared.</p> - -<p class='c010'>During labor disputes the facts are usually distorted to -the injury of labor. In one case, strikers held a meeting on -a vacant lot enclosed by a newly-erected billboard. Forthwith -appeared, in a yellow journal professing warm friendship -<span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span>for labor, a front-page cut of the billboard and a lurid -story of how the strikers had built a “stockade,” behind -which they intended to bid defiance to the bluecoats. It -is not surprising that, when the van bringing these lying -sheets appeared in their quarter of the city, the libeled -men overturned it.</p> - -<p class='c010'>During the struggle of carriage-drivers for a six-day -week, certain great dailies lent themselves to a concerted -effort of the liverymen to win public sympathy by making -it appear that the strikers were interfering with funerals. -One paper falsely stated that a strong force of police was -being held in reserve in case of “riots,” and that policemen -would ride beside the non-union drivers of hearses. -Another, under the misleading headline, “Two Funerals -stopped by Striking Cabmen,” described harmless colloquies -between hearse-drivers and pickets. This was followed -up with a solemn editorial, “May a Man go to his -Long Rest in Peace?” although, as a matter of fact, the -strikers had no intention of interfering with funerals.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The lying headline is a favorite device for misleading the -reader. One sheet prints on its front page a huge “scare” -headline, “‘Hang Haywood and a Million Men will march -in Revenge,’ says Darrow.” The few readers whose glance -fell from the incendiary headline to the dispatch below it -found only the following: “Mr. Darrow, in closing the argument, -said that ‘if the jury hangs Bill Haywood, one -million willing hands will seize the banner of liberty by -the open grave, and bear it on to victory.’” In the same -style, a dispatch telling of the death of an English policeman, -from injuries received during a riot precipitated by -suffragettes attempting to enter a hall during a political -meeting, is headed, “Suffragettes kill Policeman!”</p> - -<p class='c010'>The alacrity with which many dailies serve as mouthpieces -of the financial powers came out very clearly during -<span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span>the recent industrial depression. The owner of one leading -newspaper called his reporters together and said in effect, -“Boys, the first of you who turns in a story of a lay-off or -a shut-down gets the sack.” Early in the depression the -newspapers teemed with glowing accounts of the resumption -of steel mills and the revival of business, all baseless. -After harvest time they began to cheep, “Prosperity,” -“Bumper Crops,” “Farmers buying Automobiles.” In -cities where banks and employers offered clearing-house -certificates instead of cash, the press usually printed fairy -tales of the enthusiasm with which these makeshifts were -taken by depositors and workingmen. The numbers and -sufferings of the unemployed were ruthlessly concealed -from the reading public. A mass meeting of men out of -work was represented as “anarchistic” or “instigated by -the socialists for political effect.” In one daily appeared -a dispatch under the heading “Five Thousand Jobs Offered; -only Ten apply.” It stated that the Commissioner -of Public Works of Detroit, misled by reports of dire distress, -set afoot a public work which called for five thousand -men. Only ten men applied for work, and all these expected -to be bosses. Correspondence with the official -established the fact that the number of jobs offered was -five hundred, and that three thousand men applied for -them!</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>IV</h3> - -<p class='c013'>On the desk of every editor and sub-editor of a newspaper -run by a capitalist promoter now [1910] under prison -sentence lay a list of sixteen corporations in which the -owner was interested. This was to remind them not to -print anything damaging to these concerns. In the office -these corporations were jocularly referred to as “sacred -cows.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>Nearly every form of privilege is found in the herd of -“sacred cows” venerated by the daily press.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The railroad company is a “sacred cow.” At a hearing -before a state railroad commission, the attorney of a shippers’ -association got an eminent magnate into the witness -chair, with the intention of wringing from him the truth -regarding the political expenditures of his railroad. At -this point the commission, an abject creature of the railroads, -arbitrarily excluded the daring attorney from the -case. The memorable excoriation which that attorney -gave the commission to its face was made to appear in the -papers as the <em>cause</em> instead of the <em>consequence</em> of this exclusion. -Subsequently, when the attorney filed charges with -the governor against the commission, one editor wrote an -editorial stating the facts and criticising the commissioners. -The editorial was suppressed after it was in type.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The public-service company is a “sacred cow.” In a -city of the Southwest, last summer [1909], while houses -were burning from lack of water for the fire hose, a lumber -company offered to supply the firemen with water. The -water company replied that they had “sufficient.” Neither -this nor other damaging information concerning the company’s -conduct got into the columns of the local press. A -yellow journal conspicuous in the fight for cheaper gas -by its ferocious onslaughts on the “gas trust,” suddenly -ceased its attack. Soon it began to carry a full-page “Cook -with gas” advertisement. The cow had found the entrance -to the sacred fold.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Traction is a “sacred cow.” The truth about Cleveland’s -fight for the three-cent fare has been widely suppressed. -For instance, while Mayor Johnson was superintending -the removal of the tracks of a defunct street railway, -he was served with a court order enjoining him from -tearing up the rails. As the injunction was not indorsed, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>as by law it should be, he thought it was an ordinary communication, -and put it in his pocket to examine later. The -next day he was summoned to show reason why he should -not be found in contempt of court. When the facts came -out, he was, of course, discharged. An examination of the -seven leading dailies of the country shows that a dispatch -was sent out from Cleveland stating that Mayor Johnson, -after acknowledging service, pocketed the injunction, and -ordered his men to proceed with their work. In the newspaper -offices this dispatch was then embroidered. One -paper said the mayor told his men to go ahead and ignore -the injunction. Another had the mayor intimating in advance -that he would not obey an order if one were issued. -A third invented a conversation in which the mayor and -his superintendent made merry over the injunction. Not -one of the seven journals reported the mayor’s complete -exoneration later.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The tax system is a “sacred cow.” During a banquet -of two hundred single-taxers, at the conclusion of their -state conference, a man fell in a fit. Reporters saw the -trifling incident, yet the morning papers, under big headlines, -“Many Poisoned at Single-Tax Banquet,” told in -detail how a large number of banqueters had been ptomaine-poisoned. -The conference had formulated a single-tax -amendment to the state constitution, which they intended -to present to the people for signature under the -new Initiative law. One paper gave a line and a half to -this most significant action. No other paper noticed it.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The party system is a “sacred cow.” When a county -district court declared that the Initiative and Referendum -amendment to the Oregon constitution was invalid, the -item was spread broadcast. But when later the Supreme -Court of Oregon reversed that decision, the fact was too -trivial to be put on the wires.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>The “man higher up” is a “sacred cow.” In reporting -Prosecutor Heney’s argument in the Calhoun case, the -leading San Francisco paper omitted everything on the -guilt of Calhoun and made conspicuous certain statements -of Mr. Heney with reference to himself, with intent to make -it appear that his argument was but a vindication of himself, -and that he made no points against the accused. The -argument for the defense was printed in full, the “points” -being neatly displayed in large type at proper intervals. -At a crisis in this prosecution a Washington dispatch -quoted the chairman of the Appropriations Committee as -stating in the House that “Mr. Heney received during -1908 $23,000, for which he performed no service whatever -for the Government.” It was some hours before the report -was corrected by adding Mr. Tawney’s concluding words, -“during that year.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>In view of their suppression and misrepresentation of -vital truth, the big daily papers, broadly speaking, must -be counted as allies of those whom—as Editor Dana -reverently put it—“God has endowed with a genius for -saving, for getting rich, for bringing wealth together, for -accumulating and concentrating money.” In rallying to -the side of the people they are slower than the weeklies, -the magazines, the pulpit, the platform, the bar, the literati, -the intellectuals, the social settlements, and the universities.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Now and then, to be sure, in some betrayed and misgoverned -city, a man of force takes some little sheet, prints -all the news, ventilates the local situation, arouses the -community, builds up a huge circulation, and proves that -truth-telling still pays. But such exploits do not counteract -the economic developments which have brought on the -glacial epoch in journalism. Note what happens later to -such a newspaper. It is now a valuable property, and as -<span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span>such it will be treated. The editor need not repeat the -bold strokes that won public confidence; he has only to -avoid anything that would forfeit it. Unconsciously he -becomes, perhaps, less a newspaper man, more a business -man. He may make investments which muzzle his paper -here, form social connections which silence it there. He -may tire of fighting and want to “cash in.” In any case, -when his newspaper falls into the hands of others, it will -be run as a business, and not as a crusade.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>V</h3> - -<p class='c013'>What can be done about the suppression of news? At -least, we can refrain from arraigning and preaching. To -urge the editor, under the thumb of the advertiser or of the -owner, to be more independent, is to invite him to remove -himself from his profession. As for the capitalist-owner, -to exhort him to run his newspaper in the interests of truth -and progress is about as reasonable as to exhort the mill-owner -to work his property for the public good instead of -for his private benefit.</p> - -<p class='c010'>What is needed is a broad new avenue to the public -mind. Already smothered facts are cutting little channels -for themselves. The immense vogue of the “muck-raking” -magazines is due to their being vehicles for suppressed -news. Non-partisan leaders are meeting with cheering -response when they found weeklies in order to reach their -natural following. The Socialist Party supports two dailies, -less to spread their ideas than to print what the capitalistic -dailies would stifle. Civic associations, municipal -voters’ leagues, and legislative voters’ leagues, are circulating -tons of leaflets and bulletins full of suppressed facts. -Within a year [1909–10] five cities have, with the tax-payers’ -money, started journals to acquaint the citizens -<span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span>with municipal happenings and affairs. In many cities -have sprung up private non-partisan weeklies to report -civic information. Moreover, the spoken word is once -more a power. The demand for lecturers and speakers is -insatiable, and the platform bids fair to recover its old -prestige. The smotherers are dismayed by the growth of -the Chautauqua circuit. Congressional speeches give vent -to boycotted truth, and circulate widely under the franking -privilege. City clubs and Saturday lunch clubs are -formed to listen to facts and ideas tabooed by the daily -press. More is made of public hearings before committees -of councilmen or legislators.</p> - -<p class='c010'>When all is said, however, the defection of the daily press -has been a staggering blow to democracy.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Many insist that the public is able to recognize and pay -for the truth. “Trust the public” and <em>in the end</em> merit -will be rewarded. Time and again men have sunk money -in starting an honest and outspoken sheet, confident that -soon the public would rally to its support. But such hopes -are doomed to disappointment. The editor who turns -away bad advertising or defies his big patrons cannot lay -his copy on the subscriber’s doorstep for as little money as -the editor who purveys publicity for all it is worth; and -the masses will not pay three cents when another paper -that “looks just as good” can be had for a cent. In a -word, the art of simulating honesty and independence has -outrun the insight of the average reader.</p> - -<p class='c010'>To conclude that the people are not able to recognize -and pay for the truth about current happenings simply -puts the dissemination of news in a class with other momentous -social services. Because people fail to recognize -and pay for good books, endowed libraries stud the land. -Because they fail to recognize and pay for good instruction, -education is provided free or at part cost. Just as the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>moment came when it was seen that private schools, loan -libraries, commercial parks, baths, gymnasia, athletic -grounds, and playgrounds would not answer, so the moment -is here for recognizing that the commercial news-medium -does not adequately meet the needs of democratic -citizenship.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Endowment is necessary, and, since we are not yet wise -enough to run a public-owned daily newspaper, the funds -must come from private sources. In view of the fact that -in fifteen years large donations aggregating more than a -thousand million of dollars have been made for public purposes -in this country, it is safe to predict that, if the usefulness -of a non-commercial newspaper be demonstrated, -funds will be forthcoming. In the cities, where the secret -control of the channels of publicity is easiest, there are -likely to be founded financially independent newspapers, -the gift of public-spirited men of wealth.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The ultimate control of such a foundation constitutes -a problem. A newspaper free to ignore the threats of big -advertisers or powerful interests, one not to be bought, -bullied, or bludgeoned, one that might at any moment -blurt out the damning truth about police protection to -vice, corporate tax-dodging, the grabbing of water frontage -by railroads, or the non-enforcement of the factory laws, -would be of such strategic importance in the struggle for -wealth that desperate efforts would be made to chloroform -it. If its governing board perpetuated itself by coöptation, -it would eventually be packed with “safe” men, who -would see to it that the newspaper was run in a “conservative” -spirit; for, in the long run, those who can watch for -an advantage <em>all</em> the time will beat the people, who can -watch only <em>some</em> of the time.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Chloroformed the endowed newspaper will be, unless it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span>be committed to the onward thought and conscience of the -community. This could be done by letting vacancies on -the governing board be filled in turn by the local bar association, -the medical association, the ministers’ union, the -degree-granting faculties, the federated teachers, the central -labor union, the chamber of commerce, the associated -charities, the public libraries, the non-partisan citizens’ -associations, the improvement leagues, and the social settlements. -In this way the endowment would rest ultimately -on the chief apexes of moral and intellectual worth -in the city.</p> - -<p class='c010'>While giving, with headline, cut, and cartoon, the interesting -news,—forgeries and accidents, society and sports, -as well as business and politics,—the endowed newspaper -would not dramatize crime, or gossip of private affairs; -above all, it would not “fake,” “doctor,” or sensationalize -the news. Too self-respecting to use keyhole tactics, and -too serious to chronicle the small beer of the wedding trousseau -or the divorce court, such a newspaper could not begin -to match the commercial press in circulation. But it would -reach those who reach the public through the weeklies and -monthlies, and would inform the teachers, preachers, lecturers, -and public men, who speak to the people eye to eye.</p> - -<p class='c010'>What is more, it would be a <em>corrective newspaper</em>, giving -a wholesome leverage for lifting up the commercial press. -The big papers would not dare be caught smothering or -“cooking” the news. The revelations of an independent -journal that everybody believed, would be a terror to them, -and, under the spur of a competitor not to be frightened, -bought up, or tired out, they would be compelled, in -sheer self-preservation, to tell the truth much oftener than -they do.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The Erie Canal handles less than a twentieth of the -traffic across the State of New York, yet, by its standing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>offer of cheap transportation, it exerts a regulative pressure -on railway rates which is realized only when the canal -opens in the spring. On the same principle, the endowed -newspaper in a given city might print only a twentieth -of the daily press output, and yet exercise over the other -nineteen twentieths an influence great and salutary.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span> - <h2 class='c008'>THE PERSONAL EQUATION IN JOURNALISM</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY HENRY WATTERSON</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>The daily newspaper, under modern conditions, embraces -two parts very nearly separate and distinct in their -requirements—the journalistic and the commercial.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The aptitude for producing a commodity is one thing, -and the aptitude for putting this commodity on the market -is quite another thing. The difference is not less marked -in newspaper-making than in other pursuits. The framing -and execution of contracts for advertising, for printing-paper -and ink, linotyping and press-work; the handling -of money and credits; the organization of the telegraphic -service and postal service; the supervision of machinery—in -short, the providing of the vehicle and the power that -turns its wheels—is the work of a single mind, and usually -it is engrossing work. It demands special talent and ceaseless -activity and attention all day long, and every day in -the year. Except it be sufficient, considerable success is -out of the question. Sometimes its sufficiency is able to -float an indifferent product. Without it the best product -is likely to languish.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The making of the newspaper, that is, the collating of -the news and its consistent and uniform distribution and -arrangement, the representation of the mood and tense -of the time, a certain continuity, more or less, of thought -and purpose,—the popularization of the commodity,—call -for energies and capacities of another sort. The editor -of the morning newspaper turns night into day. When -others sleep he must be awake and astir. His is the only -<span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>vocation where versatility is not a hindrance or a diversion; -where the conventional is not imposed upon his personality. -He should be many-sided, and he is often most engaging -when he seems least heedful of rule. Yet nowhere is ready -and sound discretion in greater or more constant need. -The editor must never lose his head. Sure, no less than -prompt, judgment is required at every turning. It is his -business to think for everybody. Each subordinate must -be so drilled and fitted to his place as to become in a sense -the replica of his chief. And, even then, when at noon -he goes carefully over the work of the night before, he will -be fortunate if he finds that all has gone as he planned -it, or could wish it.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I am assuming that the make-up of the newspaper is -an autocracy: the product of one man, the offspring of a -policy; the man indefatigable and conscientious, the policy -fixed, sober, and alert. In the famous sea-fight the riffraff -of sailors from all nations, whom Paul Jones had picked -up wherever he could find them, responded like the parts -of a machine to the will of their commander. They seemed -inspired, the British Captain Pearson testified before the -Court of Inquiry. So in a well-ordered newspaper office, -when at midnight wires are flashing and feet are hurrying, -and to the onlooking stranger chaos seems to reign, the -directing mind and hand have their firm grip upon the -tiller-ropes, which extend from the editorial room to the -composing-room, from the composing-room to the press-room, -and from the press-room to the breakfast-table.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>II</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Personal journalism had its origin in the crude requirements -of the primitive newspaper. An editor, a printer, -and a printer’s devil, were all-sufficient. For half a century -<span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span>after the birth of the daily newspaper in America, one -man did everything which fell under the head of editorial -work. The army of reporters, telegraphers, and writers, -duly officered and classified, which has come to occupy -the larger field, was undreamed of by the pioneers of Boston, -New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Individual ownership was the rule. Little money was -embarked. Commonly it was “So-and-So’s paper.” Whilst -the stories of private war, of pistols and coffee, have been -exaggerated, the early editors were much beset; were held -to strict accountability for what appeared in their columns; -sometimes had to take their lives in their hands. In certain -regions the duello flourished—one might say became -the fashion. Up to the War of Secession, the instance of -an editor who had not had a personal encounter, indeed, -many encounters, was a rare one. Not a few editors acquired -celebrity as “crack shots,” gaining more reputation -by their guns than by their pens.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The familiar “Stop my paper” was personally addressed, -an ebullition of individual resentment.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Mr. Swain,” said an irate subscriber to the founder of -the <cite>Philadelphia Ledger</cite>, whom he met one morning on his -way to his place of business, “I have stopped your paper, -sir—I have stopped your paper.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. Swain was a gentleman of dignity and composure. -“Indeed,” said he, with a kindly intonation; “come with -me and let us see about it.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>When the two had reached the spot where the office of -the <cite>Ledger</cite> stood, nothing unusual appeared to have happened: -the building was still there, the force within apparently -engaged in its customary activities. Mr. Swain -looked leisurely about him, and turning upon his now -expectant but thoroughly puzzled fellow townsman, he -said,—</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>“Everything seems to be as I left it last night. Stop -my paper, sir! How could you utter such a falsehood!”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. James Gordon Bennett, the elder, was frequently -and brutally assailed. So was Mr. Greeley. Mr. Prentice, -though an expert in the use of weapons, did not escape -many attacks of murderous intent. Editors fought among -themselves, anon with fatal result, especially about Richmond -in Virginia, and Nashville in Tennessee, and New -Orleans. So self-respecting a gentleman, and withal so -peaceful a citizen, as Mr. William Cullen Bryant, fell upon -a rival journalist with a horsewhip on Broadway, in New -York. The prosy libel suit has come to take the place -of the tragic street duel,—the courts of law to settle what -was formerly submitted to the code of honor,—the star -part of “fighting editor” having come to be a relic of bygone -squalor and glory. The call to arms in 1861 found -few of the editorial bullies ready for the fray, and no one -of them made his mark as a soldier in battle. They were -good only on parade. Even the South had its fill of combat, -valor grew too common to be distinguished, and, out -of a very excess of broil and blood, along with multiplied -opportunities for the display of courage, gun-play got its -quietus. The good old times, when it was thought that -a man who had failed at all else could still keep a hotel -and edit a newspaper, have passed away. They are gone -forever. If a gentleman kills his man nowadays, even -in honest and fair fight, they call it murder. Editors have -actually to be educated to their work, and to work for their -living. The soul of Bombastes has departed, and journalism -is no longer irradiated and advertised by the flash of arms.</p> - -<p class='c010'>We are wont to hear of the superior integrity of those -days. There will always be in direct accountability a -certain sense of obligation lacking to the anonymous and -impersonal. Most men will think twice before they commit -<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>their thoughts to print where their names are affixed. -Ambition and vanity, as well as discretion, play a restraining -part here; they play it, even though there be no provocation -to danger. Yet, seeing that somebody must be -somewhere back of the pen, the result would appear still -to be referable to private character.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Most of the personal journalists were in alliance with -the contemporary politicians; all of them were the slaves -of party. Many of them were without convictions, holding -to the measures of the time the relation held by the -play-actors to the parts that come to them on the stage. -Before the advent of the elder Bennett, independent journalism -was unknown. In the “partnership” of Seward, -Weed, and Greeley,—Mr. Greeley himself described it, -he being “the junior member,”—office, no less than public -printing, was the object of two members at least of the firm. -Lesser figures were squires instead of partners, their chiefs -as knights of old. Callender first served, then maligned, -Jefferson. Croswell was the man-at-arms of the Albany -Regency, valet to Mr. Van Buren. Forney played majordomo -to Mr. Buchanan until Buchanan, becoming President, -left his poor follower to hustle for himself; a signal, -but not anomalous, piece of ingratitude. Prentice held -himself to the orders of Clay. Even Raymond, set up in -business by the money of Seward’s friends, could call his -soul his own only toward the end of his life, and then by a -single but fatal misstep brought ruin upon the property -his genius had created.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Not, indeed, until the latter third of the last century -did independent journalism acquire considerable vogue, -with Samuel Bowles and Charles A. Dana to lead it in the -East, and Murat Halstead and Horace White, followed -by Joseph Medill, Victor F. Lawson, Melville E. Stone, -and William R. Nelson, in the West.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span> - <h3 class='c014'>III</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c013'>The new school of journalism, sometimes called impersonal -and taking its lead from the counting-room, which -generally prevails, promises to become universal in spite -of an individualist here and there uniting salient characteristics -to controlling ownership—a union which in the -first place created the personal journalism of other days.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Here, however, the absence of personality is more apparent -than real. Control must be lodged somewhere. -Whether it be upstairs, or downstairs, it is bound to be—if -successful—both single-minded and arbitrary, the -embodiment of the inspiration and the will of one man; -the expression made to fit the changed conditions which -have impressed themselves upon the writing and the speaking -of our time.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Eloquence and fancy, oratory and rhetoric, have for -the most part given place in our public life to the language -of business. More and more do budgets usurp the field -of affairs. As fiction has exhausted the situations possible -to imaginative writing, so has popular declamation exhausted -the resources of figurative speech; and just as the -novel seeks other expedients for arousing and holding the -interest of its readers, do speakers and publicists, abandoning -the florid and artificial, aim at the simple and the -lucid, the terse and incisive, the argument the main point, -attained, as a rule, in the statement. To this end the -counting-room, with its close kinship to the actualities -of the world about it, has a definite advantage over the -editorial room, as a school of instruction. Nor is there -any reason why the head of the counting-room should not -be as highly qualified to direct the editorial policies as the -financial policies of the newspaper of which, as the agent -of a corporation or an estate, he has become the executive; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span>the newspaper thus conducted assuming something of -the character of the banking institution and the railway -company, being indeed in a sense a common carrier. At -least a greater show of stability and respectability, if not -a greater sense of responsibility, would be likely to follow -such an arrangement, since it would establish a more immediate -relation with the community than that embraced -by the system which seems to have passed away, a system -which was not nearly so accessible, and was, moreover, -hedged about by a certain mystery that attaches itself to -midnight, to the flare of the footlights and the smell of -printers’ ink.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I had written thus far and was about to pursue this line -of thought with some practical suggestion emanating from -a wealth of observation and reminiscence when, reading -the <cite>Atlantic Monthly</cite> for March, I encountered the following -passage from the very thoughtful paper of Mr. -Edward Alsworth Ross, entitled “The Suppression of -Important News”:—</p> - -<p class='c010'>“More and more the owner of the big daily is a business -man who finds it hard to see why he should run his property -on different lines from the hotel proprietor, the vaudeville -manager, or the owner of an amusement park. The editors -are hired men, and they may put into the paper no more -of their conscience and ideals than comports with getting -the biggest return from the investment. Of course, the -old-time editor who owned his paper tried to make money—no -sin, that!—but just as to-day the author, the lecturer, -or the scholar, tries to make money, namely, within -the limitations imposed by his principles and his professional -standards. But, now that the provider of the newspaper -capital hires the editor instead of the editor hiring -the newspaper capital, the paper is likelier to be run as a -money-maker pure and simple—a factory where ink and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>brains are so applied to white paper as to turn out the -largest possible marketable product. The capitalist-owner -means no harm, but he is not bothered by the standards -that hamper the editor-owner. He follows a few simple -maxims that work out well enough in selling shoes or cigars -or sheet-music.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>There follow many examples of the “suppression” of -“news.” Some of these might be called “important.” -Others are less so. Here enters a question as to what is -“news” and what is not; a question which gives rise to -frequent and sometimes considerable differences of opinion.</p> - -<p class='c010'>If the newspaper manager is to make no distinction -between vaudeville and journalism, between the selling of -white paper disfigured by printer’s ink and the selling of -shoes, or sheet-music, comment would seem superfluous. -I venture to believe that such a manager would nowhere -be able long to hold his own against one of an ambition -and intelligence better suited to supplying the requirement -of the public demand for a vehicle of communication -between itself and the world at large. Now and then we -see a very well-composed newspaper fail of success because -of its editorial character and tone. Now and then -we see one succeed, having no editorial character and -tone. But the rule is otherwise. The leading dailies -everywhere stand for something. They are rarely without -aspiration. Because of the unequal capabilities of -those who conduct them, they have had their ups and -downs: great journals, like the <cite>Chicago Times</cite>, passing out -of existence through the lack of an adequate head; failing -journals, like the <cite>New York World</cite>, saved from shipwreck -by the timely arrival of an adequate head.</p> - -<p class='c010'>My own observation leads me to believe that more is -to be charged against the levity and indifference of the -average newspaper—perhaps I should say its ignorance -<span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span>and indolence—than against the suppression of important -news. As a matter of fact, suppression does not suppress. -Conflicting interests attend to that. Mr. Ross relates that -on the desk of every editor and sub-editor of a newspaper -run by a certain capitalist, who was also a promoter, lay -a list of sixteen corporations in which the owner was interested. -This was to remind them not to print anything -damaging to those particular concerns. In the office the -exempted subjects were jocularly referred to as “sacred -cows.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>This case, familiar to all newspaper men, was an extreme -one. The newspaper proved a costly and ignominious -failure. Its owner, who ran it on the lines of an “amusement -park,” landed first in a bankruptcy and then in a -criminal court, finally to round up in the penitentiary. -Before him, and in the same city, a fellow “journalist” -had been given a state-prison sentence. In another and -adjacent city the editor and owner of a famous and influential -newspaper who had prostituted himself and his -calling escaped the stripes of a convict only through executive -clemency.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The disposition to publish everything, without regard -to private feeling or good neighborhood, may be carried -to an excess quite as hurtful to the community as the -suppressions of which Mr. Ross tells us in his interesting -résumé. The newspaper which constitutes itself judge and -jury, which condemns in advance of conviction, which, -reversing the English rule of law, assumes the accused -guilty instead of innocent,—the newspaper, in short, -which sets itself up as a public prosecutor,—is likely to -become a common scold and to arouse its readers out of -all proportion to any good achieved by publicity. As in -other affairs of life, the sense of decency imposes certain -reserves, and also the sense of charity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span>The justest complaint which may be laid at the door of -the modern newspaper seems to me its invasion of the home, -and the conversion of its reporters into detectives. Pretending -to be the defender of liberty, it too often is the assailant -of private right. Each daily issue should indeed -aim to be the history of yesterday, but it should be clean -as well as truthful; and as we seek in our usual walks and -ways to avoid that which is nasty and ghastly, so should -we, in the narration of scandal and crime, guard equally -against exaggeration and pruriency, nor be ashamed to suppress -that which may be too vile to tell.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In a recent article Mr. Victor Rosewater, the accomplished -editor of the <cite>Omaha Bee</cite>, takes issue with Mr. Ross -upon the whole line of his argument, which he subjects -to the critical analysis of a practical journalist. The -muck-raking magazines, so extolled by Mr. Ross, are shown -by Mr. Rosewater to be the merest collection of already -printed newspaper material, the periodical writer having -time to put them together in more connected form. He -also shows that the Chautauqua circuits are but the emanations -of newspaper advertising; and that, if newspapers -of one party make suppressions in the interest of their -party, the newspapers of the other are ready with the -antidote. Obviously, Mr. Ross is either a newspaper subaltern, -or a college professor. In either case he is, as Mr. -Rosewater shows, a visionary.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In nothing does this betray itself so clearly as in the -suggestion of “an endowed newspaper,” which is Mr. -Ross’s remedy for the evils he enumerates.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Because newspapers, as a rule, prefer construction -to destruction,” says Mr. Rosewater, “they are accused -by Mr. Ross of malfeasance for selfish purposes. True, -a newspaper depends for its own prosperity upon the prosperity -of the community in which it is published. The -<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>newspaper selfishly prefers business prosperity to business -adversity. A panic is largely psychological, and the newspapers -can do much to aggravate or to mitigate its severity. -There is no question that to the willful efforts of -the newspapers as a body to allay public fear and to restore -business confidence is to be credited the short duration -and comparative mildness of the last financial cataclysm. -Would an endowed newspaper have acted differently? -Most people would freely commend the newspapers for -what they did to start the wheels of industry again revolving, -and this is the first time I have seen them condemned -for suppressing ‘important news’ of business -calamity and industrial distress in subservience to a worship -of advertising revenue.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>The truth of this can hardly be denied. Most fair-minded -observers will agree with Mr. Rosewater that “a -few black sheep in the newspaper fold do not make the -whole flock black, nor do the combined imperfections of -all newspapers condemn them to failure”; and I cannot -resist quoting entire the admirable conclusion with which -a recognized newspaper authority disposes of a thoroughly -theoretic newspaper critic.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Personally,” says Mr. Rosewater, “I would like to -see the experiment of an endowed newspaper tried, because -I am convinced comparison would only redound to -the advantage of the newspaper privately conducted as -a commercial undertaking. The newspaper most akin -to the endowed newspaper in this country is published -in the interest of the Christian Science Church. With it, -‘important news’ is news calculated to promote the propaganda -of the faith, and close inspection of its columns -would disclose news-suppression in every issue. On the -other hand, a daily newspaper, standing on its own bottom, -must have readers to make its advertising space -<span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span>valuable, and without a reasonable effort to cover all the -news and command public confidence, the standing and -clientage of the paper cannot be successfully maintained. -The endowed paper pictured to us as the ideal paper, run -by a board of governors filled in turn by representatives -of the various uplift societies enumerated by Professor -Ross, would blow hot and would blow cold, would have -no consistent policy or principles, would be unable to alter -the prevailing notion of what constitutes important news, -and would be from the outset busily engaged in a work -of news-suppression to suit the whims of the particular -hobby-riders who happened for the moment to be in dominating -control.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>In journalism, as in statesmanship, the doctrinaire is -more confident than the man of affairs. So, in war, the -lieutenant is bolder in the thought than the captain in the -action. Often the newspaper subaltern, distrusting his -chief, calls that “mercenary” which is in reality “discrimination.” -It is a pity that there is not more of this -latter in our editorial practice.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>IV</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Disinterestedness, unselfish devotion to the public -interest, is the soul of true journalism as of true statesmanship; -and this is as likely to proceed from the counting-room -as from the editorial room; only, the business -manager must be a journalist.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The journalism of Paris is personal, the journalism of -London is impersonal—that is to say, the one illustrates -the self-exploiting, individualized star-system, the other -the more sedate and orderly, yet not less responsible, commercial -system; and it must be allowed that, in both dignity -and usefulness, the English is to be preferred to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>French journalism. It is true that English publishers -are sometimes elevated to the peerage. But this is nowise -worse than French and American editors becoming -candidates for office. In either case, the public and the -press are losers in the matter of the service rendered, because -journalism and office are so antipathetic that their -union must be destructive to both.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The upright man of business, circumspect in his everyday -behavior and jealous of his commercial honor, needs -only to be educated in the newspaper business to bring -to it the characteristic virtues which shine and prosper -in the more ambitious professional and business pursuits. -The successful man in the centres of activity is usually -a worldly-wise and prepossessing person. Other things -being equal, success of the higher order inclines to those -qualities of head and heart, of breeding and education and -association, which go to the making of what we call a -gentleman. The element of charm, scarcely less than the -elements of energy, integrity, and penetration, is a prime -ingredient. Add breadth and foresight, and we have -the greater result of fortune and fame.</p> - -<p class='c010'>All these essentials to preëminent manhood must be -fulfilled by the newspaper which aspires to preëminence. -And there is no reason why this may not spring from the -business end, why they may not exist and flourish there, -exhaling their perfume into every department; in short, -why they may not tempt ambition. The newspapers, as -Hamlet observes of the players, are the abstracts and -brief chronicles of the time. It were indeed better to -have a bad epitaph when you die than their ill report while -you live, even from those of the baser sort; how much -more from a press having the confidence and respect—and -yet more than these, the affection—of the community? -Hence it is that special college training is beginning -<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>to be thought of, and occasionally tried; and, while this is -subject to very serious disadvantage on the experimental -side, its ethical value may in the long run find some way -to give it practical application and to make it permanent -as an arm of the newspaper service. Assuredly, character -is an asset, and nowhere does it pay surer and larger dividends -than in the newspaper business.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>V</h3> - -<p class='c013'>We are passing through a period of transition. The -old system of personal journalism having gone out, and -the new system of counting-room journalism having not -quite reached a full realization of itself, the editorial function -seems to have fallen into a lean and slippered state, -the matters of tone and style honored rather in the breach -than in the observance. Too many ill-trained, uneducated -lads have graduated out of the city editor’s room by sheer -force of audacity and enterprise into the more important -posts. Too often the counting-room takes no supervision -of the editorial room beyond the immediate selling value -of the paper the latter turns out. Things upstairs are left -at loose ends. There are examples of opportunities lost -through absentee landlordism.</p> - -<p class='c010'>These conditions, however, are ephemeral. They will -yield before the progressive requirements of a process -of popular evolution which is steadily lifting the masses -out of the slough of degeneracy and ignorance. The dime -novel has not the vogue it once had. Neither has the -party organ. Readers will not rest forever content under -the impositions of fake or colored news; of misleading -headlines; of false alarums and slovenly writing. Already -they begin to discriminate, and more and clearly they will -learn to discriminate, between the meretricious and the true.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>The competition in sensationalism, to which we owe the -yellow press, as it is called, will become a competition in -cleanliness and accuracy. The counting-room, which is -next to the people and carries the purse, will see that decency -pays, that good sense and good faith are good investments, -and it will look closer to the personal character and -the moral product of the editorial room, requiring better -equipment and more elevated standards. There will never -again be a Greeley, or a Raymond, or a Dana, playing the -rôle of “star” and personally exploited by everything -appearing in journals which seemed to exist mainly to -glorify them. Each was in his way a man of superior -attainments. Each thought himself an unselfish servant -of the public. Yet each had his limitations—his ambitions -and prejudices, his likes and dislikes, intensified and -amplified by the habit of personalism, often unconscious. -And, this personal element eliminated, why may not the -impersonal head of the coming newspaper—proud of his -profession, and satisfied with the results of its ministration—render -a yet better account to God and the people -in unselfish devotion to the common interest?</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span> - <h2 class='c008'>THE PROBLEM OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY AN OBSERVER</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>The question of suppressed or tainted news has in recent -years been repeatedly agitated, and reformers of all brands -have urged that the majority of the newspapers of the -country are business-tied—that they are ruled according -to the sordid ambition of the counting-house rather than -by the untrammeled play of the editorial intellect. Capitalism -is alleged to be playing ducks and drakes with the -Anglo-Saxon tradition of a free press.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The most important instance of criticism of this kind is -afforded by current attacks upon the Associated Press. -The Associated Press, as everybody knows, is the greatest -news-gathering organization in the world; it supplies with -their daily general information more than half the population -of the United States. That it should be accused, in -these times of class controversy and misunderstanding, of -being a “news trust,” and of coloring its news in the interest -of capital and reaction, is therefore an excessively grave -matter. Yet in the last six months it has been accused of -both those things. So persistent has been the assertion of -certain socialists that the Associated Press colors industrial -news in the interest of the employer, that its management -has sued them for libel. That it is a trust is the contention -of one of its rivals, the Sun News Bureau of New York, -whose prayer for its dissolution under the Sherman law, as -a monopoly in restraint of trade, is now before the Department -of Justice in Washington.<a id='r5' /><a href='#f5' class='c015'><sup>[5]</sup></a></p> - -<div class='footnote' id='f5'> -<p class='c010'><a href='#r5'>5</a>. This charge made by the <cite>New York Sun</cite>, in February, 1914, was not -sustained in an opinion given by the Attorney General of the United -States on March 17, 1915.—<span class='sc'>Ed.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>To the writer, the main questions at issue, so far as the -public is concerned, seem to be as follows:—</p> - -<p class='c010'>1. Is the business of collecting and distributing news in -bulk essentially monopolistic? 2. If it is, and if it can not -be satisfactorily performed by an unlimited number of -competitive agencies (that is, individual newspapers), is -the Associated Press in theory and practice the best type -of centralized organization for the purpose?</p> - -<p class='c010'>The first question presents little difficulty to the practical -journalist. A successful agency for the gathering of -news must be monopolistic. No newspaper is rich enough, -the attention of no editor is ubiquitous enough, to be able -to collect at first hand a tithe of the multitudinous items -which a public of catholic curiosity expects to find neatly -arranged on its breakfast table. Take the large journals -of New York and Boston, with their columns of news from -all parts of the United States and the world. Their bills -for telegrams and cablegrams alone would be prohibitive -of dividends, to say nothing of their bills for the collection -of the news. A public educated by a number of newspapers -with their powers of observation and instruction whetted -to superlative excellence by keen competition would no -doubt be ideal; but a journalistic Utopia of that kind is -no more feasible than other Utopias. Unlimited and unassisted -competition between, say, six newspapers in the -same city or district would be about as feasible economically -as unlimited competition between six railway lines running -from Boston to New York. The need for a common -service of foreign and national news must therefore be admitted. -To supply such a service, even in these days of -especially cheap telegraph and cable rates for press matter, -requires a great deal of money, and a press agency has -a great deal of money to spend only if it has also a large -number of customers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span>As the number of newspapers is limited, it is clear that -the press agency has strong claims to be recognized as a -public service, and to be classed with railways, telephones, -telegraphs, waterworks, and many other forms of corporate -venture which even the wildest radical admits cannot be -subjected to the anarchy of unrestricted competition. -Thus the simple charge that the Associated Press is a -monopoly cannot be held to condemn it. But, to invert -Mr. Roosevelt’s famous phrase, there are bad trusts as -well as good trusts. That the Associated Press is powerful -enough to be a bad trust if those who control it so desire -must be admitted offhand. It is a tremendously effective -organization. Its service is supplied to more than 850 of -the leading newspapers, with a total circulation of, probably, -about 20,000,000 copies a day.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The Associated Press is the child of the first effort at -coöperative news-gathering ever made. Back in the forties -of the last century, before the Atlantic cable was laid, -newspapers began to spend ruinous sums in getting the -earliest news from Europe. Those were the days in which -the first ship-news dispatch-boats were launched to meet -vessels as they entered New York harbor, and to race back -with the news to their respective offices. The competition -grew to the extent even of sending fast boats all the way -to Europe, and soon became extravagant enough to cause -its collapse. Then seven New York newspapers organized -a joint service. This service, which was meant primarily to -cover European news, grew slowly to cover the United -States. Newspapers in other cities were taken into it on -a reciprocal basis. The news of the Association was supplied -at that time in return for a certain sum, the newspapers -undertaking on their part to act as the local correspondents -of the Association. A reciprocal arrangement -with Reuter’s, the great European agency, followed, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span>whereby it supplied the Associated Press with its foreign -service, and the Associated Press gave to Reuter’s the use -of its American service.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Even so, the Associated Press did not carry all before it. -In the seventies a number of Western newspapers formed -the Western Associated Press. A period of sharp competition -followed, but in 1882 the two associations signed a -treaty of partnership for ten years. They were not long -in supreme control of the field, however. The Associated -Press of those days, like its successor to-day, was a close -corporation in the sense that its members could and did -veto the inclusion of rivals. As the West grew, new newspapers -sprang up and were kept in the cold by their established -rivals. The result was the United Press, which soon -worked up an effective service. The Associated Press tried -to cripple it by a rule that no newspaper subscribing to its -service should have access to the news of the Associated -Press; but in spite of the rule the United Press waxed strong -and might have become a really formidable competitor had -not the Associated Press been able to buy a controlling -share in it. A harmonious business agreement followed; -but in accordance with the business methods of those days -the public was not apprized of the agreement, and when, -in 1892, its existence became known, there was a row -and a readjustment. The United Press absorbed the old -Associated Press of New York, and the Western Associated -Press again became independent. Reuter’s agency continued -to supply both associations with its European service.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But the ensuing period of competition did not last. -Three years later, the Western Associated Press achieved -a monopolistic agreement with Reuter’s, carried the war -into the United Press territory,—the South and the country -east of the Alleghanies,—got a number of New York -newspapers to join it, and effected a national organization.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span> - <h3 class='c014'>II</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c013'>That national organization is, to all intents and purposes, -the Associated Press of to-day. The only really -important change has been in its transference as a company -from the jurisdiction of Illinois to that of New York. -This change was accomplished in 1900, owing to an adverse -judgment of the Supreme Court of Illinois. To grasp -the significance of that judgment, and indeed the current -agitation against the Associated Press, it is necessary to -sketch briefly its rules and methods.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The Associated Press is not a commercial company in -the sense that it is a dividend-hunting concern. Under the -terms of its present charter, the corporation “is not to make -a profit or to make or declare dividends and is not to engage -in the selling of intelligence or traffic in the same.” -It is simply meant to be the common agent of a number of -subscribing newspapers, for the interchange of news which -each collects in its own district, and for the collection of -news such as subscribers cannot collect singlehanded: that -is, foreign news and news concerning certain classes of -domestic happenings. Its board of directors consists of -journalists and publishers connected with subscribing newspapers, -who serve without payment. Its executive work -is done by a salaried general manager and his assistants. -It is financed on a basis of weekly assessments levied, according -to their size and custom, upon newspapers which -are members. The sum thus collected comes to about -$3,000,000 a year. It is spent partly for the hire of special -wires from the telegraph companies, and partly for the -maintenance of special news-collecting staffs. The mileage -of leased wires is immense, amounting to about 22,000 -miles by day and 28,000 miles by night. Nor does the -organization, as some of its critics seem to imagine, get any -<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>special privileges from the telegraph companies. Such -privileges belonged to its early history, when business -standards were lower than they are now.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The Associated Press has at least one member in every -city of any size in the country. That in itself insures it a -good news-service; but, as indicated above, it has in all -important centres a bureau of its own. Important events, -whether fixed, like national conventions, or fortuitous, like -strikes or floods or shipwrecks, it covers more comprehensively -than any single newspaper can do. Its foreign -service is ubiquitous. It no longer depends upon its arrangement -with Reuter’s, and other foreign news-agencies: -early in the present century the intelligence thus collected -was found to lack the American point of view, and an -extensive foreign service was formed, with local headquarters -in London, Paris, and other European capitals, Peking, -Tokyo, Mexico, and Havana, and with scores of correspondents -all over the world.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Enough has been said to show that its efficiency and the -manner of its organization combine to give the Associated -Press a distinct savor of monopoly. As the Sun News -Bureau and other rivals have found, it cannot be effectively -competed against. Too many of the richest and most -powerful newspapers belong to it.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Is it a harmful monopoly? Its critics, as explained -above, are busy proving that it is. They urge that, being -a close corporation, it stifles trade in the selling of news, -and that it is not impartial.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The first argument is based upon the following facts. -Membership in the Associated Press is naturally valuable. -An Associated Press franchise to a newspaper in New York -or Chicago is worth from $50,000 to $200,000.<a id='r6' /><a href='#f6' class='c015'><sup>[6]</sup></a> To share -<span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>such a privilege is not in human or commercial nature. One -of the first rules of the organization is, therefore, that no -new newspaper can be admitted without the consent of -members within competitive radius. Naturally, that assent -is seldom given. This “power of protest” has not -been kept without a struggle. The law-suit of 1900 was -due to it. The <cite>Chicago Inter-Ocean</cite> was refused admission,<a id='r7' /><a href='#f7' class='c015'><sup>[7]</sup></a> -and went to law. The case went to the Supreme Court of -Illinois, which ruled that a press agency like the Associated -Press was in the nature of a public service and as such ought -to be open to everybody. To have yielded to the judgment -would have smashed the Associated Press, so it reorganized -under the laws of New York, with the moral satisfaction -of knowing that the courts of Missouri had upheld what -the Illinois court had condemned. Its new constitution, -which is that of to-day, keeps in effect the right of protest, -the only difference being that a disappointed applicant for -membership gets the not very useful consolation of being -able to appeal to the association in the slender hope that -four-fifths of the members will vote for his admission.</p> - -<div class='footnote' id='f6'> -<p class='c010'><a href='#r6'>6</a>. In the appraisal of the estate of Joseph Pulitzer in 1914, the two Associated -Press franchises held by the <cite>New York World</cite>, one for the morning -and one for the evening edition, were valued at $240,000 each.—<span class='sc'>Ed.</span></p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f7'> -<p class='c010'><a href='#r7'>7</a>. This is an error which is corrected in Mr. Stone’s reply, cf. p. <a href='#Page_124'>124</a>.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c010'>The practical working of the rule has undoubtedly been -monopolistic; not so much because it has rendered the -Associated Press a monopoly, but because it has rendered -it the mother, potential and sometimes actual, of countless -small monopolies. On account of the size of the United -States and the diverse interests of the various sections, -there is in our country no daily press with a national circulation. -Newspapers depend primarily upon their local -constituencies. In each journalistic geographic unit, if -the expression may be allowed, one or more newspapers -possess the Associated Press franchise. Such newspapers -have in the excellent and comparatively cheap Associated -Press service an instrument for monopoly hardly less valuable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>than a rebate-giving railway may be to a commercial -corporation. It is also alleged by some of its enemies that -the Associated Press still at times enjoins its members -against taking simultaneously the service of its rival.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is easy to argue that, because the Associated Press is -a close corporation, it cannot be a monopoly, and that those -who are really trying to make a “news trust” of it are -they who insist that it ought to be open to all comers; but -in practice the argument is a good deal of a quibble. The -facts remain that, as shown above, an effective news-agency -has to be tremendously rich; that to be tremendously rich -it has to have prosperous constituents; and that the large -majority of prosperous newspapers of the country belong -to the Associated Press. In the writer’s opinion it would -be virtually impossible, as things stand, for any of the -Associated Press’s rivals to become the Associated Press’s -equal, upon either a commercial or a coöperative basis.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>III</h3> - -<p class='c013'>The tremendous importance of the question of the fairness -of the Associated Press service is now apparent. If it -is deliberately tainted, as the socialists and radicals aver, -there is virtually no free press in the country. The question -is a very delicate one. Enemies of the Associated -Press assert in brief that its stories about industrial -troubles are colored in the interest of the employer; that its -political news shows a similar bias in favor of the plutocratic -party, whatever that may be; that, in fact, it is used -as a class organ. In the Presidential campaign of 1912, -Mr. Roosevelt’s followers insisted that the doings of their -candidates were blanketed. In the recent labor troubles -[1914] in West Virginia, Michigan, and Colorado, the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span>friends of labor have made the same complaint of one-sidedness -in the interest of the employer.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Not only do the directors of the Associated Press deny -all insinuations of unfairness, but they argue that partisanship, -and especially political partisanship, would be impossible -in view of the multitudinous shades of political opinion -represented by their constituents. They can also adduce -with justice the fact that in nearly every campaign more -than one political manager has accused them of favoritism, -only to retract when the heat of the campaign was over. -The charge of industrial and social partisanship they meet -with a point-blank denial. It is impossible in the space of -this paper to sift the evidence pro and con. Pending action -by the courts the only safe thing to do is to look at the -question in terms of tendencies rather than of facts.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The Associated Press, it has been shown, tends to be a -monopoly. Does it tend to be a one-sided monopoly? -The writer believes that it does. He believes that it may -fairly be said that the Associated Press as a corporation is -inclined to see things through conservative spectacles, and -that its correspondents, despite the very high average of -their fairness, tend to do the same thing. It could hardly -be otherwise, although it is possible that there is nothing -deliberate in the tendency. Nearly all the subscribers to -the Associated Press are the most respectable and successful -newspaper publishers in their neighborhoods. They -belong to that part of the community which has a stake in -the settled order of things; their managers are business men -among business men; they have relations with the local -magnates of finance and commerce: naturally, whatever -their political views may be (and the majority of the powerful -organs of the country are conservative), their aggregate -influence tends to be on the side of conservatism.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The tendency, too, is enhanced by the articles under -<span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>which the Associated Press is incorporated. There is -special provision against fault-finding on the part of members. -The corporation is given the right to expel a member -“for any conduct on his part or the part of any one in -his employ or connected with his newspaper, which in its -absolute discretion it shall deem of such a character as to -be prejudicial to the interest and welfare of the corporation -and its members, or to justify such expulsion. The -action of the members of the corporation in such regard -shall be final, and there shall be no right of appeal or review -of such action.” The Associated Press rightly prides itself -upon the standing of its correspondents. The majority of -them are drawn from the ranks of the matter-of-fact respectable. -In the nature of their calling, they are not likely -to be economists or theoretical politicians. In the case of -a strike, for instance, their instinct might well be to go to -the employer or the employer’s lieutenant for news rather -than to the strike-leader.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Whether the Associated Press is a monopoly within the -meaning of the anti-trust law, whether it actually colors -news as the socialists aver, must be left to the courts to -decide. The point to be noticed here is that it might color -news if it wanted to, and that it does exercise certain -monopolistic functions. That in itself is a dangerous state -of affairs: but it seems to be one that might be rectified. -The Illinois Supreme Court has pointed the way. The -news-agency is essentially monopolistic. It has much in -common with the ordinary public-utility monopoly. It -should therefore be treated like a public-utility corporation. -It should be subject to government regulation and -supervision, and its service should be open to all customers. -Were this done, the Associated Press would be altered but -not destroyed. Its useful features would surely remain -and its drawbacks as surely be lessened. The right of protest -<span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span>would be entirely swept away; membership would be -unlimited; the threat of expulsion for fault-finding would -be automatically removed from above the heads of members; -all newspapers of all shades would be free to apply -the corrective of criticism; and if its news were none the -less unfair, some arrangement could presumably be made -for government restraint.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The Press Association of England is an unlimited coöperative -concern. Any newspaper can subscribe to it, and -new subscribers are welcome. Especially in the provincial -field, it is as powerful a factor in British journalism as the -Associated Press is in the journalism of the United States, -yet its very openness has saved it from the taint of partiality. -To organize the Associated Press on the same lines -would, of course, entail hardship to its present constituents. -They would be exposed to fierce local competition. -The value of their franchises would dwindle. Such rival -agencies as exist might be ruined, for they could hardly -compete with the Associated Press in the open market. -But it is difficult to see how American journalism would -suffer from a regulated monopoly of that kind; and the -public would certainly be benefited, for it would continue -to enjoy the excellent service of the Associated Press, with -its invaluable foreign telegrams and its comprehensive -domestic news; it would be safeguarded to no small extent -from the danger of local or national news-monopolies and -from insidiously tainted news.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Such a reform, if reform there has to be, would, in a -word, be constructive. The alternatives to it, as the writer -understands the situation, would be destructive and empirical. -The organization of the Associated Press would -either be cut to pieces or destroyed. There would thus be -a chaos of ineffective competition among either coöperative -or commercial press agencies. Equal competition -<span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>among a number of coöperative associations would, for -reasons already explained, mean comparatively ineffective -and weak services. Competition among commercial agencies -would have even less to recommend it. The latter -must by their nature be more susceptible to special influences -than the coöperative agency. They are controlled -by a few business men, not by their customers. Competing -commercial agencies would almost inevitably come to -represent competing influences in public life; while, if -worse came to worst, a commercialized “news trust” -would clearly be more dangerous than a coöperative news -trust. The great reactionary influences of business would -have freer play upon its directors than they can have upon -the directors of an organization like the Associated Press. -If it be decided that even the Associated Press is not immune -from such influences, the public should, the writer -believes, think twice before demanding its destruction, instead -of its alteration to conform with the modern conception -of the public-service corporation.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span> - <h2 class='c008'>THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: A REPLY</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY MELVILLE E. STONE</div> - <div class='c006'>[<em>A letter to the Editor of the Atlantic Monthly, dated August 1, 1914.</em>]</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>An article under the title, “The Problem of The Associated -Press,” appeared in the July issue of the Atlantic. -It was anonymous and may be without claim to regard. -It is marred by several mistakes of fact. Some of them are -inexcusable: the truth might so easily have been learned. -Nevertheless it is desirable that everybody should know -all about the Associated Press, whether it is an unlawful -and dangerous monopoly, or whether it is in the business -of circulating “tainted news.” Its telegrams are published -in full or in abbreviated form, in nearly 900 daily newspapers -having an aggregate circulation of many millions -of copies. Upon the accuracy of these news dispatches, -one half of the people of the United States depend for the -conduct of their various enterprises, as well as for the facts -upon which to base their opinions of the activities of the -world. With a self-governing nation, it is all important -that such an agency as the Associated Press furnish as -nearly as may be the truth. To mislead is an act of treason.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The writer’s history is at fault. For instance, the former -Associated Press never bought a controlling share of the -old-time United Press, as he alleges. Nor did the <cite>Chicago -Inter-Ocean</cite> go to law because it was refused admission. It -was a charter member; it admittedly violated a by-law, -discipline was administered and against this discipline the -law was invoked, and a decision adverse to the then existing -Associated Press resulted. The assertion that a “franchise -to a newspaper in New York or Chicago is worth -<span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span>from $50,000 to $200,000,” will amuse thousands of people -who know that five morning Associated Press newspapers -of Chicago, the <cite>Chronicle</cite>, the <cite>Record</cite>, the <cite>Times</cite>, the <cite><span lang="de" xml:lang="de">Freie -Presse</span></cite>, and the <cite>Inter-Ocean</cite>, have ceased publication in the -somewhat recent past, and their owners have not received -a penny for their so-called “franchises.” The <cite>Boston -Traveler</cite> and <cite>Evening Journal</cite> were absorbed and their -memberships thrown away. The <cite>Christian Science Monitor</cite> -voluntarily gave up its membership and took another -service which it preferred. The <cite>Hartford Post</cite>, <cite>Bridgeport -Post</cite>, <cite>New Haven Union</cite>, and <cite>Schenectady Union</cite> did the -same. Cases where Associated Press papers have ceased -publication have not been infrequent. Witness the <cite>Worcester -Spy</cite>, <cite>St. Paul Globe</cite>, <cite>Minneapolis Times</cite>, <cite>Denver Republican</cite>, -<cite>San Francisco Call</cite>, <cite>New Orleans Picayune</cite>, <cite>Indianapolis -Sentinel</cite>, and <cite>Philadelphia Times</cite>, as well as -many others.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The statement that the Press Association of England is -an unlimited coöperative organization betrays incomplete -information. Instead, it is a share company with an issued -capital of £49,440 sterling. On this capital, in 1913, it made -£3,708. 9. 10, or nearly eight per cent. And it had in its -treasury at the end of that year a surplus of £23,281. 19. 6, -or a sum nearly equal to fifty per cent. of its capitalization. -It sells news to newspapers, clubs, hotels, and newsrooms. -It is not, as is the Associated Press, a clearing-house -for the exchange of news. It gathers all its information -by its own employees and sells it outright. Finally, -it does not serve all applicants, but declines, as it always -has, to furnish its news to the London papers.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But there is a more important matter. It is said that the -business of collecting and distributing news is essentially -monopolistic. But how can this be? The field is an open -one. A single reporter may enter it, and so may an association -<span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span>of reporters. The business in any case may be confined -to the news of a city or it may be extended to include -a state, a nation, or the world. The material facilities for -the transmission of news, so far as they are of a public or -quasi-public nature, the mail or the telegraph, are open to -the use of all on the same terms. The subject-matter of -news, events of general interest, are not property and cannot -be appropriated. The element of property exists only -in the story of the event which the reporter makes and -the diligence which he uses to bring it to the place of publication. -This element of property is simply the right of -the reporter to the fruit of his own labor.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The “Recessional” was a report of the Queen’s Jubilee. -It was made by Rudyard Kipling and was his property for -that reason, to be disposed of by him as he thought proper. -He might have copyrighted it and reserved to himself the -exclusive right of publication during the period of the copyright. -He chose rather to use his common-law right of first -publication and he did this by selling it to the <cite>London -Times</cite>. He was not under obligation, moral or legal, to -sell it at the same time to any other publisher.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Every other reporter stands upon the same footing and, -as the author of his story, is, by every principle of law and -equity, entitled to a monopoly of his manuscript until he -voluntarily assigns it or surrenders it to the public. He -does not monopolize the news. He cannot do that, for -real news is as woman’s wit, of which Rosalind said, -“Make the doors upon [it] and it will out at the casement; -shut that and ’twill out at the keyhole; stop that, ’twill -fly with the smoke out at the chimney.” The reporter -as a mere laborer, engaged in personal service, is simply -free from compulsion to give or sell his labor to one seeking -it. Such is the state of the law to-day.</p> - -<p class='c010'>And the English courts go further and uniformly hold -<span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span>that news telegrams may not be pirated, even after publication. -In a dozen British colonies statutory protection -of such despatches is given for varying periods. In this -country there have been a number of decisions looking -to the same end. The output of the Associated Press is -not the news; it is a story of the news, written by reporters -employed to serve the membership. The organization -issues no newspaper; it prints nothing. As a reporter, it -brings its copy to the editor, who is free to print it, abbreviate -it, or throw it away. And to this reporter’s work, -the reporter and the members employing him have, by -law and morals, undeniably an exclusive right.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The next question involves the integrity of the Associated -Press service. The cases of alleged bias he cites are -unfortunate. Any claim that the doings of the Progressives -in 1912 were “blanketed” by the Associated Press is -certainly unwarranted. Our records show that the organization -reported more than three times as many words concerning -the activities of the Progressives as it did concerning -those of all their opponents combined. There were reasons -for this. It was a new party in the field, and naturally -awakened unusual interest. But also, it should be said -that Colonel Roosevelt has expert knowledge of newspaper -methods. He understands the value of preparing his -speeches in advance and furnishing them in time to enable -the Associated Press to send them to its members by mail. -They are put in type in the newspaper offices leisurely and -the proofs are carefully read. When one of his speeches is -delivered, a word or two by telegraph “releases” it, and a -full and accurate publication of his views results. While -he was President he often gave us his messages a month in -advance; they were mailed to Europe and to the Far East, -and appeared in the papers abroad the morning after their -delivery to Congress. Before he went to Africa, the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span>speeches he delivered a year later at Oxford and in Paris -were prepared, put in type, proof-read, and laid away for -use when required. This is not an unusual or an unwise -practice. It assures a speaker wide publicity and saves -him the annoyance of faulty reporting. Neither Mr. -Wilson nor Mr. Taft was able to do this, although frequently -urged to do so. They spoke extemporaneously, -often late in the evening, and under conditions which made -it physically impossible to make a satisfactory report, or -to transmit it by wire broadcast over the country.</p> - -<p class='c010'>As to the West Virginia coal strike: a magazine charged -that the Associated Press had suppressed the facts and -that as a consequence no one knew there had been trouble. -The authors were indicted for libel. One witness only has -yet been heard. He was called by the defense, and in the -taking of his deposition it was disclosed that at the date -of the publication over 93,000 words had been delivered by -the Associated Press to the New York papers. Something -like 60 columns respecting the matter had been printed.</p> - -<p class='c010'>However, “The point to be noticed,” says your writer, -“is that it [the Associated Press] might color news if it -wanted to, and that it does exercise certain monopolistic -functions. That in itself is a dangerous state of affairs; -but it seems to be one that might be rectified.” And, as a -remedy, he proposes that “its service should be open to all -customers.” This is most interesting. If the news-service -is untrustworthy, it would naturally seem plain that the -activities of the agency should be restricted, not extended. -Instead of enlarging its field of operations, there should be, -if possible, a law forbidding it to take in any new members, -or, indeed, summarily putting it out of business. If the -Associated Press is corrupt, it is too large now, and no other -newspaper should be subjected to its baleful influence.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Your critic adds that then, “if its news were none the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span>less unfair, some arrangement could presumably be made -for government restraint.” Since the battle against government -control of the press was fought nearly two centuries -ago, it seems scarcely worth while to waste much -effort over this suggestion. Censorship by the king’s -agents was the finest flower of mediæval tyranny. It is -hard to believe that anyone, in this hour, should suggest -a return to it.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Under the closely censored method of this coöperative -organization, notwithstanding the wide range of its operations, -and although its service has included millions of -words every month, it is proper to say that there has never -been a trial for libel, nor have the expenses in connection -with libel suits exceeded a thousand dollars in the aggregate. -This should be accepted as some evidence of the -standard of accuracy maintained.</p> - -<p class='c010'>As to the refusal of the Associated Press to admit to -membership every applicant, the suggestion is made that -this puts such a limit on the number of newspapers as to -“stifle trade in the selling of news.” Thus, says your -critic, the Association is “the mother, potential and sometimes -actual, of countless small monopolies.” In reply, it -may be said that we are in no danger of a dearth of newspapers. -There are more news journals in the United States -than in all the world beside. If the whole foreign world -were divided into nations of the size of this country, each -nation would have but 80 daily newspapers, while we have -over 2,400. And as to circulation, we issue a copy of a -daily paper for every three of our citizens who can read -and are over ten years of age. With our methods of rapid -transportation, hundreds of daily papers might be discontinued, -and still leave every citizen able to have his -morning paper delivered at his breakfast table. Every -morning paper between New York and Chicago might be -<span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>suppressed, and yet, by the fast mail trains, papers from -the two terminal cities could be delivered so promptly that -no one in the intervening area would be left without the -current world’s news. Every angle of every fad, or <i>ism</i>, -outside the walls of Bedlam, finds an advocate with the -largest freedom of expression. Our need is not for more -papers, but for better papers—papers issuing truthful -news and with clearer sense of perspective as to news.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Entirely independent of the Associated Press, or any -influence it might have upon the situation, there has been -a noticeable shrinkage in the number of important newspapers -in the recent past. One reason has been the lack -of demand by the public for the old-time partisan journal. -Instead, the very proper requirement has been for papers -furnishing the news impartially, and communities therefore -no longer divide, as formerly, on political lines in their -choice of newspapers. The increased cost of white paper -and of labor has also had an effect.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Since there are some 500 or more daily newspapers getting -on very well without the advantage of the Associated -Press “franchises,” it can hardly be said that we have -reached a stage where this service is indispensable. This -is strikingly true in the light of the fact that in a number -of cities the papers making the largest profits are those -that have not, nor have ever had, membership in the Associated -Press.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It will be agreed at once that private right must ever -give way to public good. If it can be shown that, as contended, -the national welfare requires that those who, without -any advantage over their fellow editors, have built up -an efficient coöperative news-gathering agency, must share -the accumulated value of the good-will they have achieved, -with those who have been less energetic, we may have to -give heed to the claim. Such a contention, so persistently -<span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span>urged as it has been, is certainly flattering to the membership -and management of the Associated Press.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But, however agreeable it always is to divide up other -people’s property, before settling the matter there are -some things to think of. First, it must be the public good -that forces this invasion of private right, not the desire -of someone who, with an itch to start a newspaper, feels -that he would prefer the Associated Press service. Second, -the practical effect of a rule such as was laid down by the -Illinois Supreme Court, requiring the organization to render -service to all applicants, must be carefully considered. -News is not a commodity of the nature of coal, or wood. -It is incorporeal. It does not pass from seller to buyer in -the way ordinary commodities do. Although the buyer -receives it, the seller does not cease to possess it. In order -to make a news-gathering agency possible, it has been -found necessary to limit, by stringent rules, the use of the -service by the member. Thus each member of the Associated -Press is prohibited from making any use of the -dispatches furnished him, other than to publish them in -his newspaper. If such a restriction were not imposed, -any member, on receipt of his news service, might at once -set up an agency of his own and put an end to the general -organization. This rule, as well as all disciplinary measures, -would disappear under the plan proposed by the critic in -the <cite>Atlantic</cite>. A buyer might be expelled, but to-morrow he -could demand readmission. There would in practice no -longer be members with a right of censorship over the -management; instead, there would be one seller and an -unlimited number of buyers. Then, indeed, there would -be a monopoly of the worst sort. And government censorship, -with all of its attendant and long since admitted -evils, would follow. Under a Republican administration, -we should have a Republican censor; under a Democratic -<span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>administration, a Democratic censor. And a free press -would no longer exist.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Absolute journalistic inerrancy is not possible. But we -are much nearer it to-day than ever before. And it is -toward approximate inerrancy in its despatches that the -Associated Press is striving. If in its method of organization, -or in its manner of administration, it is violating any -law, or is making for evil, then it should be punished, or -suppressed. If any better method for securing an honest, -impartial news service can be devised, by all means -let us have it. But that the plan proposed would better -the situation, is clearly open to doubt.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span> - <h2 class='c008'>CONFESSIONS OF A PROVINCIAL EDITOR</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY PARACELSUS</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>There is something at once deliciously humorous and -pathetic, to the editor of a small daily in the provinces, -about that old-fashioned phrase, “the liberty of the press.” -It is another one of those matters lying so near the marge-land -of what is mirthful and what is sad that a tilt of the -mood may slip it into either. To the general, doubtless, -it is a truth so obvious that it is never questioned, a bequest -from our forefathers that has paid no inheritance tax -to time. In all the host of things insidiously un-American -which have crept into our life, thank Heaven! say these -unconscious Pharisees, the “press,” if somewhat freakish, -has remained free. So it is served up as a toast at banquets, -garnished with florid rhetoric; it is still heard from -old-fashioned pulpits; it cannot die, even though the conditions -which made the phrase possible have passed away.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The pooh-poohing of the elders, the scoffing of the experienced, -has little effect upon a boy’s mind when it tries -to do away with so palpable a truth as that concerning -the inability of a chopped-up snake to die until sunset, or -that matter-of-fact verity that devil’s darning needles have -little aim in life save to sew up the ears of youths and -maidens. So with that glib old fantasy, “America’s free -and untrammeled press”: it needs a vast deal of argument -to convince an older public that, as a matter to be accepted -without a question, it has no right to exist. The conditioning -clause was tacked on some years ago, doubtless -when the old-time weekly began to expand into the modern -small daily. The weekly was a periodic pamphlet; the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span>daily disdained its inheritance, and subordinated the expression -of opinion to the printing of those matters from -which opinion is made. The cost of equipment of a daily -newspaper, compared to the old-fashioned weekly, as a -general thing makes necessary for the launching of such a -venture a well-organized stock company, and in this lies -much of the trouble.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Confessions imply previous wrong-doing. Mine, while -they are personal enough, are really more interesting because -of the vast number of others they incriminate. If -two editors from lesser cities do not laugh in each other’s -faces, after the example of Cicero’s augurs, it is because -they are more modern, and choose to laugh behind each -other’s backs. So, in turning state’s evidence, I feel less -a coward than a reformer.</p> - -<p class='c010'>What circumstance has led me to believe concerning the -newspaper situation in a hundred and one small cities of -this country is so startling in its unexplained brevity, -that I scarce dare parade it as a prelude to my confessions. -So much of my experience is predicated upon it that I do -not dare save it for a peroration. Here it is, then, somewhat -more than half-truth, somewhat less than the truth -itself: “A newspaper in a small city is not a legitimate -business enterprise.” That seems bold and bare enough -to stamp me as sensational, does it not? Hear, then, the -story of my <cite>Herald</cite>, knowing that it is the story of other -Heralds. The <cite>Herald’s</cite> story is mine, and my story, I -dare say, is that of many others. To the facts, then. -I speak with authority, being one of the scribes.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>I chose newspaper work in my native city, Pittsburg, -mainly because I liked to write. I went into it after my -<span class='pageno' id='Page_135'>135</span>high-school days, spent a six months’ apprenticeship on a -well-known paper, left it for another, and in five years’ -hard work had risen from the reportorial ranks to that of -a subordinate editorial writer—a dubious rise. Hard -work had not threshed out ambition: the few grains left -sprouted. The death of an uncle and an unexpected legacy -fructified my desire. I became zealous to preach crusades; -to stamp my own individuality, my own ideals, upon the -“people”; in short, to own and run a newspaper. It was -a buxom fancy, a day-dream of many another like myself. -A rapid rise had obtained for me the summit of reasonable -expectation in the matter of salary; but I then thought, as -indeed I do still, that the sum in one’s envelope o’ Mondays -is no criterion of success. Personal ambition to “mould -opinion,” as the quaint untruth has it, as well as the commercial -side of owning a newspaper, made me look about -over a wide field, seeking a city which really needed a new -newspaper. The work was to be in a chosen field, and to -be one’s own taskmaster is worth more than salary. As -I prospected, I saw no possible end to the venture save -that of every expectation fulfilled.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I found a goodly town (of course I cannot name it) that -was neither all future nor all past; a growing place, believed -in by capitalists and real-estate men. It was well -railroaded, in the coal fields, near to waterways and to -glory. It was developing itself and being developed by -outside capital. It had a newspaper, a well-established -affair, whose old equipment I laughed at. It needed a new -one. My opening was found. The city would grow; I -would grow up with it. The promise of six years ago has -been in part fulfilled. I have no reason to regret my -choosing the city I did.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I went back to Pittsburg, consulted various of the great, -obtained letters to prominent men high in the political -<span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span>faith I intended to follow, went back to my town armed -with the letters, and talked it over. They had been considering -the matter of a daily paper there to represent their -faith and themselves, and after much dickering a company -was formed. I found I could buy the weekly <cite>Herald</cite>, a -nice property whose “good will” was worth having. Its -owner was not over-anxious to sell, so drove a good bargain. -As a weekly the paper for forty-three years had been -gospel to many; I would make it daily gospel to more. In -giving $5,500 for it I knew I was paying well, but it had a -great name and a wide circulation.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I saw no necessity of beginning on a small scale. People -are not dazzled in this way. I wanted a press that folk -would come in and see run, and as my rival had no linotypes, -that was all the more reason why I should have two. -Expensive equipments are necessary for newspapers when -they intend to do great works and the public is eager to -see what is going to happen. All this took money, more -money than I had thought it would. But, talking the matter -over with my new friends and future associates, I convinced -them that any economy was false economy at the -start. But when I started I found that I owned but forty -per cent of the Herald Publishing Company’s stock. I -was too big with the future to care. The sixty per cent was -represented by various politicians. That was six years ago.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It does not do in America, much less in the <cite>Atlantic</cite>, to -be morosely pessimistic. At most one can be regretful. -And yet why should I be regretful? You have seen me -settle in my thriving city; see me now. I have my own -home, a place of honor in the community, the company of -the great. You see me married, with enough to live on, -enough to entertain with, enough to afford a bit of travel -now and then. I still “run” the <cite>Herald</cite>: it pays me my -own salary (my stockholders have never interfered with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_137'>137</span>the business management of the paper), and were I insistent, -I might have a consular position of importance, should -the particular set of politicians I uphold (my “gang,” as -my rival the <cite>Bulletin</cite> says) revert to power. There is food -in my larder, there are flowers in my garden. I carry -enough insurance to enable my small family to do without -me and laugh at starvation. I am but thirty-four years -old. In short, I have a competence in a goodly little city. -Why should I not rejoice with Stevenson that I have “some -rags of honor left,” and go about in middle age with my -head high? Who of my schoolmates has done better?</p> - -<p class='c010'>Is it nothing, then, to see hope dwindle and die away? -My regret is not pecuniary: it is old-fashionedly moral. -Where are those high ideals with which I set about this -business? I dare not look them in their waxen faces. I -have acquired immunity from starvation by selling underhandedly -what I had no right to sell. Some may think me -the better American. But P. T. Barnum’s dictum about -the innate love Americans have for a hoax is really a serious -matter, when the truth is told. Mr. Barnum did not leave -a name and a fortune because he befooled the public. If -now and then he gave them Cardiff giants and white elephants, -he also gave them a brave display in three crowded -rings. I have dealt almost exclusively with the Cardiff -giants.</p> - -<p class='c010'>My regret is, then, a moral one. I bought something -the nature of which did not dawn upon me until late; I -felt environment adapt me to it little by little. The process -was gradual, but I have not the excuse that it was unconscious. -There is the sting in the matter. I can scarcely -plead ignorance.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Somewhere in a scrapbook, even now beginning to yellow, -I have pasted, that it may not escape me (as if it -could!), my first editorial announcing to the good world my -<span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span>intent with the <cite>Herald</cite>. Let me quote from the mocking, -double-leaded thing. I know the words. I know even -now the high hope which gave them birth. I know how -enchanting the vista was unfolding into the future. I can -see how stern my boyish face was, how warm my blood. -With a blare of trumpets I announced my mission. With a -mustering day of the good old stock phrases used on such -occasions I marshaled my metaphors. In making my bow, -gravely and earnestly, I said, among other things:—</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Without fear or favor, serving only the public, the -<cite>Herald</cite> will be at all times an intelligent medium of news -and opinions for an intelligent community. Bowing the -knee to no clique or faction, keeping in mind the great -imperishable standards of American manhood, the noble -traditions upon which the framework of our country is -grounded, the <cite>Herald</cite> will champion, not the weak, not -the strong, but the right. It will spare no expense in gathering -news, and it will give all the news all of the time. It -will so guide its course that only the higher interests of -the city are served, and will be absolutely fearless. Independent -in politics, it will freely criticise when occasion -demands. By its adherence to these principles may it -stand or fall.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>But why quote more? You have all read them, though -I doubt if you have read one more sincere. I felt myself -a force, the <cite>Herald</cite> the expression of a force; an entity, the -servant of other forces. My paper was to be all that other -papers were not. My imagination carried me to sublime -heights. This was six years ago.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>II</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Events put a check on my runaway ambition in forty-eight -hours. The head of the biggest clothing house, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span>the largest advertiser in the city, called on me. I received -him magnificently in my new office, motioning him to take -a chair. I can see him yet—stout, prosperous, and to -the point. As he talked, he toyed with a great seal that -hung from a huge hawser-like watch-chain.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Say,” said he, refusing my chair, “just keep out a little -item you may get hold of to-day.” His manner was the -same with me as with a salesman in his “gents’” underclothing -department.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Concerning?” I asked pleasantly.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Oh, there’s a friend of mine got arrested to-day. Some -farmer had him took in for fraud or something. He’ll make -good, I guess; I know, in fact. He ain’t a bad fellow, and -it would hurt him if this got printed.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>I asked him for particulars; saw a reporter who had the -story; learned that the man was a sharp-dealer with a -bad reputation, who had been detected in an attempt to -cheat a poor farmer out of $260—a bare-faced fraud -indeed. I learned that the man had long been suspected -by public opinion of semi-legal attempts to rob the “widow -and the orphan,” and that at last there was a chance -of “showing him up.” I went back with a bold face.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“I find, though the case has not been tried, that the man -is undoubtedly guilty.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Guilty?” said my advertiser. “What of that? He’ll -settle.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“That hardly lessens the guilt.” I smiled.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The clothing man looked astounded. “But if you print -that he’ll be ruined,” he sputtered.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“From all I can learn, so much the better,” I answered.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Then my man swore. “See here,” he said, when he got -back to written language. “He’s just making his living; -you ain’t got no right to stop a man’s earning his living. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>It ain’t none of any newspaper’s business. Just a private -affair between him and the farmer, and he’ll settle.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“I don’t see how,” I put in somewhat warmly, “it isn’t -the business of a newspaper to tell its public of a dangerous -man, arrested for fraud, caught in his own net so badly -that he is willing to settle, as you claim. It is my obvious -duty to my constituents to print such a case. From the -news point of view—” I was going on smoothly, but -he stepped up and shook his fist in my face.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Constituents? Ain’t I a constituent? Don’t I pay -your newspaper for more advertising than any one else? -Ain’t I your biggest constituent? Say, young man, you’re -too big for this town. Don’t try to bully me!” he suddenly -screamed. “Don’t you dare bully me! Don’t you dare -try it. I see what you want. You’re trying to blackmail -me, you are; you’re trying to work me for more advertising; -you want money out of me. That game don’t go; not -with me it don’t. I’ll have you arrested.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>And he talked as though he believed it!</p> - -<p class='c010'>Then he said he’d never pay me another cent, might all -manner of things happen to his soul if he did. He’d go to -the <cite>Bulletin</cite>, and double his space. The man was his friend, -and he had asked but a reasonable request, and I had tried -to blackmail him. He worked that blackmail in every -other sentence. Then he strode out, slamming the door.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The “little item” was not printed in the <cite>Herald</cite> (nor in -the <cite>Bulletin</cite>, more used to such requests), and, as he had -said, he was my biggest advertiser. It was my first experience -with the advertiser with a request: for this reason I -have given the incident fully. It recurred every week. I -grew to think little of it soon. “Think of how his children -will feel,” say the friends of some one temporarily lodged -in the police station. “Think of what the children of some -one this man will swindle next will say,” is what I might -<span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>answer. But I don’t,—not if an advertiser requests otherwise. -As I have grown to phrase the matter, a newspaper -is a contrivance which meets its pay-roll by selling space -to advertisers: render it therefore agreeable to those who -make its existence possible. Less jesuitically it may be -put—the ultimate editor of a small newspaper is the -advertiser, the biggest advertiser is the politician. This -is a maxim that experience has ground with its heel into -the fabric of my soul.</p> - -<p class='c010'>We all remember Emerson’s brilliantly un-New-England -advice, “Hitch your wagon to a star.” This saying is of no -value to newspapers, for they find stars poor motive power. -Theoretically, it must be granted that newspapers, of all -business ventures, should properly be hitched to a star. -Yet I have found that, if any hitching is to be done, it must -be to the successful politician. Amending Mr. Emerson, -I have found it the best rule to “yoke your newspaper to -the politician in power.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>This, then, is what a small newspaper does: sells its -space to the advertiser, its policy to the politician. It is -smooth sailing save when these two forces conflict, and -then Scylla and Charybdis were joys to the heart. Let -us look into the advertiser part of the business a bit more -closely.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The advertiser seeks the large circulation. The biggest -advertiser seeks the cheapest people. Thus is a small -newspaper (the shoe will pinch the feet of the great as well) -forced, in order to survive, to pander to the Most Low. -The man of culture does not buy $4.99 overcoats, the -woman of culture 27–cent slippers. The newspaper must -see that it reaches those who do. This is one of the saddest -matters in the whole business. The <cite>Herald</cite> started with a -circulation slightly over 2,000. I found that my town was -near enough to two big cities for the papers published there -<span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span>to enter my field. I could not hope to rival their telegraphic -features, and I soon saw that, if the <cite>Herald</cite> was to -succeed, it must pay strict attention to local news. My -rival stole its telegraphic news bodily; I paid for a service. -The people seemed to care little for attempted assassinations -of the Shah, but they were intensely interested in -pinochle parties in the seventh ward. I gave them pinochle -parties. Still my circulation diminished. My rival -regained all that I had taken from him at the start. I -wondered why, and compared the papers. I “set” more -matter than he. The great difference was that my headlines -were smaller and my editorial page larger than his. -Besides, his tone was much lower: he printed rumor, made -news to deny it—did a thousand and one things that kept -his paper “breezy.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>I put in bigger headlines—outdid him, in fact. I almost -abolished my editorial page, making of it an attempt -to amuse, not to instruct. I printed every little personality, -every rumor that my staff could get hold of in their -tours. The result came slowly, but surely. Success came -when I exaggerated every little petty scandal, every row -in a church choir, every hint of a disturbance. I compromised -four libel suits, and ran my circulation up to 3,200 -in eleven months.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Then I formed some more conclusions. I evolved a newspaper -law out of the matter and the experience of some -brothers in the craft in small cities near by. Briefly, I -stated it in this wise: The worse a paper is, the more influence -it has. To gain influence, be wholly bad.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This is no paradox, nor does it reflect particularly upon -the public. There is reason for it in plenty. Take the ably -edited paper, which glories in its editorial page, in the clean -exposition of an honest policy, in high ideas put in good -English, and you will find a paper which has a small -<span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>clientele in a provincial town; or, if it has readers, it will -have small influence. Say that it strikes the reader at -breakfast, and the person who has leisure to breakfast is -the person who has time for editorials, and the expression -of that paper’s opinion is carefully read. Should these -opinions square with the preconceived ideas of the reader, -the editorials are “great”; if not, they are “rotten.” In -other words, the man who reads carefully written editorials -is the man whose opinion is formed—the man of -culture, and therefore of prejudice. Doubtless he is as -well acquainted with conditions as the writer; perhaps better -acquainted. When a man does have opinions in a -small city, he is quite likely to have strong ones. A flitting -editorial is not the thing to change them. On the other -hand, the man who has little time to read editorials, or -perhaps little inclination, is just the man who might be -influenced by them if read. Hence well-written editorials -on a small daily are wasted thunder in great part, an uneconomic -expenditure of force.</p> - -<p class='c010'>When local politics are at fever-heat, a different aspect -of affairs is often seen: editorials are generally read, not so -much as expressions of opinion, but as party attack and -defense. During periods of political quiet the aim of most -editorial pages is to amuse or divert. The advertiser has -noted the decadence of the editorial page, and as a general -thing makes a violent protest if the crying of his wares is -made to emanate from this poor, despised portion of the -paper. An advertisement on a local page is worth much -more, and he pays more for the privilege.</p> - -<p class='c010'>So I learned another lesson. I shifted, as my successful -contemporaries have done, my centre of editorial gravity -from its former high position to my first and local pages. -I now editorialize by suggestion. News now carries its -own moral, the bias I wish it to show. This requires no -<span class='pageno' id='Page_144'>144</span>less skill than the writing of editorials, and, greatly as I -deplore it, I find the results pleasing. Does the <cite>Herald</cite> -wish to denounce a public official? Into a dozen articles -is the venom inserted. Slyly, subtly, and ofttimes openly -do news articles point the obvious moral. The “Acqua -Tofana” of journalism is ready to be used when occasion -demands, and this is very often. Innuendo is common, the -stiletto is inserted quietly and without warning, and tactics -a man would shun may be used by a newspaper with -little or no adverse comment. I mastered the philosophy -of the indirect. I gained my ends by carefully coloring my -news to the ends and policies of the paper. Nor am I -altogether to blame. My paper was supposed to have influence. -When I wrote careful and patient editorials, it -had none. I saw that the public mind must be enfiladed, -ambushed, and I adopted those primary American tactics -of Indian warfare: shot from behind tree trunks, spared not -the slain, and from the covert of a news item sent out -screeching savages upon the unsuspecting public. Editorial -warfare as conducted fifty years ago is obsolete; its -methods are as antiquated to-day as is the artillery of that -age.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>III</h3> - -<p class='c013'>I have called the <cite>Herald</cite> my own at different times in -this article. I conceived it, established it, built it up. It -stands to-day as the result of my work. True, my money -was not the only capital it required, but mine was the hand -that reared it. I found, to my great chagrin, that few -people in the city considered me other than a hired servant -of the political organization that aided in establishing the -<cite>Herald</cite>. It was an “organ,” a something which stood to -the world as the official utterance of this political set. -“Organs,” in newspaper parlance, properly have but one -<span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span>function. Mine was evidently to explain or attack, as the -case might be. To the politicians who helped start the -<cite>Herald</cite> the paper was a political asset. It could on occasion -be a club or a lever, as the situation demanded. I had -been led to expect no personal intrusion. “Just keep -straight with the party” was all that was asked. But never -was constancy so unfaltering as that expected of the -<cite>Herald</cite>. It must not print this because it was true; it must -print that because it was untrue.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I had been six months in the city, when I overheard a -conversation in a street car. “Oh, I’ll fix the <cite>Herald</cite> all -right. I know Johnny X,” said one man. That was nice -of Johnny X’s friend, I thought. The <cite>Bulletin</cite> accused me -of not daring to print certain matters. I was ashamed, -humiliated. Between the friends of Johnny X and the -friends of others, I saw myself in my true light. Johnny -X, by the way, a noisy ward politician, owned just one -share in the <cite>Herald</cite>; but that gave his friends the right to -ask him to “fix” it, nevertheless.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I consulted with a wise man, a real leader, a man of experience -and a warm heart. He heard me and laughed, -patting me on the shoulder to humor me. “You want -that printing, don’t you?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I admitted that I did. I had counted on it.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Then,” said my adviser, “I wouldn’t offend Johnny -X, if I were you. He controls the supervisor in his ward.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>I began to see a great light, and I have needed no other -illumination since. This matter of public printing had -been promised me. I knew it was necessary. I saw that, -inasmuch as it was given out by the lowest politicians in -the town, I escaped easily if I paid as my price the indulgence -of the various Johnnies X who had “influence.” I -was the paid supernumerary of the party, yet had to bear -its mistakes and follies, its weak men and their weaker -<span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>friends, upon my poor editorial back. I realized it from -that moment; I should have seen it before. But for all -that, my cheeks burned for days, and my teeth set whenever -I faced the thought. I don’t mind it in the least now.</p> - -<p class='c010'>So at the end of a year and a half I saw a few more things. -I saw that by being a good boy and adaptable to “fixing” -I could earn thirty-five dollars a week with less work than -I could earn forty-five dollars in a big city. I saw that the -<cite>Herald</cite> as a business proposition was a failure; that is, it -was not, even under the most advantageous conditions, -the money-maker that I at first thought it to be. I saw -that if the city grew, and if there were no more rivals, if -there were a hundred advantageous conditions, it might -make several thousand dollars a year, besides paying me -a bigger salary. I was very much disheartened. Then -there came a turn.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I saw the business part of the proposition very clearly. -I must play in with my owners, the party; and in turn my -owners would support me nearly as well when they were -out of power as they could when ruling. Revenue came -from the city, the county, the state, all at “legal” rates. -I began to see why these “legal” rates were high, some -five times higher than those of ordinary advertising for -such a paper as the <cite>Herald</cite>. The state, when paying its -advertising bill, must pay the <cite>Herald</cite> five times the rate -any clothing advertiser could get. The reason is not difficult -to see. All over the state and country there are papers -just like the <cite>Herald</cite>, controlled by little cliques of politicians, -who, too miserly to support the necessary losses, -make the people pay for them. Any attempt to lower the -legal rate in any state legislature would call up innumerable -champions of the “press,” gentlemen all interested in their -newspapers at home. The people pay more than a cent -for their penny papers. It is the tax-payer who supports -<span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span>a thousand and one unnecessary “organs.” The politicians -are wise, after all.</p> - -<p class='c010'>So I got my perspective. I was paid to play the political -game of others. I had to play it supported by indirect -bribes. As a straight business proposition,—that is, -without any state or city advertising, tax sales, printing -of the proceedings, and the like,—the <cite>Herald</cite> could not -live out a year. But by refusing to say many things, and -by saying many more, I could get such share of these -matters as would support the paper. In my second year, -near its close, I saw that I was really a property, a chattel, -a something bought and sold. I was being trafficked with -to my loss. My friends bought me with public printing, -and sold me for their own ends. I saw that they had the -best of the bargain.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I could do better without the middlemen. I determined -to make my own bargain with the devil for my own soul. -It was a brilliant thought, but a bitter one. I determined -to be a Sir John Hawkwood, and sell my editorial mercenaries -to the highest bidder. Only the weak are gregarious, -I thought with Nietzsche. If I could not put a name -upon my actions, at least I could put a price. I made a -loan, grabbed up some <cite>Herald</cite> stock cheaply, and owned -at last over fifty per cent of my own paper. Now, I -thought, I will at least make money.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I knew at just that time, that my own party, joined -with the enemy, was much interested in a contract the -city was about to make with a lighting company, a longterm -contract at an exorbitant price. No opposition was -expected. The city council had been “seen,” the reformers -silenced. I knew some of the particulars. I knew -that both parties were gaining at the public expense, to -their own profit and the tremendous profit of the gas company. -I, fearless in my new control, sent out a small -<span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span>editorial feeler, a little suggestion about municipal ownership. -This time my editorial did have influence. No -mango tree of an Indian juggler blossomed quicker. I was -called upon one hour after the paper was out. What in -the name of all unnamable did I mean? I laughed. I -pointed out the new holdings of stock I had acquired. -What did the gentlemen mean? They didn’t know—not -then.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I had a very pleasant call from the gas company’s attorney -the next day. He was a most agreeable fellow, a -man of parts, assuredly. I, a conscious chattel, would now -appraise myself. I waited, letting the pleasantry flow by -in a gentle stream. By the way, suggested my new friend, -why didn’t I try for the printing of the gas company? -It was quite a matter. My friend was surprised that -the <cite>Herald</cite> had so complete a job-printing plant. The gas -company had all of its work done out of town, at a high -rate, he thought. He would use his influence, etc., etc. -Actually, I felt very important! All this to come out of -a little editorial on municipal ownership! The <cite>Herald</cite> didn’t -care for printing so very much, I said. But I would -think it over.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The next day I followed up my municipal ownership editorial. -It was my answer. I waited for theirs. I waited -in vain. I had overreached myself. This was humiliation -indeed, and it aroused every bit of ire and revenge in me. -I boldly launched out on a campaign against the dragon. -I would see if the “press” could be held so cheaply. I -printed statistics of the price of lighting in other cities. I -exposed the whole scheme. I stood for the people at last! -My early fire came back. We would see: the people and -the <cite>Herald</cite> against a throttling corporation and a gang of -corrupt aldermen.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Then the other side got into the war. I went to the bank -<span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span>to renew a note. I had renewed it a dozen times before. -But the bank had seen the Gorgon and turned to stone. -I digged deep and met the note. A big law firm which had -given me all its business began to seek out the <cite>Bulletin</cite>. -One or two advertisers dropped out. Some unseen hand -began to foment a strike. Were the banks, the bar, and, -worst of all, the labor unions, in the pay of a gas company? -It was exhilarating to be with “the people,” but exhilaration -does not meet pay-rolls. I may state that I am now -doing the gas company’s printing at a very fair rate.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I saw that the policy was a good one, nevertheless. I -also saw that it could not be carried to the extreme. So I -have become merely threatening. I have learned never -to overstep my bounds. I take my lean years and my fat -years, still a hireling, but having somewhat to say about -my market value. What provincial paper does not have -the same story to tell?</p> - -<p class='c010'>My public doesn’t care for good writing. It has no -regard for reason. During one political campaign I tried -reason. That is, I didn’t denounce the adversary. Admitting -he had some very good points, I showed why the -other man had better ones. The general impression was -that the <cite>Herald</cite> had “flopped,” just because I did not abuse -my party’s opponent, but tried to defeat him with logic! -A paper is always admired for its backbone, and backbone -is its refusal to see two sides to a question.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I have reached the “masses.” I tell people what they -knew beforehand, and thus flatter them. Aiming to instruct -them, I should offend. God is with the biggest circulations, -and we must have them, even if we appeal to -class prejudice now and then.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I can occasionally foster a good work, almost underhandedly, -it would seem. I take little pleasure in it. The -various churches, hospitals, the library, all expect to be -<span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span>coddled indiscriminately and without returning any thanks -whatever. I formerly had as much railroad transportation -as I wished. I still have the magazines free of charge -and a seat in the theatre. These are my “perquisites.” -There is no particular future for me. The worst of it is -that I don’t seem to care. The gradual falling away from -the high estate of my first editorial is a matter for the -student of character, which I am not. In myself, as in -my paper, I see only results.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I think these confessions are ample enough and blunt -enough. When I left the high school, I would have wished -to word them in Stevensonian manner. That was some -time ago. We who run small dailies have little care for the -niceties of style. There are few of our clientele who know -the nice from the not-nice. In our smaller cities we “suicide” -and “jeopardize.” We are visited by “agriculturalists,” -and “none of us are” exempt from little iniquities -and uniquities of style and expression. We go right on: -“commence” where we should “begin,” use “balance” for -“remainder,” never think of putting the article before -“Hon.” and “Rev.,” and some of us abbreviate “assemblyman” -into “ass,” meaning nothing but condensation. -Events still “transpire” in our small cities, and inevitably -we “try experiments.” We have learned to write “trousers,” -and “gents” appears only in our advertisements. -In common with the very biggest and best papers we always -say “leniency.” That I do these things, the last coercion -of environment, is the saddest, to me, of all.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span> - <h2 class='c008'>THE COUNTRY EDITOR OF TO-DAY</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY CHARLES MOREAU HARGER</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Eulogies and laudatory paragraphs, alternating with -sneers, ridicule, and deprecations, long have been the lot -of the country editor. Pictured in the comic papers as an -egotistic clown, exalted by the politicians as a mighty -“moulder of public opinion,” occasionally chastised by -angry patrons, and sometimes remembered by delighted -subscribers, he has put his errors where they could be read -of all men and has modestly sought a fair credit for his -merits.</p> - -<p class='c010'>At times he has rebelled—not at treatment from his -constituency but at patronizing remarks of the city journalist -who sits at a mahogany desk and dictates able -articles for the eighteen-page daily, instead of writing local -items at a pine table in the office of a four-page weekly. -Thus did one voice his protest: “When you consider that -the country weekly is owned by its editor and that the -man who writes the funny things about country papers in -the city journals is owned by the corporation for which he -writes, it doesn’t seem so sad. When you see an item in -the city papers poking fun at the country editor for printing -news about John Jones’ new barn, you laugh and -laugh—for you know that on one of the pages of that -same city daily is a two-column story in regard to the -trimmings on the gowns of the Duchess of Wheelbarrow. -And it is all the more amusing because you know the duchess -does not even know of the existence of the aforesaid -city paper, while John Jones and many of his neighbors -<span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span>take and pay for the paper which mentioned his new barn. -Don’t waste your pity on the country newspaper worker. -He will get along.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Little money is needed to start a country paper. There -are those who claim that it does not require any money,—that -it can be done on nerve alone,—and they produce -evidence to support the statement. True, some of the -editors who have the least money and the poorest plants -are most successful in their efforts to live up to the conception -developed by the professional humorist; but it is -not fair to judge the country editor by these—any more -than it would be fair to judge the workers on the great city -dailies by the publishers of back-street fake sheets that -exist merely to rob advertisers; or to judge the editors of -reputable magazines by the promoters of nauseous monthlies -whose stock in trade is a weird and sickening collection -of mail-order bargains and quack medicine advertisements.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The country editor of to-day is far removed from his -prototype of two or three decades ago. It would be strange -if an age that gives to the farmer his improved self-binder, -to the physician his X-ray machine, and to the merchant -his loose-leaf ledger, had done nothing for the town’s best -medium of publicity. The perfection of stereotype plate -manufacture by which a page of telegraph news may be -delivered ready for printing at a cost of approximately -twenty cents a column, and the elaboration of the “ready -print,” or “patent inside,” by which half the paper is -printed before delivery, yet at practically no expense over -the unprinted sheets, have been the two great labor-savers -for the country editor. Thereby he is relieved, if he desire, -of the tedious and expensive task of setting much type in -order to give the world’s general news, and the miscellaneous -matter that “fills up” the paper. His energies then -may be devoted to reporting the happenings of his locality -<span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span>and to giving his opinions on public affairs. By his doing -of these, and by his relations toward the public interests, -is he to be judged.</p> - -<p class='c010'>After all, no one man in the community has so large an -opportunity to assist the town in advancement as the -editor. It is not because he is smarter than others, not -because he is wealthy—but because he is the spokesman -to the outside world.</p> - -<p class='c010'>He is eager to print all the news in his own paper. Does -he do it? Hardly. “This would be a very newsy paper,” -explained a frank country editor to his subscribers, “were -it not for the fact that each of the four men who work on -it has many friends. By the time all the items that might -injure some of their friends are omitted, very little is left.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“I wish you would print a piece about our schoolteacher,” -said a farmer’s wife to me one afternoon. “Say -that she is the best teacher in the county.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“But I can’t do that—two hundred other teachers -would be angry. You write the piece, sign it, and I’ll -print it.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“What are you running a newspaper for if you can’t -please your subscribers?” she demanded—and canceled -her subscription.</p> - -<p class='c010'>So the country editor leaves out certain good things and -certain bad things for the very simple reason that the persons -most interested are close at hand and can find the -individual responsible for the statements. He becomes -wise in his generation and avoids chastisements and libel -suits. He finds that there is no lasting regard in a sneer, -no satisfaction in gratifying the impulse to say things that -bring tears to women’s eyes, nothing to gloat over in opening -a wound in a man’s heart. If he does not learn this -as he grows older in the service, he is a poor country editor.</p> - -<p class='c010'>His relations to his subscribers are intimate. There is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span>little mystery possible about the making of the paper; it is -as if he stood in the market-place and told his story. Of -course, the demands upon him are many and some of them -preposterous. Men with grafts seek to use the paper, -people with schemes ask free publicity. The country editor -is criticised for charging for certain items that no city -paper prints free. The churches and lodges want free -notices of entertainments by which they hope to make -money; semi-public entertainments prepared under the -management of a traveling promoter ask free advertising -“for the good of the cause.” Usually they get it, and when -the promoter passes on, the editor is found to be the only -one in town who received nothing for his labor.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is characteristic of the country town to engage in -community quarrels. These absorb the attention of the -citizens, and feeling becomes bitter. The cause may be -trifling: the location of a schoolhouse, the building of a -bridge, the selection of a justice of the peace, or some -similar matter, is enough. To the newspaper office hurry -the partisans, asking for <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">ex parte</span></i> reports of the conditions. -One leader is, perhaps, a liberal advertiser; to offend him -means loss of business. Another is a personal friend; to -anger him means the loss of friendship. The editor of the -only paper in the town must be a diplomat if he is to guide -safely through the channel. In former times he tried to -please both sides and succeeded in making enemies of every -one interested. Now the well-equipped editor takes the -position that he is a business man like the others, that he -has rights as do they, and he states the facts as he sees -them, regardless of partisanship, letting the public do the -rest. If there be another paper in town, the problem is -easy, for the other faction also has an “organ.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Out of the public’s disagreement may come a newspaper -quarrel—though this is a much rarer thing than formerly. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>The old-time country newspaper abuse of “our loathed but -esteemed contemporary” is passing away, it being understood -that such a quarrel, with personalities entangled in -the recriminations, is both undignified and ungentlemanly. -“But people will read it,” says the man who by gossip -encourages these attacks. So will people listen to a coarse -street controversy carried on in a loud and angry tone,—but -little is their respect for the principals engaged. Country -editors of the better class now treat other editors as -gentlemen, and the paper that stoops to personal attacks -is seldom found. Many a town has gone for years without -other than kindly mention in any paper of the editors of -the other papers, and in such towns you will generally find -peace and courtesy among the citizens.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Of course, there are politics and political arguments, but -few are the editors so lacking in the instincts of a gentleman -as to bring into these the opposing editor’s personal -and family affairs. It has come to be understood that such -action is a reflection on the one who does it, not on the -object of his attack. This is another way of saying that -more real gentlemen are running country newspapers to-day -than ever before. This broadening of character has -broadened influence. The country paper is effecting -greater things in legislation than the county conventions -are.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“The power of the country press in Washington surprises -me,” said a Middle West congressman last winter. -“During my two terms I have been impressed with it constantly. -I doubt if there is a single calm utterance in any -paper in the United States that does not carry some weight -in Washington among the members of Congress. You -might think that what some little country editor says does -not amount to anything, but it means a great deal more -than most people realize. When the country editor, who -<span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span>is looking after nothing but the county printing, gives expression -to some rational idea about a national question, -the man off here in Congress knows that it comes from the -grass-roots. The lobby, the big railroad lawyers, and that -class of people, realize the power of the press, but they hate -it. I have heard them talk about it and shake their heads -and say, ‘Too much power there!’ The press is more powerful -than money.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>This was not said in flattery, but because he had seen -on congressmen’s desks the heaps of country weeklies, and -he knew how closely they were read. The smallest editorial -paragraph tells the politician of the condition in that -paper’s community, for he knows that it is put there because -the editor has gathered the idea from some one whom -he trusts as a leader—and the politician knows approximately -who that leader is. So the country editor often -exerts a power of which he knows little.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>II</h3> - -<p class='c013'>But politics is only a part of the country editor’s life. -The social affairs of the community are nearest to him. -The proud father who brings in a cigar with a notice of -the seventh baby’s arrival (why cigars and babies should -be associated in men’s minds I never understood), the fruit -farmer who presents some fine Ben Davis apples in the -expectation that he will get a notice, are but types. The -editor may have some doubts concerning the need of a -seventh child in the family of the proud father, and he -may not be particularly fond of Ben Davis apples; but he -gives generous notices because he knows that the gifts -were prompted by kind hearts and that the givers are his -friends.</p> - -<p class='c010'>When joy comes to the household, it is but the working -<span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span>of the heart’s best impulses to desire that all should share -it. The news that the princess of the family has, after -many years of waiting, wedded a prosperous merchant of -the neighboring county, brings the family into prominence -in the home paper. Seldom in these busy times does the -editor get a piece of wedding-cake, but nevertheless he -fails not to say that the bride is “one of our loveliest young -ladies and the groom is worthy of the prize he has won.” -The city paper does not do that. Here and there a country -editor tries to put on city airs and give the bare facts of -“social functions,” without a personal touch to the lines. -But infrequently does he succeed in reaching the hearts of -his readers, and somehow he finds that his contemporary -across the street, badly printed, sprinkled with typographical -errors and halting in its grammar, but profuse in its -laudations, is getting an unusual number of new subscribers. -Even you, though you may pretend to be unmindful, -are not displeased when on the day after your -party you read that the guests “went home feeling that a -good time had been had.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>The time has not yet come for the country paper to -assume city airs; nor is it likely to arrive for many years. -The reason is a psychological one. The city journal is the -paper of the masses; the country weekly or small daily is -the paper of the neighborhood. One is general and impersonal; -the other, direct and intimate. One is the market-place; -the other, the home. The distinction is not soon to -be wiped out.</p> - -<p class='c010'>And when sorrow comes! Into the home of a city friend -of mine death entered, taking the wife and mother. The -family had been prominent in social circles, and columns -were printed in the city papers, columns of cold, biographical -facts—born, married, died. But the news went back -to the small country town where in their early married life -<span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span>the husband and wife had spent many happy years, and -in the little country weekly was quite another sort of story. -It told how much her friends loved her, how saddened they -were by her passing away, how sweet and womanly had -been her character. The husband did not send the city -papers to distant acquaintances; he sent copy after copy -of the little country weekly, the only place where, despite -his prominence in the world, appeared a sympathetic relation -of the loss that had come to him.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Week after week the country paper does this. From -issue after issue clippings are stowed away in bureau -drawers or pasted in family Bibles, because they picture -the loved one gone. It may not be a very high mission; -but no part of the country editor’s work has in it more -of satisfaction and recompense.</p> - -<p class='c010'>After the funeral comes the real test of the editor’s good-nature. -Long resolutions adopted by lodges and church -organizations are handed in for publication, each bristling -with the forms of ritual or creed, and each signed with the -names of the committee members upon whom devolved -the task of composition. A few country editors are brave -enough to demand payment at advertising rates for these -publications; generally they are printed without charge.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Nor is there a halt at this step in the proceeding. One -day a sad-faced farmer, with a heavy band of crape around -his battered soft hat, accompanied by a woman whose -heavy veil and black dress are sufficient insignia of woe, -comes to the office.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“We would like to put in a ‘card of thanks,’” begins -the man, “and we wish you would write it for us. We ain’t -very good at writing pieces, and you know how.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Does the editor tell them how bad is the taste that indulges -the stereotyped card of thanks? Does he haughtily -refuse to be a party to such violation of form’s canons? -<span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span>Scarcely. He knows the formula by heart and “the kind -friends and neighbors who assisted us in our late bereavement” -comes to him as easily as the opening words of a -mayor’s proclamation.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Occasionally there is literary talent in the family, and -the “card” is prepared without the editor’s assistance. -Here is one verbatim as it came to the desk:—</p> - -<p class='c010'>“We extend our thanks to the good people who assisted -us in the sickness and death of our wife and daughter: The -doctor who was so faithful in attendance and effort to -bring her back to health, the pastor who visited and prayed -with her and us, the students who watched with us and -waited on her, the neighbors who did all they could in -helping care for her, the dormitory students, the faculty, -the literary societies and the A.O.U.W. who furnished such -beautiful flowers, we thank them all. Then the undertaker -who was so kind, the liveryman and other friends who -furnished carriages for us to go to the cemetery—yes, we -thank you all.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Doubtless he feels that he should do something toward -conserving the best taste in social usage, and that the “card -of thanks” should be ruthlessly frowned down; but he sees -also the other side. It is unquestionably prompted by a -spirit of sincere gratitude, and survives as a concession to -a supposed public opinion. Like other things that are -self-perpetuating, this continues—and the country editor -out of the goodness of his heart assists in its longevity. In -no path is the progress of the reformer so difficult as in that -of social custom; and this is as true on the village street as -on the city boulevard.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>III</h3> - -<p class='c013'>The past half-decade has brought to the country editor -a new problem and a new rival,—the rural delivery route. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span>Until this innovation came, few farmers took daily papers. -The country weekly, or the weekly from the city, furnished -the news.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Out in the Middle West the other morning, a dozen miles -from town, a farmer rode on a sulky plough turning over -brown furrows for the new crop. “I see by to-day’s Kansas -City papers,” he began, as a visitor came alongside, -“that there is trouble in Russia again.” “What do you -know about what is in to-day’s Kansas City papers?” -“Oh, we got them from the carrier an hour ago.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>It was not yet noon, but he was in touch with the world’s -news up to one o’clock that morning—and this twelve -miles from a railroad and two hundred miles west of the -Missouri River! In that county every farmhouse has rural -delivery of mail; and one carrier makes his round in an -automobile, covering the thirty miles in four hours or less.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The country editor has viewed with alarm this changing -condition. He has feared that he would be robbed of his -subscribers through the familiar excuse, “I’m takin’ more -papers than I can read.” But nothing of the kind has -happened. Although the rural carriers take each morning -great packages of daily papers, brought to the village by -the fast mail, the people along the routes are as eager as -ever for the weekly visit of the home paper. If by accident -one copy is missing from the carrier’s supply on Thursday, -great is the lamentation. It is doubtful if a single -country paper has been injured by the rural route; in -most instances the reading habit has been so stimulated -as to increase the patronage.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This it has done: it has impressed on the editor the necessity -of giving much attention to home news and less to -the happenings afar. This is, indeed, the province of the -country paper, since it is of the home and the family, not -of the market-place. This feature will grow, and the country -<span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span>paper will become more a chronicle of home news and -less a purveyor of outside happenings, for soon practically -every farmer will have his daily paper with the regularity -of the sunrise. On the whole, instead of being an injury -this is helpful to the rural publisher; it relieves him of -responsibility for a broad field of information and allows -him to devote his energy to that news which gives the -greatest hold on readers,—the doings of the immediate -community. With this will come more generally the printing -of the entire paper at home and the decline of the -“patent inside,” now so common, which has served its purpose -well. If it exist, it will be in a modified form, devoted -chiefly to readable articles of a literary rather than of a -news value.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The city daily may give the telegraph news of the world -in quicker and better service, the mail-order house may -occasionally undersell the home merchant, the glory of the -city’s lights may dazzle; but, at the end of the week, home -and home institutions are best; so only one publication -gives the news we most wish to know,—the country -paper. The city business man throws away his financial -journal and his yellow “extra,” and tears open the pencil-addressed -home paper that brings to him memories of new-mown -hay and fallow fields and boyhood. Regardless of -its style, its grammar, or its politics, it holds its reader with -a grip that the city editor may well envy.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In these times the country editor is, like the publisher -of the city, a business man. Scores of offices of country -weeklies within two hundred miles of the Rockies (which -is about as far inland as we can get nowadays) have linotypes -or type-setting machines, run the presses with an -electric motor, and give the editor an income of three -thousand dollars or more a year for labor that allows many -a vacation day. The country editor gets a good deal out -<span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span>of life. He lives well; he travels much; he meets the best -people of his state; and, if he be inclined, he can accomplish -much for his own improvement. Added to this is the -joy of rewarding the honorable, decent people of the town -with good words and helpful publicity, and the satisfaction -of seeing that the rascals get their dues,—and get -them they do if the editor lives and the rascals live, for in -the country town the editor’s turn always comes. It may -be long delayed, but it arrives. If he use his power with -honesty and intelligence, he can do much good for the -community.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the opinion of some this danger threatens: the increased -rapidity of transportation, the multitude of fast -trains, and the facilities for placing the big city papers -within a zone of one hundred miles of the office of publication, -mean the large representation of particular localities, -or even the establishment of editions devoted to them. -The city paper tries to absorb the local patronage through -the competent correspondent who practically edits certain -columns or pages of the journal. In the thickly settled -East this is more successful than in the West, where distance -helps the local paper. But the zone is widening with -every improvement in transportation of mails, and soon -few sections of the country will be outside the possibilities -of some city paper’s enterprise in this direction.</p> - -<p class='c010'>When this happens, will the local weekly go out of existence -and its subscribers be attached to the big city paper -whose facilities for getting news and whose enterprise in -reaching the uttermost parts of the world far outstrip the -slow-going weekly’s best efforts? It is not likely. The -county-seat weekly to-day, with its energetic correspondent -in the town of Centreville, adds to its list in that section -because it gives the news fully and crisply; but it does -not drive out of business the Centreville <cite>Palladium</cite>, whose -<span class='pageno' id='Page_163'>163</span>editor has a personal acquaintance with every subscriber -and who caters to the home pride of the community. It is -probable that the <cite>Palladium</cite> will be more enterprising and -will devote more attention to the doings of the dwellers in -Centreville in order to keep abreast with the competition; -but it cannot be driven out, nor its editor forced from his -position by dearth of business. The life of a forceful paper -is long. One such paper was sold and its name changed -eighteen years ago; yet letters and subscriptions still are -addressed to the old publication. A hold like that on a -community’s life cannot be broken by competition.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>IV</h3> - -<p class='c013'>The evolution of the country weekly into the country -daily is becoming easier as telephone and telegraph become -cheaper, and transportation enables publishers to secure at -remote points a daily “plate” service that includes telegraph -news up to a few hours of the time of publication. -The publishing of an Associated Press daily, which twenty -years ago always attended a town’s boom and generally -resulted in the suspension of a bank or two and the financial -ruin of several families, has become simplified until it -is within reach of modest means.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Instead of the big city journals extending their sway to -crush out the country paper, it is more probable that the -country papers will take on some of the city’s airs, and -that, with the added touch of personal familiarity with the -people and their affairs, the country editor will become a -greater power than in the past. For it is recognized to-day -that the publication of a paper is a business affair and not -a matter of faith or revenge. If the publication be not a -financial success, it is not much of a success of any kind.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The old-time editor who prided himself on his powers of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_164'>164</span>vituperation, who thundered through double-leaded columns -his views on matters of world-importance and traded -space for groceries and dry goods, has few representatives -to-day. The wide-awake, clean-cut, well-dressed young -men, paying cash for their purchases and demanding cash -for advertising, alert to the business and political movements -that make for progress, and taking active part in -the interests of the town, precisely as though they were -merchants or mechanics, asking no favors because of their -occupation, are taking their places. This sort of country -editor is transforming the country paper and is making of -it a business enterprise in the best sense of the term,—something -it seldom was under the old régime.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This eulogy is one often quoted by the country press: -“Every year every local paper gives from five hundred to -five thousand lines for the benefit of the community in -which it is located. No other agency can or will do this. -The editor, in proportion to his means, does more for his -town than any other man. To-day editors do more work -for less pay than any men on earth.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Like other eulogies it has in it something of exaggeration. -It assumes the country editor to be a philanthropist -above his neighbors. The new type of country editor -makes no such claim. To be sure, he prints many good -things for the community’s benefit,—but he does it because -he is a part of the community. What helps the town -helps him. His neighbor, the miller, would do as much; -his other neighbor, the hardware man, is as loyal and in -his way works as hard for the town’s upbuilding. In other -words, the country editor of to-day assumes no particular -virtue because his capital is invested in printing-presses, -paper, and a few thousand pieces of metal called type. He -does realize that because of his avocation he is enabled to -do much for good government, for progress, and for the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>betterment of his community. Unselfishly and freely he -does this. He starts movements that bring scoundrels to -terms, that place flowers where weeds grew before, that -banish sorrow and add to the world’s store of joy; but he -does not presume that because of this he deserves more -credit than his fellow business men. He is indeed fallen -from grace who makes a merit of doing what is decent and -honest and fair.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is often remarked that the ambition of the country -editor is to secure a position on a city paper. I have had -many city newspapermen confide to me that their fondest -hope was to save enough money to buy a country weekly -in a thriving town. At first thought it would seem that -the city journalist would fail in the new field, having been -educated in a vastly different atmosphere and being unacquainted -with the conditions under which the country -editor must make friends and secure business. But two -of the most successful newspapers of my acquaintance are -edited by men who served their apprenticeship on city -dailies, and finally realized their heart’s desire and bought -country weeklies in prosperous communities. They are -not only making more money than ever before, but both -tell me that they have greater happiness than came in the -old days of rush, hurry, and excitement.</p> - -<p class='c010'>So long as a country paper can be issued without the -expenditure of more than a few hundred dollars, so long -as the man with ambition and money can satisfy his desire -to “edit,” the country paper will be fruitful of jocose -remarks by the city journalist. There will be columns of -odd reprint from the backwoods of Arkansas, and queer -combinations of grammar and egotism from the Egypt of -Illinois. The exchange editor will find in his rural mail -much food for humorous comment, but he will not find -characterizing the country editor a lack of independence, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span>or a lack of ability to look out for himself. The country -editor is doing very well, and the trend of his business -affairs is in the direction of better financial returns and -wider influence. He is a greater power now than ever -before in his history, and he will become more influential -as the years go by. He will not be controlled by a syndicate, -or modeled after a machine-made pattern, but will -exert his individuality wherever he may be.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The country editor of to-day is coming into his own. He -asks fewer favors and brings more into the store of common -good. He does not ask eulogies nor does he resent fair -criticisms; he is content to be judged by what he is and -what he has accomplished. As the leader of the hosts -must hold his place by the consent of his followers, so must -the town’s spokesman prove his worth. Closest to the -people, nearest to their home life, its hopes and its aspirations, -the country editor is at the foundation of journalism. -Here and there is a weak and inefficient example; but in -the main he measures up to as high a standard as does any -class of business men in the nation,—and it is as a business -man that he prefers to be classed.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span> - <h2 class='c008'>SENSATIONAL JOURNALISM AND THE LAW</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY GEORGE W. ALGER</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>So much has been said in recent years concerning the -methods and policies of sensational journalism that a further -word upon a topic so hackneyed would seem almost -to require an explanation or an apology. Current criticism, -however, for the most part, has been confined to only one -of its many characteristics,—its bad taste and its vulgarizing -influence on its readers by daily offenses against the -actual, though as yet ideal, right of privacy, by its arrogant -boastfulness, mawkish sentimentality, and a persistent and -systematic distortion of values in events.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This, the most noticeable feature of yellow journalism, -is indicative rather of its character than of its purpose. In -considering, however, the present subject,—sensational -journalism in its relation to the making, enforcing, and -interpreting of law,—we enter a different field, that of -the conscious policies and objects with and for which these -papers are conducted. The main business of a newspaper -as defined by journalists of the old school is the collection -and publication of news of general interest coupled with -editorial comment upon it. The old-time editor was a -ruminative and critical observer of public events. This -definition of the functions of a newspaper was long ago -scornfully cast aside as absurdly antiquated and insufficient -to include the myriad circulation-making enterprises -of yellow journalism. These papers are not simply purveyors -of news and comment, but have what, for lack of a -better term, may be called constructive policies of their -<span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span>own. In the making of law, for example, not content with -mere criticism of legislators and their measures, the new -journalism conceives and exploits measures of its own, -drafted by its own counsel, and introduced as legislative -bills by statesmen to whom flattering press notices and -the publication of an occasional blurred photograph are a -sufficient reward. Not infrequently measures thus conceived -and drafted are supported by specially prepared -“monster petitions,” containing thousands of names, badly -written and of doubtful authenticity, of supposed partisans, -and by special trains filled with orators and a heterogeneous -rabble described in the news columns as “committees -of citizens,” who at critical periods are collected -together and turned loose upon the assembled lawmakers -as an impressive object lesson of the public interest fervidly -aroused on behalf of the newspaper’s bill.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The ethics of persuasion is an interesting subject. It -falls, however, outside the scope of this article. It is impossible -to lay down any hard and fast rule by which to -determine in all cases what form of newspaper influence -is legitimate and what illegitimate. The most obvious -characteristic of yellow journalism in its relation to lawmaking -is that it prefers ordinarily to obtain its ends by -the use of intimidation rather than by persuasion. The -monster petition scheme just referred to is merely one -illustrative expression of this preference. When a newspaper -of this type is interested in having some official do -some particular thing in some particular way, it spends -little of its space or time in attempting to show the logical -propriety or necessity for the action it desires. It seeks -first and foremost to make the official see that <em>the eyes of -the people are on him</em>, and that any action by him contrary -to that which the newspaper assures him the people want -would be fraught with serious personal consequences. The -<span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span>principal point with these papers is always “the people -demand” (in large capitals) this or that, and the logic or -reason of the demand is obscured or ignored. It is the -headless Demos transformed into printer’s ink. If by any -chance any official, so unfortunate as to have ideas of his -own as to how his office should be conducted, proves obdurate -to the demands of the printed voice of the people, -he becomes the target for newspaper attacks, calculated to -destroy any reputation he may previously have had for -intelligence, sobriety of judgment, or public efficiency, his -tormentor, so far as libel is concerned, keeping, however, -as Fabian says, “on the windy side of the law.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>An amusing illustration of this kind of warfare occurred -in New York some years ago, when for several weeks one -of these newspapers published daily attacks upon the -President of the Board of Police Commissioners, because -he refused to follow the newspaper theories of the proper -way of enforcing, or rather not enforcing, the Excise Law. -The newspaper took the position that, while the powers of -the Police Department were being largely turned to ferreting -out saloon-keepers who were keeping open after hours -or on Sundays, the detection of serious crimes was being -neglected, and that a “carnival of crime,” to use the picturesque -wording of its headlines, was being carried on in -the city. Finally, in one of its issues the paper published -a list of thirty distinct criminal offenses of the most serious -character,—murder, felonious assault, burglary, grand -larceny, and the like,—all alleged to have been committed -within a week, in none of which, it asserted, had any -criminal been captured or any stolen property recovered. -Events which followed immediately upon this last publication -showed that the newspaper had erred grievously in its -estimate of this particular official under attack. A few days -later the Police Commissioner, Mr. Roosevelt, published in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span>the columns of all the other newspapers in New York the -result of his own personal investigation of these thirty items -of criminal news, showing conclusively that twenty-eight -of them were canards pure and simple, and that in the -remaining two police activity had brought about results -of a most satisfactory kind. Following this statement of -the facts was appended an adaptation of some fifteen or -twenty lines from Macaulay’s merciless essay on Barrère,—perhaps -the finest philippic against a notorious and inveterate -liar which the English language affords,—so -worded that they should apply, not only to the newspaper -which published this spurious list of alleged crimes, but to -the editor and proprietor personally. The carnival of crime -ended at once.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is, of course, impossible to determine accurately the -extent of newspaper influence upon legislation and the conduct -of public officials by these systematic attempts at -bullying. Making all due allowance, however, there have -been within recent years many significant illustrations of -the influence of yellow journalism upon the shaping of -public events. Mr. Creelman is quite right in saying, as -he does in his interesting book, <cite>On the Great Highway</cite>, that -the story of the Spanish war is incomplete which overlooks -the part that yellow journalism had in bringing it on. He -tells us that, some time prior to the commencement of hostilities, -a well-known artist, who had been sent to Cuba as -a representative of one of these papers and had there -grown tired of inaction, telegraphed his chief that there -was no prospect of war, and that he wished to come home. -The reply he received was characteristic of the journalism -he represented: “You furnish the pictures, we will furnish -the war.” It is characteristic because the new journalism -aims to direct rather than to influence, and seeks, to an -extent never attempted or conceived by the journalism it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span>endeavors so strenuously to supplant, to create public sentiment -rather than to mould it, to make measures and find -men.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The larger number of the readers of the great sensational -newspapers live at or near the place of publication, where -the half-dozen daily editions can be placed in their hands -hot from the press. The news furnished in them is, for -the most part, of distinctively local interest. In their -columns the horizon is narrow and inexpressibly dingy. -Detailed narrations of sensational local happenings, preferably -crimes and scandals, are given conspicuous places, -while more important events occurring outside the city -limits are treated with telegraphic brevity. These papers -constitute beyond question the greatest provincializing influence -in metropolitan life.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The particular local functions of sensational journalism -which bring it in close relation to the courts result from its -self-imposed responsibilities as detective and punisher of -crime and as director of municipal officials. So far as the -latter are concerned, yellow journalism has apparently a -good record. Many recent instances might, for example, -be cited where these newspapers, acting under the names -of “dummy” plaintiffs, have sought and obtained preliminary -or temporary injunctions against threatened official -malfeasance, or where they have instituted legal proceedings -to expose corrupt jobbery. As to the actual results -thus accomplished, other than the publicity obtained, -the general public is not in a position to judge. Temporary -injunctions granted merely until the merits of the -case can be heard and determined are of no particular -value if, when the trial day comes, the newspaper plaintiff -fails to appear, the case is dismissed, and the temporary -injunction vacated. On such occasions, and they are more -frequent than the general public is aware, the newspaper -<span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span>takes little pains to inform its readers of the final results -of the matter over which it made such hue and cry months -before.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But, however fair-minded persons may differ as to the -results actually obtained by these newspaper law enterprises -in the civil courts, there is less room for difference -of opinion as to the methods with which they are conducted. -They are almost invariably so managed as to -convey to the minds of their readers the idea that the -decision obtained, if a favorable one, has not come as the -result of a just rule of law laid down by a wise and fair-minded -judge, but has been obtained rather in spite of both -law and judge, and wholly because a newspaper of enormous -circulation, championing the cause of the people, -has wrested the law to its clamorous authority. The attitude -of mind thus created is well exemplified in a remark -made to me by a business man of more than ordinary -intelligence, in discussing an injunction granted in one of -these newspaper suits arising out of a water scandal: -“Why, of course Judge ——— granted the injunction. -Everybody knew he would. There is not a judge on the -bench who would have the nerve to decide the other way -with all the row the newspapers have made about it. He -knows where his bread is buttered.”</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>II</h3> - -<p class='c013'>One of the great features of counting-house journalism -is its real or supposed ability in the detection and punishment -of crime. Whether this field is a legitimate one for -a newspaper to enter need not be discussed here. It goes -without saying that an interesting murder mystery sells -many papers, and if as a result of skillful detective work -the guilty party is finally brought to the gallows or the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span>electric chair, it is a triumph for the paper whose reporters -are the sleuths. While such efforts, when crowned with -success, are the source probably of much credit and revenue, -there are various disagreeable possibilities connected -with failure which the astute managers of these papers can -never afford to overlook. While verdicts in libel suits are -in this country generally small (compared with those in -England), and the libel law itself is filled with curious and -antiquated technicalities by which verdicts may be avoided -or reversed, nevertheless there is always the possibility that -an innocent victim of newspaper prosecution will turn the -tables and draw smart money from the enterprising journal’s -coffers. The acquittal of the person who has been -thrust into jeopardy by newspaper detectives is obviously -a serious matter for the paper. On the other hand, there -are no important consequences from conviction except, of -course, to the person condemned. Is it to be expected that -the newspaper, under such circumstances, will preserve a -disinterested and impartial tone in its news columns while -the man in the dock is fighting for his life before the judge -and jury? Is it remarkable that during the course of such -a trial the newspaper should fill its pages with ghastly cartoons -of the defendant, with murder drawn in every line -of his face, or that it should by its reports of the trial itself -seek to impress its readers with his guilt before it be proved -according to law? that it should send its reporters exploring -for new witnesses for the prosecution, and should publish -in advance of their appearance on the witness stand -the substance of the damaging testimony it is claimed they -will give? that it should go even further, and (as was recently -shown in the course of a great poisoning case in New -York City, the history of which forms a striking commentary -on all these abuses) actually pay large sums of money -<span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span>to induce persons to make affidavits incriminating the -defendant on trial?</p> - -<p class='c010'>Unfortunately, too often these efforts receive aid from -prosecuting officers whose sense of public duty is impaired -or destroyed by the itch for reputation and a cheap and -tawdry type of forensic triumph. Despicable enough is -the district attorney who grants interviews to newspaper -reporters during the progress of a criminal trial, and -who makes daily statements to them of what he intends -to prove on the morrow unless prevented by the law as -expounded by the trial judge. A careful study of the -progress of more than one great criminal trial in New -York City would show how illegal and improper matter -prejudicial to the person accused of crime has been ruled -out by the trial court, only to have the precise information -spread about in thousands upon thousands of copies of -sensational newspapers, with a reasonable certainty of -their scare headlines, at least, being read by some of the -jury.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The pernicious influence of these journals upon the -courts of justice in criminal trials (and not merely in the -comparatively small number in which they are themselves -the instigators of the criminal proceedings) is that they -often make fair play an impossibility. The days and weeks -that are now not infrequently given to selecting jurors in -important criminal cases are spent in large measure by -counsel in examining talesmen in an endeavor to find, if -possible, twelve men in whose minds the accused has not -been already “tried by newspaper” and condemned or -acquitted. When the public feeling in a community is -such that it will be impossible for a party to an action to -obtain an unprejudiced jury, a change of venue is allowed -to some other county where the state of the public mind -is more judicial. It is a significant fact that nearly all -<span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span>applications for such change in the place of trial from New -York City have been for many years based mainly upon -complaints of the inflammatory zeal of the sensational -press.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The courts in Massachusetts (where judges are not -elected by the people, but are appointed by the governor) -have been very prompt in dealing in a very wholesome and -summary way with editors of papers publishing matter -calculated to affect improperly the fairness of jury trials. -Whether it be from better principles or an inspiring fear of -jail, the courts of public justice in that state receive little -interference from unwarranted newspaper stories. Some -of the cases in which summary punishment has been meted -out from the bench to Massachusetts editors will impress -New York readers rather curiously. For example, just -before the trial of a case involving the amount of compensation -the owner of land should receive for his land taken -for a public purpose, a newspaper in Worcester informed -its readers that “the town offered Loring [the plaintiff] -$80 at the time of the taking, but he demanded $250, and -not getting it, went to law.” Another paper published -substantially the same statement, and both were summarily -punished by fine, the court holding that these -articles were calculated to obstruct the course of justice, -and that they constituted contempt of court. During the -trial of a criminal prosecution in Boston a few years ago -against a railway engineer for manslaughter in wrecking -his train, the editor of the <cite>Boston Traveler</cite> intimated editorially -that the railway company was trying to put the -blame on the engineer as a scapegoat, and that the result -of the trial would probably be in his favor. The editor -was sentenced to jail for this publication. The foregoing -are undoubtedly extreme cases, and are chosen simply to -show the extent to which some American courts will go in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span>punishing newspaper contempts. All of these decisions -were taken on appeal to the highest court of the state and -were there affirmed. The California courts have been -equally vigorous in several cases of recent years, notably -in connection with publications made during the celebrated -Durant murder trial in San Francisco.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The English courts are, if anything, even more severe -in this class of cases, a recent decision of the Court of -King’s Bench being a noteworthy illustration. During -the trial of two persons for felony, the “special crime investigator” -of the <cite>Bristol Weekly Dispatch</cite> sent to his -paper reports, couched in a fervid and sensational form, -containing a number of statements relating to matters as -to which evidence would not have been admissible in any -event against the defendants on their trial, and reflecting -severely on their characters. Both of the defendants -referred to were convicted of the crime for which they -were indicted, and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. -Shortly after their conviction and sentence the editor -of the <cite>Dispatch</cite> and this special crime investigator were -prosecuted criminally for perverting the course of justice, -and each of them was sentenced to six weeks in prison. -Lord Alverstone, who rendered the opinion on the appeal -taken by the editor and reporter, in affirming the judgment -of conviction, expresses himself in language well worth -repeating. He says:<a id='r8' /><a href='#f8' class='c015'><sup>[8]</sup></a>—</p> - -<div class='footnote' id='f8'> -<p class='c010'><a href='#r8'>8</a>. 1 K. B. (1902), 77.—G. W. A.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c010'>“A person accused of crime in this country can properly -be convicted in a court of justice only upon evidence which -is legally admissible, and which is adduced at his trial in -legal form and shape. Though the accused be really guilty -of the offense charged against him, the due course of law -and justice is nevertheless perverted and obstructed if -<span class='pageno' id='Page_177'>177</span>those who have to try him are induced to approach the -question of his guilt or innocence with minds into which -prejudice has been instilled by published assertions of his -guilt, or imputations against his life and character to which -the laws of the land refuse admission as evidence.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the state of New York the courts have permitted -themselves to be deprived of the greater portion of the -power which the courts of Massachusetts, in common with -those of most of the states, exercise of punishing for contempt -the authors of newspaper publications prejudicial -to fair trials. Some twenty-five years ago the state legislature -passed an act defining and limiting the cases in -which summary punishment for contempt should be inflicted -by the courts. Similar legislation has been attempted -in other states, only to be declared unconstitutional -by the courts themselves, which hold that the power -to punish is inherent in the judiciary independently of legislative -authority, and that, as the Supreme Court of Ohio -says, “The power the legislature does not give, it cannot -take away.” But while the courts of Ohio, Virginia, -Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, Colorado, and -California have thus resisted legislative encroachment upon -their constitutional powers, the highest court of New York -has submitted to having its power to protect its own usefulness -and dignity shorn and curtailed by the legislature. -The result is that while by legislative permission they may -punish the editor or proprietor of a paper for contempt, it -can be <em>only</em> when the offense consists in publishing “a -false or grossly inaccurate report of a judicial proceeding.” -The insufficiency of such a power is apparent when one -considers that the greater number of the cartoons and -comments contained in publications fairly complained of -as prejudicing individual legal rights are not, and do not -pretend to be, reports of judicial proceedings at all, but -<span class='pageno' id='Page_178'>178</span>are entirely accounts of matters “outside the record.” If -the acts done, for example, in any of the cases cited as -illustrations above, had been done under similar circumstances -in New York, the New York courts would have -been powerless to take any proceeding whatever in the -nature of contempt against the respective offenders. The -result is that in the state which suffers most from the gross -and unbridled license of a sensational and lawless press the -courts possess the least power to repress and restrain its -excesses. A change of law which shall give New York -courts power to deal summarily with trial by newspaper is -imperatively needed.</p> - -<p class='c010'>To the two examples which have just been given of the -direct influence which counting-house journalism seeks to -exert upon judges and jurors, might be added others of -equal importance, would space permit. But all improper -influences upon legislators or other public officials, or upon -judges or jurors, which these papers may exercise or attempt -to exercise, are as naught in comparison with their -systematic and constant efforts to instill into the minds of -the ignorant and poor, who constitute the greater part of -their readers, the impression that justice is not blind but -bought; that the great corporations own the judges, particularly -those of the Federal courts, body and soul; that -American institutions are rotten to the core, and that legislative -halls and courts of justice exist as instruments of -oppression, to preserve the rights of property by denying -or destroying the rights of man. No greater injury -can be done to the working people than to create in their -minds this false and groundless suspicion concerning the -integrity of the judiciary. In a country whose political -existence, in the ultimate analysis, depends so largely upon -the intelligence and honesty of its judges, the general welfare -requires, not merely that judges should be men of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span>integrity, but that the people should believe them to be so. -It is this confidence which counting-house journalism has -set itself deliberately at undermining. It is not so important -that the people should believe in the wisdom of their -judges. The liberty of criticism is not confined to the bar -and what Judge Grover used to call “the lawyer’s inalienable -privilege of damning the adverse judge—out of -court.” There is no divinity which hedges a judge. His -opinions and his personality are proper subjects for criticism, -but the charge of corruption should not be made -recklessly and without good cause.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is noticeable that this charge of corruption which -yellow journalism makes against the courts is almost invariably -a wholesale charge, never accompanied by any -specific accusation against any definite official. These -general charges are more frequently expressed by cartoon -than by comment. The big-chested Carthaginian labeled -“The Trusts,” holding a squirming Federal judge in his -fist, is a cartoon which in one form or another appears -in some of these papers whenever an injunction is granted -in a labor dispute at the instance of some great corporation. -Justice holding her scales with a workingman unevenly -balanced by an immense bag of gold; a human -basilisk with dollar marks on his clothes, a judge sticking -out of his pocket, and a workingman under his foot; Justice -holding her scales in one hand while the other is -conveniently open to receive the bribe that is being -placed in it—these and many other cartoons of similar -character and meaning are familiar to all readers of sensational -newspapers. If their readers believe the cartoons, -what faith can they have left in American institutions? -What alternative is offered but anarchy if wealth has -poisoned the fountains of justice; if reason is powerless -<span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span>and money omnipotent? If the judges are corrupt, the -political heavens are empty.</p> - -<p class='c010'>There is no occasion to defend the American judiciary -from charges of wholesale corruption. They might be -passed over in silence if they were addressed merely to the -educated and intelligent, or to those familiar by personal -contact with the actual operations of the courts. That -there are many judicial decisions rendered which are unsound -in their reasoning may be readily granted. That -some of the Federal judges are men of very narrow gauge, -and that, during the recent coal strike for example, in granting -sweeping, wholesale injunctions against strikers they -have accompanied their decrees at times with opinions so -unjudicial, so filled with mediæval prejudice and rancor -against legitimate organizations of working people as to -rouse the indignation of right-minded men, may be admitted. -But prejudice and corruption are totally dissimilar. -There is always hope that an honest though -prejudiced man may in time see reason. This hope inspires -patience and forbearance. Justice can wait with confidence -while the prejudiced or ultra-conservative judge -grows wise, and the principles of law are strongest and -surest when they have been established by surmounting -the prejudice and doubts of many timid and over-conservative -men. But justice and human progress should -not and will not wait until the corrupt judge becomes -honest. To thoughtful men the severest charge yet to be -made against this new journalism is not merely the influence -it attempts to exert, and perhaps does exert, in particular -cases, but that, wantonly and without just cause, it -endeavors to destroy in the hearts and minds of thousands -of newspaper readers a deserved confidence in the integrity -of the courts and a patient faith in the ultimate triumph -of justice by law.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span> - <h2 class='c008'>THE CRITIC AND THE LAW</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY RICHARD WASHBURN CHILD</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>A recent prosecution by the People of New York, represented -by Mr. Jerome, of a suit for criminal libel, attracted -the attention of the entire nation. The alleged -libel set forth in the complaint had appeared in <cite>Collier’s -Weekly</cite>, stating the connection of a certain judge with a -certain unwholesome publication. The defense to this -action was that the statement was true; and, somewhat to -the joy of all concerned, excepting the judge, the unwholesome -publication, and those who were exposed in the -course of trial as being its creatures, the jury were obliged -to find that this defense was sound.<a id='r9' /><a href='#f9' class='c015'><sup>[9]</sup></a> From a lawyer’s point -of view it was surprising to find that even professional -critics and editorial writers looked upon this case as involving -that part of the Common Law which prescribes -the limits of criticism. It only needs to be pointed out -that the statement relied upon as defamation was a statement -of fact, to show that the case against the Collier -editors involved no question of a critic’s right to criticise -or an editor’s right to express his opinion. If the suit had -been founded on the criticism of the contents of the unwholesome -publication which had been offered to the public -for those to read who would, then the law of fair comment -would have controlled. No doubt, however, even -the trained guides to the public taste seldom realize the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span>presence of a law governing their freedom of comment. -Such law is in force none the less, and, though the instinct -to express only fair and honest opinion will generally suffice -to prevent a breach of legal limits, it is evident that -the consideration of the law upon the subject is important, -not only to the professional critic, but to any man who -has enough opinion on matters of public interest to be -worth an expression.</p> - -<div class='footnote' id='f9'> -<p class='c010'><a href='#r9'>9</a>. The verdict for <cite>Collier’s Weekly</cite>, the defendant, was rendered on -January 26, 1906. Cf. <cite>Collier’s Weekly</cite>, February 10, 1906, vol. 36, p. -23.—<span class='sc'>Ed.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c010'>It is public policy that the free expression of opinion on -matters of public interest should be as little hampered as -possible. Fair comment, says the law, is the preventive -of affectation and folly, the educator of the public taste -and ethics, and the incentive to progress in the arts. Often -fair comment is spoken of as privileged. But privilege in -its legal sense means that some statement is allowed to some -particular person on some particular occasion—a statement -that would be libel or slander unless it came within -the realm of privilege. On the other hand, fair comment -is not the right of any particular person or class, or the -privilege of any particular occasion; it is not exclusively -the right of the press or of one who is a critic in the sense -that he is an expert. Doubtless the newspaper or professional -critic is given a greater latitude by juries, who share -the prevalent and not ill-advised view that opinion expressed -by the public press is usually more sound than -private comment. The law, however, recognizes no such -distinction. Any one may be a critic.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In civil actions of defamation, truth in a general way is -always a defense; whether the person against whom the suit -is brought has made a statement of fact or opinion, if he -can prove his words to be true, he is safe from liability. -Such was the defense of the Collier editors in the criminal -case mentioned above. Fair comment, however, does not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span>need to be true to be defended, for it is, if we may use the -phrase, its own defense. Then what is fair comment?</p> - -<p class='c010'>The right to comment is confined to matters which are -of interest to the public. To endeavor to give a list of -matters answering this requirement would be an endless -task; even the courts of England and this country have -passed upon only a few. Instances when the attention, -judgment, and taste of the public are called upon are, -however, most frequent in the fields of politics and of the -arts. Such are the acts of those entrusted with functions -of government, the direction of public institutions and -possibly church matters, published books, pictures which -have been exhibited, architecture, theatres, concerts, and -public entertainments. Two reasons prohibit comment -upon that which has not become the affair of the public nor -has been offered to the attention of the public:—the public -is not benefited by the criticism of that which it does -not know, and about which it has no concern, and the act -of the doer or the work of the artist against which the comment -is directed cannot be said to have been submitted to -open criticism.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The requirement, which seems right in principle, and -which has been laid down many times in the remarks -of English judges, was perhaps overlooked in Battersby -vs. Collier, a New York case. Colonel Battersby, it appeared, -was a veteran of the Civil War, and for six years -had been engaged in painting a picture representing the -dramatic meeting of General Lee and General Grant, at -which Colonel Battersby was present. This painting was -intended for exhibition at the Columbian Exposition. Unfortunately, -a few days before Christmas, a young woman -of a literary turn of mind had an opportunity to view this -immense canvas, and was less favorably impressed with -the painting than with the pathos surrounding its inception -<span class='pageno' id='Page_184'>184</span>and development. Accordingly she wrote a story -headed by that handiest of handy titles, <cite>The Colonel’s -Christmas</cite>, but she did not sufficiently conceal the identity -of her principal character. Colonel Battersby sued the -publishers, and for damages relied upon the aspersions cast -upon his picture, which in the story was called a “daub.” -More than that, there occurred in the narrative these -words: “What matters it if the Colonel’s ideas of color, -light, and shade were a trifle hazy, if his perspective was -a something extraordinary, his ‘breadth’ and ‘treatment’ -and ‘tone’ truly marvelous, the Surrender was a great, -vast picture, and it was the Colonel’s life.” The court held -that this was a fair criticism; but it does not plainly appear -that Colonel Battersby had yet submitted his six-year -painting to the attention of the public, or that it had -at the time become an object of general public interest; -and if it had not, the decision would seem doubtful in -principle.</p> - -<p class='c010'>On the other hand, in Gott vs. Pulsifer there was involved -the “Cardiff Giant,” which all remember as the -merriest of practical jokes in rock, which made Harvard -scientists rub their eyes and called forth from one Yale -professor a magazine article to prove that the man of -stone was the god Baal brought to New York State by -the Phœnicians. The court said that all manner of abuse -might be heaped on the Giant’s adamant head. “Anything -made subject of public exhibition,” said they, “is -open to fair and reasonable comment, no matter how -severe.” So you might with impunity call the Cardiff -Giant, or Barnum’s famous long-haired horse, a hoax; -they were objects of general public interest, and any one -might have passed judgment upon them.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Letters written to a newspaper may be criticised most -severely, as often happens when Constant Reader enters -<span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>into a warfare of communication with Old Subscriber; and -so long as the contention is free from actionable personalities, -and remains within the bounds of fair comment, -neither will find himself in trouble. Nor is the commercial -advertisement immune from caustic comment, if the comment -is sincere. The rhymes in the street cars, the posters -on the fences, the handbill that is thrust over the domestic -threshold, and the signboard, that has now become a factor -in every rural sunset or urban sunrise, must bear the comment -upon their taste, their efficiency, and their ingenuity, -which by their very nature they invite. In England a -writer was sued by the maker of a commodity for travelers -advertised as the “Bag of Bags.” The writer thought the -commercial catch-name was silly, vulgar, and ill-conceived, -and he said so. The manufacturer in court urged -that the comment injured his trade; but the judges were -inclined to think that an advertisement appealing to the -public was subject to the public opinion and its fair expression. -What is of interest to the general public, so that -comment thereon will be a right of the public, may, however, -in certain cases trouble the jury. A volume of love -sonnets printed and circulated privately, and the architecture -of a person’s private dwelling, might furnish very -delicate cases.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In a time when those who desire to be conspicuous succeed -so well in becoming so, it is rather amusing to wonder -just what may be the difference between the right to comment -on the dancer on the stage, and on the lady who, if -she has her way, will sit in a box. Both court public -notice—the dancer by her penciled eyebrows, her tinted -cheeks, her jewelry, her gown, and her grace; the lady in -the box, perhaps, by all these things except the last; both -wish favorable comment, and perhaps ought to bear ridicule, -if their cheeks are too tinted, their eyebrows too -<span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span>penciled, their jewelry too generous, and their gowns too -ornate. A more sober view, however, will show that the -matter is one of proof. The dancer who exhibits herself -and her dance for a consideration necessarily invites expressions -of opinion, but it would be difficult to show in a -court of law that the gala lady in the box meant to seek -either commendation—or disapproval.</p> - -<p class='c010'>A vastly more important and interesting query, and one -which must arise from the present state and tendency of -industrial conditions, is whether the acts of men in commercial -activity may ever become so prominent, and so -far-reaching in their effect, that it can well be said that -they compel a universal public interest, and that public -comment is impliedly invited by reason of their conspicuous -and semi-public nature. It may be said that at no -time have private industries become of such startling interest -to the community at large as at present in the United -States. At least a few have had an effect more vital to -citizens, perhaps, than the activities of some classes of -public officials which are open to fair comment, and certainly -more vital than the management of some semi-public -institutions, which also are open to honest criticism.</p> - -<p class='c010'>As to corporations, it would seem that, as the public, -through the chartering power of legislation, gives them a -right to exist and act, an argument that the public retains -the right to comment upon their management must have -some force; in the case of other forms of commercial activity, -whose powers are inherent and not delegated, the question -must rest on the determination of the best public -policy—a determination which in all classes of cases decides, -and ought to decide, the right of fair comment.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_187'>187</span> - <h3 class='c014'>II</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c013'>When once the comment is decided to be upon a matter -of public interest, there arises the question whether or -not the comment is fair. The requirement of the law in -regard to fairness is not based, as might be supposed, -upon the consideration whether comment is mild or severe, -serious or ridiculing, temperate or exaggerated; the -critic is not hampered in the free play of his honest opinions; -he is not prohibited from using the most stinging -satire, the most extravagant burlesque, or the most lacerating -invective.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In 1808, Lord Ellenborough, in Carr vs. Hood, stated -the length of leash given to the critic, and the law has not -since been changed. Sir John Carr, Knight, was the -author of several volumes, entitled <cite>A Stranger in France</cite>, -<cite>A Northern Summer</cite>, <cite>A Stranger in Ireland</cite>, and other titles -of equal connotation. Thomas Hood was rather more -deserving of a lasting place in literature than his victim, -because of his sense of humor, and his well-known rapid-fire -satire. According to the declaration of Sir John Carr, -the plaintiff, Hood had published a book of burlesque in -which there was a frontispiece entitled “The Knight leaving -Ireland with Regret,” and “containing and representing -in the said print, a certain false, scandalous, malicious -and defamatory and ridiculous representation of said Sir -John in the form of a man of ludicrous and ridiculous appearance -holding a pocket handkerchief to his face, and -appearing to be weeping,” and also representing “a malicious -and ridiculous man of ludicrous and ridiculous appearance -following the said Sir John,” and bending under the -weight of several books, and carrying a tied-up pocket -handkerchief with “Wardrobe” printed thereon, “thereby -falsely scandalously and maliciously meaning and intending -<span class='pageno' id='Page_188'>188</span>to represent, for the purpose of rendering the said Sir -John ridiculous and exposing him to laughter, ridicule and -contempt,” that the books of the said Sir John “were so -heavy as to cause a man to bend under the weight thereof, -and that his the said Sir John’s wardrobe was very small -and capable of being contained in a pocket handkerchief.” -And at the end of this declaration Sir John alleged that -he was damaged because of the consequent decline in his -literary reputation, and, it may be supposed, because thereafter -his books did not appear in the list of the “six bestsellers” -in the Kingdom.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But no recovery was allowed him, for it was laid down -that if a comment, in whatever form, only ridiculed the -plaintiff as an author, there was no ground for action. Said -the eminent justice, “One writer, in exposing the follies -and errors of another, may make use of ridicule, however -poignant. Ridicule is often the fittest weapon for such a -purpose.... Perhaps the plaintiff’s works are now unsalable, -but is he to be indemnified by receiving a compensation -from the person who has opened the eyes of the -public to the bad taste and inanity of his compositions?... -We must not cramp observations on authors and -their works.... The critic does a great service to the -public who writes down any vapid or useless publication, -such as ought never to have appeared. He checks the dissemination -of bad taste, and prevents people from wasting -both their time and money upon trash. Fair and candid -criticism every one has a right to publish, although the -author may suffer a loss from it. Such a loss the law does -not consider an injury, because it is a loss which the party -ought to sustain. It is, in short, the loss of fame and -profits to which he was never entitled.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Criticism need not be fair and just, in the sense that it -conforms to the judgment of the majority of the public, or -<span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span>the ideas of a judge, or the estimate of a jury; but it must -remain within certain bounds circumscribed by the law.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the first place, comment must be made honestly; in -recent cases much more stress has been laid upon this point -than formerly. It is urged that, if criticism is not sincere, -it is not valuable to the public, and the ground of public -policy, upon which the doctrine of fair criticism is built, -fails to give support to comment which is born of improper -motives or begotten from personal hatred or malice. Yet -he who seeks for cases of criticism which have been decided -against the critic solely on the ground that the critic was -malicious must look far. The requirement in practice -seems difficult of application, since, if the critic does not -depart from the work that he is criticising, to strike at the -author thereof as a private individual, and does not mix -with his comment false statements or imputations of bad -motives, there is nothing to show legal malice, and it is -almost impossible to prove actual malice. If you should -conclude that your neighbor’s painting which has been on -exhibition is a beautiful marine, but if, because you do not -like your neighbor, you pronounce it to be a dreadful mire -of blue paint, it would be very hard for any other person -to prove that at the moment you spoke you were not -speaking honestly. Again, if the comment is within the -other restrictions put by the law upon criticism, it would -seem that to open the question whether or not the comment -was malicious, is in effect very nearly submitting to -the jury the question whether or not they disagree with -the critic, since the jury have no other method of reaching -a conclusion that the critic was or was not impelled by -malice.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Malice, in fact, is a bugaboo in the law—and the law, -especially the civil law, avoids dealing with him whenever -it can. Yet it is quite certain that malice must be a consideration -<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>in determining what is fair comment; an opinion -which is not honest is of no help to the public in its striving -to attain high morals and unerring discernment. All the -reasons of public policy that give criticism its rights fly -out of the window when malice walks in at the door.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Some decisions of the courts seem to set the standard of -fair comment even higher. They not only demand that -the critic speak with an honest belief in his opinion, but -insist also that a person taking upon himself to criticise -must exercise a reasonable degree of judgment. As one -English judge expressed it in charging the jury: “You -must determine whether any fair man, however exaggerated -or obstinate his views, would have said what this -criticism has said.” It would seem, however, that in many -cases this would result in putting the judgment of the jury -against that of the critic. To ask the jury whether this -comment is such as would be made by a fair man is not -distinguishable from asking them whether the comment is -fair, and it sometimes happens that, in spite of the opinion -of the jury,—in fact, the opinion of all the world,—the -single critic is right, and the rest of the community all -wrong. Does any one doubt that the comment of Columbus -upon the views of those who opposed him would have -been considered unfair by a jury of his time, until this -doughty navigator proved his judgment correct? What -would have happened in a court of law to the man who -first said that those who wrote that the earth was flat were -stupidly ignorant? Often the opinion or criticism which is -the most valuable to the community as a contribution to -truth is the very opinion which the community as a body -would call a wild inference by an unfair man; to hold the -critic up to the standard of a “fair man” is to deprive the -public of the benefit of the most powerful influences against -the perpetuity of error.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span>No better illustration could be found than the case of -Merrivale and Wife <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vs.</span></i> Carson, in which a dramatic critic -said of a play: “<cite>The Whip Hand</cite> ... gives us nothing -but a hash-up of ingredients which have been used <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">ad -nauseam</span></i>, until one rises in protestation against the loving, -confiding, fatuous husband with the naughty wife, and her -double existence, the good male genius, the limp aristocrat, -and the villainous foreigner. And why dramatic -authors will insist that in modern society comedies the -villain must be a foreigner, and the foreigner must be a -villain, is only explicable on the ground that there is more -or less romance about such gentry. It is more in consonance -with accepted notions that your continental croupier -would make a much better fictitious prince, marquis, -or count, than would, say, an English billiard-maker or -stable lout. And so the Marquis Colonna in <cite>The Whip -Hand</cite> is offered up by the authors upon the altar of tradition, -and sacrificed in the usual manner when he gets too -troublesome to permit of the reconciliation of husband and -wife and lover and maiden, and is proved, also much as -usual, to be nothing more than a kicked-out croupier.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>The jury found that this amounted to falsely setting -out the drama as adulterous and immoral, and was not the -criticism of a fair man. Granting that there was the general -imputation of immorality, it seems, justly considered, -a matter of the critic’s opinion. Is not the critic in effect -saying, “To my mind the play is adulterous; no matter -what any one else may think, the play suggests immorality -to me”? And if this is the honest opinion of the critic, no -matter how much juries may differ from him, it would -seem that to stifle this individual expression was against -public policy, the very ground on which fair criticism becomes -a universal right. It does not very clearly appear -that the case of Merrivale and Wife <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vs.</span></i> Carson was decided -<span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span>exclusively on the question whether the criticism was that -of a fair man, but this was the leading point of the case. -The decision and the doctrine it sets forth seem open to -much doubt.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>III</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Criticism must never depart from a consideration of the -work of the artist or artisan, or the public acts of a person, -to attack the individual himself, apart from his connection -with the particular work or act which is being criticised. -The critic is forbidden to touch upon the domestic -or private life of the individual, or upon such matters concerning -the individual as are not of general public interest, -at the peril of exceeding his right. Whereas, in Fry vs. -Bennett, an article in a newspaper purported to criticise -the management of a theatrical troupe, it was held to contain -a libel, since it went beyond matters which concerned -the public, and branded the conduct of the manager toward -his singers as unjust and oppressive.</p> - -<p class='c010'>J. Fenimore Cooper was plaintiff in another suit which -illustrates the same rule of law. This author had many -a gallant engagement with his critics, and, though it has -been said that a man who is his own lawyer has a fool for -a client, Mr. Cooper, conducting his own actions, won -from many publishers, including Mr. Horace Greeley and -Mr. Webb. In Cooper vs. Stone the facts reveal that the -author, having completed a voluminous <cite>Naval History of -the United States</cite>, in which he had given the lion’s share -of credit for the Battle of Lake Erie, not to the commanding -officer, Oliver H. Perry, but to Jesse D. Elliot, who -was a subordinate, was attacked by the <cite>New York Commercial -Advertiser</cite>, which imputed to the author “a disregard -of justice and propriety as a man,” represented him -as infatuated with vanity, mad with passion, and publishing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_193'>193</span>as true, statements and evidence which had been -falsified and encomiums which had been retracted. This -was held to exceed the limits of fair criticism, since it attacked -the character of the author as well as the book -itself.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The line, however, is not very finely drawn, as may be -seen by a comparison of the above case with Browning vs. -Van Rensselaer, in which the plaintiff was the author of a -genealogical treatise entitled <cite>Americans of Royal Descent</cite>. -A young woman, who was interested in founding a society -to be called the “Order of the Crown,” wrote to the defendant, -inviting her to join and recommending to her the book. -The latter answered this letter with a polite refusal, saying -that she thought such a society was un-American and -pretentious, and that the book gave no authority for its -statements. The court said that this, even though it implied -that the author was at fault, was not a personal -attack on his private character.</p> - -<p class='c010'>An intimate relationship almost always exists between -the doer of an act which interests the public and the act -itself; the architect is closely associated with his building, -the painter with his picture, the author with his works, -the inventor with his patent, the tradesman with his advertisement, -and the singer with his song; and the critic will -find it impossible not to encroach to some extent upon the -personality of the individual. It seems, however, that the -privilege of comment extends to the individual only so far -as is necessary to intelligent criticism of his particular work -under discussion. To write that Mr. Palet’s latest picture -shows that some artists are only fit to paint signs is a comment -on the picture, but to write, apart from comment -upon the particular work, that Mr. Palet is only fit to -paint signs is an attack upon the artist, and if it is untrue, -it is libel for which the law allows recovery.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_194'>194</span>No case presents a more complete confusion of the individual -and his work than that of an actor. His physical -characteristics, as well as his personality, may always be -said to be presented to general public interest along with -the words and movements which constitute his acting. -The critic can hardly speak of the performance without -speaking of the actor himself, who, it may be argued, presents -to a certain extent his own bodily and mental characteristics -to the judgment of the public, almost as much -as do the ossified man and the fat lady of the side show.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The case of Cherry <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vs.</span></i> the <cite>Des Moines Leader</cite> will serve -to illustrate how far the critic who is not actuated by malice -may comment upon the actors as well as the performance, -and still be held to have remained within the limits of fair -criticism. The three Cherry sisters were performers in a -variety act, which consisted in part of a burlesque on -<cite>Trilby</cite>, and a more serious presentation entitled, <cite>The -Gypsy’s Warning</cite>. The judge stated that in his opinion -the evidence showed that the performance was ridiculous. -The testimony of Miss Cherry included a statement that -one of the songs was a “sort of eulogy on ourselves,” and -that the refrain consisted of these words:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c016'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Cherries ripe and cherries red;</div> - <div class='line'>The Cherry Sisters are still ahead.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c019'>She also stated that in <cite>The Gypsy’s Warning</cite> she had taken -the part of a Spaniard or a cavalier, and that she always -supposed a Spaniard and a cavalier were one and the same -thing. The defendant published the following comment on -the performance: “Effie is an old jade of fifty summers, -Jessie a frisky filly of forty, and Addie, the flower of the -family, a capering monstrosity of thirty-five. Their long, -skinny arms, equipped with talons at the extremities, -swung mechanically, and anon waved frantically at the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span>suffering audience. The mouths of their rancid features -opened like caverns, and sounds like the wailings of damned -souls issued therefrom. They pranced around the stage -with a motion that suggested a cross between the <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">danse du -ventre</span></i> and fox-trot—strange creatures with painted faces -and hideous mien.” This was held to be fair criticism and -not libelous; for the Misses Cherry to a certain extent -presented their personal appearance as a part of their -performance.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The critic must not mix with his comment statement of -facts which are not true, since the statement of facts is not -criticism at all. In Tabbart <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vs.</span></i> Tipper, the earliest case -on the subject, the defendant, in order to ridicule a book -published for children, printed a verse which purported to -be an extract from the book, and it was held that this -amounted to a false accusation that the author had published -something which in fact he had never published; it -was not comment, but an untrue statement of fact. So -when, as in Davis <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vs.</span></i> Shepstone, the critic, in commenting -upon the acts of a government official in Zululand, falsely -stated that the officer had been guilty of an assault upon -a native chief, the critic went far beyond comment, and -was liable for defamation. Not unlike Tabbart <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vs.</span></i> Tipper -is a recent case, Belknap <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vs.</span></i> Ball. The defendant, during -a political campaign, printed in his newspaper a coarsely -executed imitation of the handwriting of a political candidate -of the opposing party, and an imitation of his signature -appeared beneath. The writing contained this misspelled, -unrhetorical sentence: “I don’t propose to go into -debate on the tariff differences on wool, quinine, and such, -because I ain’t built that way.” Readers were led to believe -that this was a signed statement by the candidate, -and the newspaper was barred from setting up the plea -that the writing was only fair criticism made through the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span>means of a burlesque; it was held that imputing to the -plaintiff something he had never written amounted to a -false statement of fact, and was not within fair comment.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The dividing line between opinion and statement of fact -is, however, most troublesome. Mr. Odgers, in his excellent -work on <cite>Libel and Slander</cite>, remarks that the rule for -the distinction between the two should be that “if facts -are known to hearers or readers or made known by the -writer, and their opinion or criticism refers to these true -facts, even if it is a statement in form, it is no less an -opinion. But if the statement simply stands alone, it is -not defended.” Applying this rule, what if a critic makes -this simple statement: “The latest book of Mr. Anonymous -is of interest to no intelligent man”? According to -the opinion of Mr. Odgers, it would seem that such a sentence -standing alone was a statement of fact, whereas it is -manifest that no one can think that the critic meant to say -more than that in his opinion the book was not interesting. -In Merrivale and Wife <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vs.</span></i> Carson, the jury found that the -words used by the critic described the play as adulterous, -and the court said that this was a misdescription of the -play—a false statement of fact; but an adulterous play -may be one which is only suggestive of adultery; and even -if the critic had baldly said that the play was adulterous, -many of us would think that he was only expressing his -opinion.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Since the test of whether the statement is of opinion or -of fact lies, not in what the critic secretly intended, but -rather in what the hearer or reader understood, the question -is for the jury, and, it seems, should be presented to -them by the court in the form: “Would a reasonable man -under the circumstances have understood this to be a statement -of opinion or of fact?”</p> - -<p class='c010'>One other care remains for the critic: he must not falsely -<span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span>impute a bad motive to the individual when commenting -upon his work. No less a critic than Ruskin was held to -have made this mistake in the instance of his criticism of -one of Mr. Whistler’s pictures. This well-known libel case -may be found reported in the <cite>Times</cite> for November 26 and -27, 1878. “The mannerisms and errors of these pictures,” -wrote Mr. Ruskin, alluding to the pictures of Mr. Burne-Jones, -“whatever may be their extent, are never affected -or indolent. The work is natural to the painter, however -strange to us, and is wrought with utmost care, however -far, to his own or our desire, the result may yet be incomplete. -Scarcely as much can be said for any other picture -in the modern school; their eccentricities are almost always -in some degree forced, and their imperfections gratuitously -if not impertinently indulged. For Mr. Whistler’s own -sake, no less than for the protection of the purchaser, Sir -Coutts Lindsay ought not to have admitted works into the -gallery in which the ill-educated conceit of the artist so -nearly approached the aspect of wilful imposture. I have -seen and heard much of cockney impudence before now, -but never expected to hear a coxcomb ask 200 guineas for -flinging a pot of paint in the public’s face.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Out of all this, stinging as it must have been to Mr. -Whistler, unless, since he loved enemies and hated friends, -he therefore found pleasure in the metaphorical thrashings -he received, the jury could find only one phrase, “wilful -imposture,” which, because it imputed bad motives, overstepped -the bounds of fair criticism.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. Odgers’s treatise states the rule to be that “When -no ground is assigned for an inference of bad motives, or -when the writer states the imputation of bad motives as a -fact within his knowledge, then he is only protected if the -imputation is true. But when the facts are set forth, together -with the inference, and the reader may judge of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_198'>198</span>right or wrong of the opinion or inference, then if the facts -are true, the writer is protected.” It is, however, difficult -to see why the imputation of bad motives in the doer of an -act or the creator of a work of art should in any case come -under the right of fair comment, for, no matter how bad -the motives of the individual may be, they are of no consequence -to the public. If a book is immoral, it is immaterial -to a fair criticism whether or not the author meant -it to have an immoral effect; the public is not helped to a -proper judgment of the book by any one’s opinion of the -motives of the author, and if the book is bad in its effect, -it makes it no better that the author was impelled by the -best of intentions, or it makes it no worse that the author -was acting with the most evil designs. And if, as in most -of the cases that have arisen, the imputation is one of insincerity, -fraud, or deception practiced upon the public,—where, -for example, the critic, in commenting upon a -medical treatise, about which he had made known all the -facts, said that he thought the author wrote the book, not -in the interest of scientific truth, but rather to draw trade -by exploiting theories which he did not believe himself,—it -would seem that this charge of fraud or deception should -not be protected as a piece of fair comment, but that it -should be put upon an equality with all other imputations -against an individual, which if untrue and damaging would -be held to be libel or slander. Under Mr. Odgers’s rule, in -making a comment upon the acts of a public officer, one -could say, “In pardoning six criminals last week the governor -of the province, we think, has shown that he wishes -to encourage criminality.” No court would, we think, -hold this to be within the right of fair comment upon public -matters. If the critic had said, however, “We think that -the governor of the province, in pardoning six criminals, -encouraged criminality,” all the true value of criticism -<span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span>remains, and the imputation that the public officer acted -from an evil motive is stripped away. The best view seems -to be that the right of fair comment will not shield the -false imputations of bad motive.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Whether or not the critic may impute to the individual -certain opinions does not seem to be settled, but logically -this would be quite as much a statement of fact, or a criticism -directed at the individual, as an imputation of bad -motives. A few courts in this country have expressed a -leaning to the opposite view, but the ground upon which -they place their opinion does not appear.</p> - -<p class='c010'>From the legal point of view, then, we as critics are all -held to a high standard of fairness. We must not comment -upon any but matters of public interest. We must -be honest and sincere, but we may express any view, no -matter how prejudiced or exaggerated it may be, so long -as it does not exceed the limits to which a reasonably fair -man would go; we must not attack the individual any -more than is consistent with a criticism of that which he -makes or does, and we must not expect that we are within -our right of comment when we make statements of fact or -impute to the individual evil motives.</p> - -<p class='c010'>All the world asks the critic to be honest, careful, above -spite and personalities, and polite enough not to thrust -upon us a consideration in which we have no interest. The -law demands no more.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_200'>200</span> - <h2 class='c008'>HONEST LITERARY CRITICISM</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY CHARLES MINER THOMPSON</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>There are five groups interested in literary criticism: -publishers of books, authors, publishers of reviews, critics, -and, finally, the reading public.</p> - -<p class='c010'>An obvious interest of all the groups but the last is -financial. For the publisher of books, although he may -have his pride, criticism is primarily an advertisement: he -hopes that his books will be so praised as to commend them -to buyers. For the publisher of book-reviews, although he -also may have his pride, criticism is primarily an attraction -for advertisements: he hopes that his reviews will lead -publishers of books to advertise in his columns. For the -critic, whatever his ideals, criticism is, in whole or in part, -his livelihood. For the author, no matter how disinterested, -criticism is reputation—perhaps a reputation that -can be coined. In respect of this financial interest, all four -are opposed to the public, which wants nothing but competent -service—a guide to agreeable reading, an adviser -in selecting gifts, a herald of new knowledge, a giver of -intellectual delight.</p> - -<p class='c010'>All five groups are discontented with the present condition -of American criticism.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Publishers of books complain that reviews do not help -sales. Publishers of magazines lament that readers do not -care for articles on literary subjects. Publishers of newspapers -frankly doubt the interest of book-notices. The -critic confesses that his occupation is ill-considered and -ill-paid. The author wrathfully exclaims—but what he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span>exclaims cannot be summarized, so various is it. Thus, -the whole commercial interest is unsatisfied. The public, -on the other hand, finds book-reviews of little service and -reads them, if at all, with indifference, with distrust, or -with exasperation. That part of the public which appreciates -criticism as an art maintains an eloquent silence and -reads French.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Obviously, what frets the commercial interest is the -public indifference to book-reviews. What is the cause of -that?</p> - -<p class='c010'>In critical writing, what is the base of interest, the indispensable -foundation in comparison with which all else is -superstructure? I mentioned the public which, appreciating -criticism as an art, turns from America to France -for what it craves. Our sympathies respond to the call of -our own national life, and may not be satisfied by Frenchmen; -if we turn to them, we do so for some attraction -which compensates for the absence of intimate relation to -our needs. What is it? Of course, French mastery of form -accounts in part for our intellectual absenteeism; but it -does not account for it wholly, not, I think, even in the -main.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Consider the two schools of French criticism typified -by Brunetière and by Anatole France. Men like Brunetière -seem to believe that what they say is important, not -merely to fellow dilettanti or to fellow scholars, but to the -public and to the mass of the public; they seem to write, -not to display their attainments, but to use their attainments -to accomplish their end; they put their whole -strength, intellectual and moral, into their argument; they -seek to make converts, to crush enemies. They are in -earnest; they feel responsible; they take their office with -high seriousness. They seem to think that the soul and -the character of the people are as important as its economic -<span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span>comfort. The problem of a contemporary, popular author—even -if contemporary, even if popular—is to -them an important question; the intellectual, moral, and -æsthetic ideals which he is spreading through the country -are to be tested rigorously, then applauded or fought. -They seek to be clear because they wish to interest; they -wish to interest because they wish to convince; they wish -to convince because they have convictions which they -believe should prevail.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The men like Anatole France—if there are any others -like Anatole France—have a different philosophy of life. -They are doubtful of endeavor, doubtful of progress, doubtful -of new schools of art, doubtful of new solutions whether -in philosophy or economics; but they have a quick sensitiveness -to beauty and a profound sympathy with suffering -man. Not only do they face their doubts, but they -make their readers face them. They do not pretend; they -do not conceal; they flatter no conventions and no prejudices; -they are sincere. Giving themselves without reserve, -they do not speak what they think will please you, -but rather try with all their art to please you with what -they think.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the French critics of both types—the men like -Brunetière, the men like Anatole France—there is this -common, this invaluable characteristic,—I mean intellectual -candor. That is their great attraction; that is the -foundation of interest.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Intellectual candor does not mark American criticism. -The fault is primarily the publisher’s. It lies in the fundamental -mistake that he makes in the matter of publicity. -Each publisher, that is, treats each new book as if it were -the only one that he had ever published, were publishing, -or ever should publish. He gives all his efforts to seeing -that it is praised. He repeats these exertions with some -<span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span>success for each book that he prints. Meanwhile, every -other publisher is doing as much for every new book of -his own. The natural result follows—a monotony of -praise which permits no books to stand out, and which, -however plausible in the particular instance, is, in the -mass, incredible.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But how is it that the publisher’s fiat produces praise? -The answer is implicit in the fact that criticism is supported, -not by the public, but by the publisher. Upon the -money which the publisher of books is ready to spend for -advertising depends the publisher of book-reviews; upon -him in turn depends the critic.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Between the publisher of books anxious for favorable -reviews and willing to spend money, and the publisher of -a newspaper anxious for advertisements and supporting a -dependent critic, the chance to trade is perfect. Nothing -sordid need be said or, indeed, perceived; all may be left -to the workings of human nature. Favorable reviews are -printed, advertisements are received; and no one, not even -the principals, need be certain that the reviews are not -favorable because the books are good, or that the advertisements -are not given because the comment is competent -and just. Nevertheless, the Silent Bargain has been decorously -struck. Once reached, it tends of itself to become -ever more close, intimate, and inclusive. The publisher -of books is continuously tempted to push his advantage -with the complaisant publisher of a newspaper; the publisher -of a newspaper is continuously tempted to pitch ever -higher and still higher the note of praise.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But the Silent Bargain is not made with newspapers -only. Obviously, critics can say nothing without the consent -of some publisher; obviously, their alternatives are -silence or submission. They who write for the magazines -are wooed to constant surrender; they must, or they think -<span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span>that they must, be tender of all authors who have commercial -relations with the house that publishes the periodical -to which they are contributing. Even they who write -books are not exempt; they must, or they feel that they -must, deal gently with reputations commercially dear to -their publisher. If the critic is timid, or amiable, or intriguing, -or struck with poverty, he is certain, whatever -his rank, to dodge, to soften, to omit whatever he fears may -displease the publisher on whom he depends. Selfish considerations -thus tend ever to emasculate criticism; criticism -thus tends ever to assume more and more nearly the -most dishonest and exasperating form of advertisement, -that of the “reading notice” which presents itself as sincere, -spontaneous testimony. Disingenuous criticism tends -in its turn to puzzle and disgust the public—and to hurt -the publisher. The puff is a boomerang.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Its return blow is serious; it would be fatal, could readers -turn away wholly from criticism. What saves the publisher -is that they cannot. They have continuous, practical -need of books, and must know about them. The multitudinous -paths of reading stretch away at every angle, -and the traveling crowd must gather and guess and wonder -about the guide-post criticism, even if each finger, contradicting -every other, points to its own road as that “To -Excellence.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>Wayfarers in like predicament would question one another. -It is so with readers. Curiously enough, publishers -declare that their best advertising flows from this private -talk. They all agree that, whereas reviews sell nothing, -the gossip of readers sells much. Curiously, I say; for this -gossip is not under their control; it is as often adverse as -favorable; it kills as much as it sells. Moreover, when it -kills, it kills in secret; it leaves the bewildered publisher -without a clue to the culprit or his motive. How, then, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>can it be superior to the controlled, considerate flattery of -the public press? It is odd that publishers never seriously -ask themselves this question, for the answer, if I have it, -is instructive. The dictum of the schoolgirl that a novel -is “perfectly lovely” or “perfectly horrid,” comes from -the heart. The comment of society women at afternoon -tea, the talk of business men at the club, if seldom of much -critical value, is sincere. In circles in which literature is -loved, the witty things which clever men and clever -women say about books are inspired by the fear neither -of God nor of man. In circles falsely literary, parrot talk -and affectation hold sway, but the talkers have an absurd -faith in one another. In short, all private talk about books -bears the stamp of sincerity. That is what makes the -power of the spoken word. It is still more potent when it -takes the form, not of casual mention, but of real discussion. -When opinions differ, talk becomes animated, warm, -continuous. Listeners are turned into partisans. A lively, -unfettered dispute over a book by witty men, no matter -how prejudiced, or by clever women, no matter how unlearned, -does not leave the listener indifferent. He is -tempted to read that book.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Now, what the publisher needs in order to print with -financial profit the best work and much work, is the creation -of a wide general interest in literature. This vastly -transcends in importance the fate of any one book or group -of books. Instead, then, of trying to start in the public -press a chorus of stupid praise, why should he not endeavor -to obtain a reproduction of what he acknowledges that his -experience has taught him is his main prop and support—the -frank word, the unfettered dispute of private talk? -Let him remember what has happened when the vivacity -of public opinion has forced this reproduction. It is history -that those works have been best advertised over which -<span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span>critics have fought—Hugo’s dramas, Wagner’s music, -Whitman’s poems, Zola’s novels, Mrs. Stowe’s <cite>Uncle Tom</cite>.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Does it not all suggest the folly of the Silent Bargain?</p> - -<p class='c010'>I have spoken always of tendencies. Public criticism -never has been and never will be wholly dishonest, even -when in the toils of the Silent Bargain; it never has been -and never will be wholly honest, even with that cuttlefish -removed. But if beyond cavil it tended towards sincerity, -the improvement would be large. In the measure of that -tendency it would gain the public confidence without which -it can benefit no one—not even the publisher. For his -own sake he should do what he can to make the public -regard the critic, not as a mere megaphone for his advertisements, -but as an honest man who speaks his honest -mind. To this end, he should deny his foolish taste for -praise, and, even to the hurt of individual ventures, use -his influence to foster independence in the critic.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the way of negative help, he should cease to tempt -lazy and indifferent reviewers with ready-made notices, -the perfunctory and insincere work of some minor employee; -he should stop sending out, as “literary” notes, -thinly disguised advertisements and irrelevant personalities; -he should no longer supply photographs of his authors -in affected poses that display their vanity much and their -talent not at all. That vulgarity he should leave to those -who have soubrettes to exploit; he should not treat his -authors as if they were variety artists—unless, indeed, -they are just that, and he himself on the level of the manager -of a low vaudeville house. These cheap devices lower -his dignity as a publisher, they are a positive hurt to the -reputation of his authors, they make less valuable to him -the periodical that prints them, and they are an irritation -and an insult to the critic, for, one and all, they are attempts -to insinuate advertising into his honest columns. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span>Frankly, they are modes of corruption, and degrade the -whole business of writing.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the way of positive help, he should relieve of every -commercial preoccupation, not only the editors and contributors -of any magazines that he may control, but also -those authors of criticism and critical biography whose -volumes he may print. Having cleaned his own house, he -should steadily demand of the publications in which he -advertises, a higher grade of critical writing, and should -select the periodicals to which to send his books for notice, -not according to the partiality, but according to the -ability of their reviews. Thus he would do much to make -others follow his own good example.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>II</h3> - -<p class='c013'>What of the author? In respect of criticism, the publisher, -of course, has no absolute rights, not even that of -having his books noticed at all. His interests only have -been in question, and, in the long run and in the mass, -these will not be harmed, but benefited, by criticism -honestly adverse. He has in his writers a hundred talents, -and if his selection is shrewd most of them bring profit. -Frank criticism will but help the task of judicious culling. -But all that has been said assumes the cheerful sacrifice of -the particular author who must stake his all upon his -single talent. Does his comparative helplessness give him -any right to tender treatment?</p> - -<p class='c010'>It does not; in respect of rights his, precisely, is the -predicament of the publisher. If an author puts forth a -book for sale, he obviously can be accorded no privilege -incompatible with the right of the public to know its value. -He cannot ask to have the public fooled for his benefit; he -cannot ask to have his feelings saved, if to save them the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span>critic must neglect to inform his readers. That is rudimentary. -Nor may the author argue more subtly that, -until criticism is a science and truth unmistakable, he -should be given the benefit of the doubt. This was the -proposition behind the plea, strongly urged not so long ago, -that all criticism should be “sympathetic”; that is, that -the particular critic is qualified to judge those writers only -whom, on the whole, he likes. Love, it was declared, is the -only key to understanding. The obvious value of the -theory to the Silent Bargain accounts for its popularity -with the commercial interests. Now, no one can quarrel -with the criticism of appreciation—it is full of charm and -service; but to pretend that it should be the only criticism -is impertinent and vain. To detect the frivolity of such a -pretension, one has only to apply it to public affairs; -imagine a political campaign in which the candidates were -criticised only by their friends! No; the critic should -attack whatever he thinks is bad, and he is quite as likely -to be right when he does so as when he applauds what he -thinks is good. In a task wherein the interest of the public -is the one that every time and all the time should be served, -mercy to the author is practically always a betrayal. To -the public, neither the vanity nor the purse of the author -is of the slightest consequence. Indeed, a criticism powerful -enough to curb the conceit of some authors, and to -make writing wholly unprofitable to others, would be an -advantage to the public, to really meritorious authors, and -to the publisher.</p> - -<p class='c010'>And the publisher—to consider his interests again for -a moment—would gain not merely by the suppression of -useless, but by the discipline of spoiled, writers. For the -Silent Bargain so works as to give to many an author an -exaggerated idea of his importance. It leads the publisher -himself—what with his complaisant reviewers, his literary -<span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span>notes, his personal paragraphs, his widely distributed -photographs—to do all that he can to turn the author’s -head. Sometimes he succeeds. When the spoiled writer, -taking all this <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">au grand sérieux</span></i>, asks why sales are not -larger, then how hard is the publisher pressed for an answer! -If the author chooses to believe, not the private but -the public statement of his merit, and bases upon it either -a criticism of his publisher’s energy or a demand for further -publishing favors,—increase of advertising, higher royalties, -what not,—the publisher is in a ridiculous and rather -troublesome quandary. None but the initiated know what -he has occasionally to endure from the arrogance of certain -writers. Here fearless criticism should help him much.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But if the conceit of some authors offends, the sensitiveness -of others awakens sympathy. The author does his -work in solitude; his material is his own soul; his anxiety -about a commercial venture is complicated with the apprehension -of the recluse who comes forth into the market-place -with his heart upon his sleeve. Instinctively he -knows that, as his book is himself, or at least a fragment -of himself, criticism of it is truly criticism of him, not of -his intellectual ability merely, but of his essential character, -his real value as a man. Let no one laugh until he has -heard and survived the most intimate, the least friendly -comment upon his own gifts and traits, made in public for -the delectation of his friends and acquaintances and of the -world at large. Forgivably enough, the author is of all -persons the one most likely to be unjust to critics and to -criticism. In all ages he has made bitter counter-charges, -and flayed the critics as they have flayed him. His principal -complaints are three: first, that all critics are disappointed -authors; second, that many are young and incompetent, -or simply incompetent; third, that they do not -agree. Let us consider them in turn.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span>Although various critics write with success other things -than criticism, the first complaint is based, I believe, upon -what is generally a fact. It carries two implications: the -first, that one cannot competently judge a task which he -is unable to perform himself; the second, that the disappointed -author is blinded by jealousy. As to the first, no -writer ever refrained out of deference to it from criticising, -or even discharging, his cook. As to the second, jealousy -does not always blind: sometimes it gives keenness of vision. -The disappointed author turned critic may indeed -be incompetent; but, if he is so, it is for reasons that his -disappointment does not supply. If he is able, his disappointment -will, on the contrary, help his criticism. He -will have a wholesome contempt for facile success; he will -measure by exacting standards. Moreover, the thoughts -of a talented man about an art for the attainment of which -he has striven to the point of despair are certain to be -valuable; his study of the masters has been intense; his -study of his contemporaries has had the keenness of an -ambitious search for the key to success. His criticism, -even if saturated with envy, will have value. In spite of -all that partisans of sympathetic criticism may say, hatred -and malice may give as much insight into character as -love. Sainte-Beuve was a disappointed author, jealous of -the success of others.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But ability is necessary. Envy and malice, not reinforced -by talent, can win themselves small satisfaction, -and do no more than transient harm; for then they work -at random and make wild and senseless charges. To be -dangerous to the author, to be valuable to the public, to -give pleasure to their possessor, they must be backed by -acuteness to perceive and judgment to proclaim real flaws -only. The disappointed critic of ability knows that the -truth is what stings, and if he seeks disagreeable truth, at -<span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span>least he seeks truth. He knows also that continual vituperation -is as dull as continual praise; if only to give relief -to his censure, he will note what is good. He will mix -honey with the gall. So long as he speaks truth, he does -a useful work, and his motives are of no consequence to -any one but himself. Even if he speaks it with unnecessary -roughness, the author cannot legitimately complain. -Did he suppose that he was sending his book into a world -of gentlemen only? Truth is truth, and a boor may have -it. That the standard of courtesy is sometimes hard to -square with that of perfect sincerity is the dilemma of the -critic; but the author can quarrel with the fact no more -than with the circumstance that in a noisy world he can -write best where there is quiet. If he suffers, let him sift -criticism through his family; consoling himself, meanwhile, -with the reflection that there is criticism of criticism, -and that any important critic will ultimately know his -pains. Leslie Stephen was so sensitive that he rarely read -reviews of his critical writings. After all, the critic is also -an author.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The second complaint of writers, that criticism is largely -young and incompetent,—or merely incompetent,—is -well founded. The reason lies in the general preference of -publishers for criticism that is laudatory even if absurd. -Again we meet the Silent Bargain. The commercial publisher -of book-reviews, realizing that any fool can praise a -book, is apt to increase his profits by lowering the wage of -his critic. At its extreme point, his thrift requires a reviewer -of small brains and less moral courage; such a man -costs less and is unlikely ever to speak with offensive frankness. -Thus it happens that, commonly in the newspapers -and frequently in periodicals of some literary pretension, -the writers of reviews are shiftless literary hacks, shallow, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span>sentimental women, or crude young persons full of indiscriminate -enthusiasm for all printed matter.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I spoke of the magazines. When their editors say that -literary papers are not popular, do they consider what -writers they admit to the work, with what payment they -tempt the really competent, what limitations they impose -upon sincerity? Do they not really mean that the amiable -in manner or the remote in subject, which alone they consider -expedient, is not popular? Do they really believe -that a brilliant writer, neither a dilettante nor a Germanized -scholar, uttering with fire and conviction his full belief, -would not interest the public? Do they doubt that -such a writer could be found, if sought? The reviews which -they do print are not popular; but that proves nothing in -respect of better reviews. Whatever the apparent limitations -of criticism, it actually takes the universe for its -province. In subject it is as protean as life itself; in manner -it may be what you will. To say, then, that neither -American writers nor American readers can be found for it -is to accuse the nation of a poverty of intellect so great as -to be incredible. No; commercial timidity, aiming always -to produce a magazine so inoffensive as to insinuate itself -into universal tolerance, is the fundamental cause of the -unpopularity of the average critical article; how can the -public fail to be indifferent to what lacks life, appositeness -to daily needs, conviction, intellectual and moral candor? -At least one reason why we have no Brunetière is -that there is almost no periodical in which such a man may -write.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the actual, not the possible, writers of our criticism -there is, in the lower ranks, a lack of skill, of seriousness, -of reasonable competence, and a cynical acceptance of the -dishonest rôle they are expected to play; in the higher -ranks, there is a lack of any vital message, a desire rather -<span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>to win, without offending the publisher, the approval of -the ultra-literary and the scholarly, than really to reach -and teach the public. It is this degradation, this lack of -earnestness, and not lack of inherent interest in the general -topic, which makes our critical work unpopular, and -deprives the whole literary industry of that quickening and -increase of public interest from which alone can spring a -vigorous and healthy growth. This feebleness will begin -to vanish the moment that the publishers of books, who -support criticism, say peremptorily that reviews that interest, -not reviews that puff, are what they want. When -they say this, that is the kind of reviews they will get. If -that criticism indeed prove interesting, it will then be -printed up to the value of the buying power of the public, -and it will be supported where it should be—not by the -publisher but by the people. It is said in excuse that, as -a city has the government, so the public has the criticism, -which it deserves. That is debatable; but, even so, to -whose interest is it that the taste of the public should be -improved? Honest criticism addressed to the public, by -writers who study how to interest it rather than how to -flatter the producers of books, would educate. The education -of readers, always the soundest investment of the publisher, -can never be given by servile reviewers feebly echoing -his own interested advertisements. They are of no -value—to the public, the publisher, or the author.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The publisher of a newspaper of which reviews are an -incident need not, however, wait for the signal. If, acting -on the assumption that his duty is, not to the publisher but -to the public, he will summon competent and earnest reviewers -to speak the truth as they see it, he will infallibly -increase the vivacity and interest of his articles and the -pleasure and confidence of his readers. He will not have -any permanent loss of advertising. Whenever he establishes -<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>his periodical as one read by lovers of literature, he -has the publishers at his mercy. But suppose that his -advertising decreases? Let him not make the common -mistake of measuring the value of a department by the -amount of related advertising that it attracts. The general -excellence of his paper as an advertising medium—supposing -he has no aim beyond profit—is what he should -seek. The public which reads and enjoys books is worth -attracting, even if the publisher does not follow, for it buys -other things than books.</p> - -<p class='c010'>If, however, his newspaper is not one that can please -people of literary tastes, he will get book-advertising only -in negligible quantities no matter how much he may praise -the volumes sent him. Of what use are puffs which fall -not under the right eyes?</p> - -<p class='c010'>If, again, his periodical seems an exception to this reasoning, -and his puffery appears to bring him profit, let him -consider the parts of it unrelated to literature; he will find -there matter which pleases readers of intelligence, and he -may be sure that this, quite as much as his praise, is what -brings the publishers’ advertisements; he may be sure that, -should he substitute sincere criticism, the advertisements -would increase.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>III</h3> - -<p class='c013'>The third complaint of the author—from whom I have -wandered—is that critics do not agree. To argue that -whenever two critics hold different opinions, the criticism -of one of them must be valueless, is absurd. The immediate -question is, valueless to whom—to the public or to -the author?</p> - -<p class='c010'>If the author is meant, the argument assumes that criticism -is written for the instruction of the author, which is -not true. Grammar and facts a critic can indeed correct; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>but he never expects to change an author’s style or make -his talent other than it is. Though he may lash the man, -he does not hope to reform him. However slightly acquainted -with psychology, the critic knows that a mature -writer does not change and cannot change; his character -is made, his gifts, such as they are, are what they are. On -the contrary, the critic writes to influence the public—to -inform the old, to train the young. He knows that his -chief chance is with plastic youth; he hopes to form the -future writer; still more he hopes to form the future reader. -He knows that the effect of good reviewing stops not with -the books reviewed, but influences the reader’s choice -among thousands of volumes as yet undreamed of by any -publisher.</p> - -<p class='c010'>If, on the other hand, the public is meant, the argument -assumes that one man’s meat is not another man’s poison. -The bird prefers seed, and the dog a bone, and there is no -standard animal food. Nor, likewise, is there any standard -intellectual food: both critics, however they disagree, may -be right.</p> - -<p class='c010'>No author, no publisher, should think that variety invalidates -criticism. If there is any certainty about critics, -it is that they will not think alike. The sum of <em>x</em> (a certain -book) plus <em>y</em> (a certain critic) can never be the same as <em>x</em> -(the same book) plus <em>z</em> (a different critic). A given book -cannot affect a man of a particular ability, temperament, -training, as it affects one of a different ability, temperament, -and training. A book is never complete without a -reader, and the value of the combination is all that can be -found out. For the value of a book is varying: it varies -with the period, with the nationality, with the character of -the reader. Shakespeare had one value for the Elizabethans; -he has a different value for us, and still another -for the Frenchman; he has a special value for the playgoer, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>and a special value for the student in his closet. In -respect of literary art, pragmatism is right: there is no -truth, there are truths. About all vital writing there is a -new truth born with each new reader. Therein lies the -unending fascination of books, the temptation to infinite -discussion. To awaken an immortal curiosity is the glory -of genius.</p> - -<p class='c010'>From all this it follows that critics are representative; -each one stands for a group of people whose spokesman he -has become, because he has, on the whole, their training, -birth from their class, the prejudices of their community -and of their special group in that community, and therefore -expresses their ideals. Once let publisher and author -grasp this idea, and criticism, however divergent, will come -to have a vital meaning for them. The publisher can learn -from the judgment of the critic what the judgment of his -group in the community is likely to be, and from a succession -of such judgments through a term of years, he can -gain valuable information as to the needs, the tastes, the -ideals of the public, or of the group of publics, which he -may wish to serve. Accurate information straight from -writers serving the public—that, I cannot too often repeat, -is worth more to him than any amount of obsequious -praise. That precisely is what he cannot get until all -critics are what they should be—lawyers whose only -clients are their own convictions.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The author also gains. Although he is always liable to -the disappointment of finding that his book has failed to -accomplish his aim, he nevertheless can draw the sting from -much adverse criticism if he will regard, not its face value, -but its representative value. He is writing for a certain -audience; the criticism of that audience only, then, need -count. If he has his own public with him, he is as safe as -a man on an island viewing a storm at sea, no matter how -<span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>critics representing other publics may rage. Not all the -adverse comment in this country on E. P. Roe, in England -on Ouida, in France on Georges Ohnet ever cost them -a single reader. Their audience heard it not; it did not -count. There is, of course, a difference of value in publics, -and if these writers had a tragedy, it lay in their not winning -the audience of their choice. But this does not disturb -the statement as to the vanity of adverse criticism -for an author who hears objurgations from people whom -he did not seek to please. Sometimes, indeed, such objurgations -flatter. If, for example, the author has written a -novel which is in effect an attempt to batter down ancient -prejudice, nothing should please him more than to hear the -angry protests of the conservative—they may be the -shrieks of the dying, as was the case, for instance, when -Dr. Holmes wrote the <cite>Autocrat</cite>; they show, at any rate, -that the book has hit.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Now, each in its degree, every work of art is controversial -and cannot help being so until men are turned out, like -lead soldiers, from a common mould. Every novel, for -example, even when not written “with a purpose,” has -many theories behind it—a theory as to its proper construction, -a theory as to its proper content, a theory of life. -Every one is a legitimate object of attack, and in public or -private is certain to be attacked. Does the author prefer -to be fought in the open or stabbed in the dark?—that is -really his only choice. The author of a novel, a poem, an -essay, or a play should think of it as a new idea, or a new -embodiment of an idea, which is bound to hurtle against -others dear to their possessors. He should remember that -a book that arouses no discussion is a poor, dead thing. -Let him cultivate the power of analysis, and seek from his -critics, not praise, but knowledge of what, precisely, he -has done. If he has sought to please, he can learn what -<span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>social groups he has charmed, what groups he has failed -to interest, and why, and may make a new effort with a -better chance of success. If he has sought to prevail, he -can learn whether his blows have told, and, what is more -important, upon whom. In either case, to know the nature -of his general task, he must learn three things: whom his -book has affected, how much it has affected them, and in -what way it has affected them. Only through honest, -widespread, really representative criticism, can the author -know these things.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Whatever their individual hurts, the publisher of books, -the publisher of book-reviews, and the author should recognize -that the entire sincerity of criticism, which is the condition -of its value to the public, is also the condition of its -value to them. It is a friend whose wounds are faithful. -The lesson that they must learn is this: an honest man -giving an honest opinion is a respectable person, and if he -has any literary gift at all, a forcible writer. What he says -is read, and, what is more, it is trusted. If he has cultivation -enough to maintain himself as a critic,—as many of -those now writing have not, once servility ceases to be a -merit,—he acquires a following upon whom his influence -is deep and real, and upon whom, in the measure of his -capacity, he exerts an educational force. If to honesty he -adds real scholarship, sound taste, and vivacity as a writer, -he becomes a leading critic, and his influence for good is -proportionally enlarged. If there were honest critics with -ability enough to satisfy the particular readers they served -in every periodical now printing literary criticism, public -interest in reviews, and consequently in books, would -greatly increase. And public interest and confidence once -won, the standing, and with it the profit, of the four groups -commercially interested in literature would infallibly rise. -This is the condition which all four should work to create.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>Would it arrive if the publisher of books should repudiate -the Silent Bargain? If he should send with the book for -review, not the usual ready-made puff, but a card requesting -only the favor of a sincere opinion; if, furthermore, he -showed his good faith by placing his advertisements where -the quality of the reviewing was best, would the critical -millennium come? It would not. I have made the convenient -assumption that the critic needs only permission -to be sincere. Inevitable victim of the Silent Bargain he -may be, but he is human and will not be good simply -because he has the chance. But he would be better than -he is—if for no other reason than because many of his -temptations would be removed. The new conditions would -at once and automatically change the direction of his personal -interests. He and his publisher would need to interest -the public. Public service would be the condition of -his continuing critic at all. He would become the agent, -not of the publisher to the public, but of the public to the -publisher. And although then, as now in criticism of -political affairs, insincere men would sacrifice their standards -to their popularity, they would still reflect public -opinion. To know what really is popular opinion is the -first step toward making it better. Accurately to know it -is of the first commercial importance for publisher and -author, of the first public importance for the effective -leaders of public opinion.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This new goal of criticism—the desire to attract the -public—would have other advantages. It would diminish -the amount of criticism. One of the worst effects of the -Silent Bargain is the obligation of the reviewer to notice -every book that is sent him—not because it interests him, -not because it will interest his public, but to satisfy the -publisher. Thus it happens that many a newspaper spreads -before its readers scores upon scores of perfunctory reviews -<span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>in which are hopelessly concealed those few written with -pleasure, those few which would be welcome to its public. -Tired by the mere sight, readers turn hopelessly away. -Now, many books lack interest for any one; of those that -remain, many lack interest for readers of a particular publication. -Suppose a reviewer, preoccupied, not with the -publisher, but with his own public, confronted by the annual -mass of books: ask yourself what he would naturally -do. He would notice, would he not, those books only in -which he thought that he could interest his readers? He -would warn his public against books which would disappoint -them; he would take pleasure in praising books which -would please them. The glow of personal interest would -be in what he wrote, and, partly for this reason, partly -because the reviews would be few, his public would read -them. Herein, again, the publisher would gain; conspicuous -notices of the right books would go to the right people. -An automatic sifting and sorting of his publications, like -that done by the machines which grade fruit, sending each -size into its appropriate pocket, would take place.</p> - -<p class='c010'>But the greatest gain to criticism remains to be pointed -out. The critics who have chosen silence, rather than submission -to the Silent Bargain, would have a chance to -write. They are the best critics, and when they resume the -pen, the whole industry of writing will gain.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>IV</h3> - -<p class='c013'>But the critic, though liberated, has many hard questions -to decide, many subtle temptations to resist. There -is the question of his motives, which I said are of no consequence -to the author or to the public so long as what he -speaks is truth; but which, I must now add, are of great -consequence to him. If he feels envy and malice, he must -<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>not cherish them as passions to be gratified, but use them, -if at all, as dangerous tools. He must be sure that his ruling -passion is love of good work—a love strong enough to -make him proclaim it, though done by his worst enemy. -There is the question again of his own limitations; he must -be on his guard lest they lead him into injustice, and yet -never so timid that he fails to say what he thinks, for fear -it may be wrong.</p> - -<p class='c010'>I speak of these things from the point of view of the -critic’s duty to himself; but they are a part also of his duty -towards his neighbor, the author. What that duty may -precisely be, is his most difficult problem. A few things -only are plain. He ought to say as much against a friend -as against an enemy, as much against a publisher whom -he knows as against a publisher of England or France. He -must dare to give pain. He must make his own the ideals -of Sarcey. “I love the theatre,” he wrote to Zola, “with -so absolute a devotion that I sacrifice everything, even my -particular friends, even, what is much more difficult, my -particular enemies, to the pleasure of pushing the public -towards the play which I consider good, and of keeping it -away from the play which I consider bad.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>That perhaps was comparatively easy for Sarcey with -his clear ideal of the well-made piece; it is perhaps easy in -the simple, straightforward appraisal of the ordinary book; -but the critic may be excused if he feels compunctions and -timidities when the task grows more complex, when, arming -himself more and more with the weapons of psychology, -he seeks his explanations of a given work where undoubtedly -they lie, in the circumstances, the passions, the brains, -the very disorders of the author. How far in this path may -he go? Unquestionably, he may go far, very far with the -not too recent dead; but with the living how far may he -go, how daring may he make his guess? For guess it will -<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>be, since his knowledge, if not his competence, will be incomplete -until memoirs, letters, diaries, reminiscences -bring him their enlightenment. One thinks first what the -author may suffer when violent hands are laid upon his -soul, and one recoils; but what of the public? Must the -public, then, not know its contemporaries just as far as it -can—these contemporaries whose strong influence for -good or evil it is bound to undergo? These have full -license to play upon the public; shall not the public, in its -turn, be free to scrutinize to any, the most intimate extent, -the human stuff from which emanates the strong influence -which it feels? If the public good justifies dissection, does -it not also justify vivisection? Is literature an amusement -only, or is it a living force which on public grounds the -critic has every right in all ways to measure? Doubtless -his right in the particular case may be tested by the importance -of the answer to the people, yet the grave delicacy -of this test—which the critic must apply himself—is -equaled only by the ticklishness of the task. Yet there -lies the path of truth, serviceable, ever honorable truth.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The critic is, in fact, confronted by two standards. Now -and again he must make the choice between admirable -conduct and admirable criticism. They are not the same. -It is obvious that what is outrageous conduct may be -admirable criticism, that what is admirable conduct may -be inferior, shuffling criticism. Which should he choose? -If we make duty to the public the test, logic seems to -require that he should abate no jot of his critical message. -It certainly seems hard that he should be held to a double -(and contradictory) standard when others set in face of a -like dilemma are held excused. The priest is upheld in not -revealing the secrets of the confessional, the lawyer in not -betraying the secret guilt of his client, although as a citizen -each should prefer the public to the individual; whereas -<span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span>the critic who, reversing the case, sacrifices the individual -to the public, is condemned. The public should recognize, -I think, his right to a special code like that accorded the -priest, the lawyer, the soldier, the physician. He should -be relieved of certain social penalties, fear of which may -cramp his freedom and so lessen his value. Who cannot -easily see that a critic may write from the highest sense of -duty words which would make him the “no gentleman” -that Cousin said Sainte-Beuve was?</p> - -<p class='c010'>But the whole question is thorny; that writer will do an -excellent service to letters who shall speak an authoritative -word upon the ethics of criticism. At present, there -is nothing—except the law of libel. The question is -raised here merely to the end of asking these further questions: -Would not the greatest freedom help rather than -hurt the cause of literature? Is not the double standard -too dangerous a weapon to be allowed to remain in the -hands of the upholders of the Silent Bargain?</p> - -<p class='c009'>Meanwhile —until the problem is solved —the critic -must be an explorer of untraveled ethical paths. Let him -be bold whether he is a critic of the deeds of the man of -action, or of those subtler but no less real deeds, the words -of an author! For, the necessary qualifications made, all -that has been said of literary criticism applies to all criticism—everywhere -there is a Silent Bargain to be fought, -everywhere honest opinion has powerful foes.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The thing to do for each author of words or of deeds, -each critic of one or the other, is to bring his own pebble -of conviction however rough and sharp-cornered and -throw it into that stream of discussion which will roll and -grind it against others, and finally make of it and of them -that powder of soil in which, let us hope, future men will -raise the crop called truth.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span> - <h2 class='c008'>DRAMATIC CRITICISM IN THE AMERICAN PRESS</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY JAMES S. METCALFE</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>A little insight into the practical conditions which surround -newspaper criticism to-day is needed before we can -estimate its value or importance as an institution. Venial -and grossly incompetent critics there have always been, -but these have eventually been limited in their influence -through the inevitable discovery of their defects. They -were and are individual cases, which may be disregarded in -a general view. The question to be considered is, whether -our newspapers have any dramatic criticism worthy of the -name, and, if there is none, what are the causes of its nonexistence.</p> - -<p class='c010'>When the late William Winter lost his position as dramatic -critic of the <cite>New York Tribune</cite>, the event marked not -alone the virtual disappearance from the American press -of dramatic criticism as our fathers knew and appreciated -it: the circumstances of the severance of his half-century’s -connection with that publication also illustrate vividly a -principal reason for the extinction of criticism as it used -to be.</p> - -<p class='c010'>At the time mentioned the <cite>Tribune</cite> had not fallen entirely -from its early estate. It was still a journal for readers -who thought. Its strong political partisanship limited -its circulation, which had been for some time declining. It -had been hurt by the fierce competition of its sensational -and more enterprising contemporaries. The <cite>Tribune</cite> could -not afford to lose any of the advertising revenue which -was essential to its very existence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>Mr. Winter would not write to orders. He had certain -prejudices, but they were honest ones, and those who knew -his work were able to discount them in sifting his opinions. -For instance, he had a sturdy hatred for the Ibsen kind of -dissectional drama, and it was practically impossible for -him to do justice even to good acting in plays of this school.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In a broader way he was the enemy of uncleanness on -the stage. For this reason he had frequently denounced a -powerful firm of managers whom he held to be principally -responsible for the, at first insidious and then rapid, growth -of indecency in our theatre. These managers controlled a -large amount of the theatrical advertising. The <cite>Tribune</cite> -frequently printed on one page large advertisements of the -enterprises these men represented, and on another page -they would find themselves described, in Mr. Winter’s -most vigorous English, as panders who were polluting the -theatre and its patrons. They knew the <cite>Tribune’s</cite> weak -financial condition and demanded that Mr. Winter’s pen -be curbed, the alternative being a withdrawal of their -advertising patronage. What happened then was a scandal, -and is history in the newspaper and theatrical world.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. Winter refused to be muzzled. In spite of a half-century’s -faithful service, he was practically dismissed -from the staff of the <cite>Tribune</cite>. If it had not been for a -notable benefit performance given for him by artists who -honored him, and generously patronized by his friends and -the public who knew his work, his last days would have -been devoid of comfort.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mr. Winter’s experience, although he is not the only -critic who has lost his means of livelihood through the -influence of the advertising theatrical manager, is in some -form present to the mind of every newspaper writer in the -province of the theatre. No matter how strong the assurance -of his editor that he may go as far as he pleases in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span>telling the truth, he knows that even the editor himself is -in fear of the dread summons from the business office. If -the critic has had any experience in the newspaper business,—no -longer a profession,—he writes what he pleases, -but with his subconscious mind tempering justice with -mercy for the enterprises of the theatrical advertiser. This, -of course, does not preclude his giving a critical tone to -what he writes by finding minor defects and even flaying -unimportant artists. But woe be unto him if he launches -into any general denunciation of theatrical methods, or -attacks the enterprise of the advertising manager in a way -that imperils profits.</p> - -<p class='c010'>There are exceptions to these general statements, especially -outside of New York. There are a few newspapers -left where the editorial conscience outweighs the influence -of the counting-room. Even in these cases the reviewer, if -he is wise, steers clear of telling too much truth about enterprises -whose belligerent managers are only too glad to -worry his employers with complaints of persecution or injustice. -In other places the theatrical advertising is not -of great value, particularly where the moving-picture has -almost supplanted the legitimate theatre. Here we occasionally -find criticism of the old sort, particularly if, in the -local reviewer’s mind, the entertainment offered is not up -to what he considers the Broadway standard of production. -Here the publisher’s regard for local pride will sometimes -excuse the reviewer’s affront to the infrequently visiting -manager and the wares he offers.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Another exception is the purely technical critic who has -no broader concern with the theatre than recording the -impressions which come to him through his eyes, ears, and -memory. He is safe, because he rarely offends. He is -scarce, because he is little read and newspapers cannot -give him the space he requires for analysis and recollection. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>The high-pressure life of the newspaper reader calls -for a newspaper made under high pressure and for to-day. -In this process there is little opportunity for the display -of the scholarship, leisurely thinking, and carefully evolved -judgments which gave their fame to critics of an earlier -period. In the few remaining survivals of the strictly technical -critic their failure to interest many readers, or exercise -much influence, may argue less a lack of ability on -their part than a change from a thinking to a non-thinking -public. Even in the big Sunday editions of the city dailies, -where the pages are generously padded with text to carry -the displayed theatrical advertising, the attempts to rise to -a higher critical plane than is possible in the hurried weekday -review are in themselves frequent evidence that technical -criticism is a thing of the past so far as the newspapers -are concerned.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The close connection of the business of the newspaper -with the business of the theatre accounts for the practical -disappearance of the element of fearlessness in critical -dealing with the art of the stage, particularly as the business -control of the theatre is largely responsible for whatever -decline we may discern in the art of the theatre. Of -course, if criticism were content to concern itself only -with results, and not to look for causes, the matter of business -interests would figure little in the discussion. But -when the critic dares to go below the surface and discern -commercialism as the main cause of the decline that he -condemns in the art of the stage, he finds himself on dangerous -ground.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The theatre has always had to have its business side. -Actors must live and the accessories of their art must be -provided. To this extent the stage has always catered to -the public. But from the days of the strolling player to -those of the acting-manager the voice from back of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span>curtain has, until of recent years, had at least as much of -command as that of the ticket-seller. Both in the theatre -and in the press modern conditions have in great measure -thrown the control to the material side; and just as the -artist and dramatist have become subservient to the manager, -the editor and critic have come under the domination -of the publisher.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The need of a greater revenue to house plays and public -has placed the theatre in the hands of those who could -manage to secure that revenue. The same necessity on -the material and mechanical side has put the power of the -press in the hands of those who could best supply its financial -needs. With both theatre and press on a commercial -basis, it follows naturally that the art of acting and the -art of criticism should both decline.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Here we have the main causes that work from the inside -for the deterioration of an art and for the destruction of -the standards by which that art is measured. The outside -causes are, of course, the basic ones, but before we get to -them we must understand the connecting links which join -the cause to the effect. To-day we certainly have no -Hazlitts or Sarceys writing for the American press. It -might be enlightening with respect to present conditions -to consider the probabilities and circumstances of their -employment if they were here and in the flesh. Can any -one conceive of an American newspaper giving space to -Hazlitt’s work, even if he treated of the things of to-day? -Even if he wrote his opinions gratis and in the form of -letters to the editor, it would presumably be indeed a dull -journalistic day when room could be found for them.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Sarcey, writing in the lighter French vein and being -almost as much a chroniqueur as a critic, might possibly -have found opportunity to be read in an American newspaper, -if he could have curbed his independence of thought. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span>Starting from obscurity, it is a question whether he would -ever have been able to gain opportunity to be read simply -as a critic, for the processes by which newspaper critics are -created or evolved seem to have nothing to do with the -possession of education, training, or ability. In the majority -of newspaper offices the function of dramatic critic devolves -by chance or convenience, and frequently goes by -favoritism to some member of the staff with a fondness for -the theatre and an appreciation of free seats. One of New -York’s best known dailies frankly treats theatrical reviewing -as nothing more than reportorial work, to be covered -as would be any other news assignment. This publication -and a good many others are far more particular about the -technical equipment of the writers who describe baseball -games, horse-races, and prize-fights, than about the fitness -of those who are to weigh the merits of plays and acting. -The ability to write without offending the advertising -theatrical manager seems in the last case to be the only -absolutely essential qualification.</p> - -<p class='c010'>With these things in mind it will be seen that there is -little to tempt any one with ambition to contemplate -dramatic criticism as a possible profession. The uncertainty -of employment, the slenderness of return, and the -limitations on freedom of expression would keep even the -most ardent lover of the theatre from thinking of criticism -as a life occupation. Given the education, the experience, -the needed judicial temperament, and the writing ability, -all these are no assurance that opportunity can be found -to utilize them.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Of themselves, the conditions that surround the calling -of the critic are enough to account for the absence from -the American newspapers of authoritative criticism. These -conditions might be overcome if the spirit of the times -demanded. But there can be no such demand so long as -<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>the press finds it more profitable to reflect the moods, -thoughts, and opinions of the public than to lead and direct -them. When the changed conditions of producing newspapers -transferred the control of their policy from the editorial -rooms to the counting-rooms, the expression of -opinion on any subject became of little value compared -with catering to the popular love of sensation and the popular -interest in the trivial.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The change does not mean that there is any ignoring of -the theatre in the newspapers. The institution lends itself -admirably to modern newspaper exploitation. Destroying -the fascinating mystery which once shrouded life back of -the curtain, for a long time made good copy for the press. -There is no longer any mystery, because the great space -that the newspapers devote to gossip of the theatre and -its people has flooded with publicity every corner of the -institution and every event of their lives. The process has -been aided by managers through a perhaps mistaken idea -of the value of the advertising, and by artists for that -reason and for its appeal to their vanity.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Criticism has no place in publicity of this sort, because -criticism concerns itself only with the art and the broad -interests of the theatre. The news reporter is often better -qualified to describe the milk-baths of a stage notoriety -than is the ablest critic. With our newspapers as they are, -and with our public as it is, the reportorial account of the -milk-bath is of more value to the newspaper and its readers -than the most brilliant criticism that could be written of -an important event in the art of the theatre.</p> - -<p class='c010'>With “give the people what they want” the prevailing -law of press and theatre, it is idle just now to look for -dramatic criticism of value in our newspapers. We may -flatter ourselves that as a people we have a real interest in -theatrical and other arts. We can prove it by the vast -<span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>sums we spend on theatres, music, and pictures. With all -our proof, we at heart know that this is not true. Even -in the more sensual art of music we import our standards, -in pictures we are governed more by cost than quality, and -in the theatre—note where most of our expenditure goes. -In that institution, with the creation of whose standards -we are concerning ourselves just now, consider the character -of what are called “popular successes,” and observe the -short shrift given to most of the efforts which call for enjoyment -of the finer art of the stage through recognition -of that art when it is displayed.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is no disgrace that we are not an artistic people. Our -accomplishments and our interests are in other fields, -where we more than match the achievements of older -civilizations. With us the theatre is not an institution to -which we turn for its literature and its interpretations of -character. We avoid it when it makes any demand on -our thinking powers. We turn to it as a relaxation from -the use of those powers in more material directions. We -do not wish to study our stage, its methods and its products. -We ask it only to divert us. This is the general -attitude of the American to the theatre, and the exceptions -are few.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In these conditions it is not strange that we have no -scholarly critics to help in establishing standards for our -theatre, or that there is little demand for real criticism, -least of all in the daily press. As we grow to be an older -and more leisurely country, when our masses cease to find -in the crudities of the moving-picture their ideal of the -drama, and when our own judgments become more refined, -we shall need the real critic, and even the daily press will -find room for his criticisms and reward for his experience, -ability, and judgment.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The province and profit of our newspapers lie in interesting -<span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span>their readers. Analysis of artistic endeavor is not -interesting to a people who have scant time and little inclination -for any but practical and diverting things. Until -the people demand it and the conditions that surround the -critic improve, what passes for criticism in our daily press -is not likely to increase in quantity or improve in quality.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span> - <h2 class='c008'>THE HUMOR OF THE COLORED SUPPLEMENT</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY RALPH BERGENGREN</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Ten or a dozen years ago,—the exact date is here -immaterial,—an enterprising newspaper publisher conceived -the idea of appealing to what is known as the -American “sense of humor” by printing a so-called comic -supplement in colors. He chose Sunday as of all days the -most lacking in popular amusements, carefully restricted -himself to pictures without humor and color without -beauty, and presently inaugurated a new era in American -journalism. The colored supplement became an institution. -No Sunday is complete without it—not because -its pages invariably delight, but because, like flies in summer, -there is no screen that will altogether exclude them. -A newspaper without a color press hardly considers itself a -newspaper, and the smaller journals are utterly unmindful -of the kindness of Providence in putting the guardian angel, -Poverty, outside their portals. Sometimes, indeed, they -think to outwit this kindly interference by printing a syndicated -comic page without color; and mercy is thus served -in a half portion, for, uncolored, the pictures are inevitably -about twice as attractive. Some print them without color, -but on pink paper. Others rejoice, as best they may, in a -press that will reproduce at least a fraction of the original -discord. One and all they unite vigorously, as if driven by -a perverse and cynical intention, to prove the American -sense of humor a thing of national shame and degradation. -Fortunately the public has so little to say about its reading -matter that one may fairly suspend judgment.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span>For, after all, what is the sense of humor upon which -every man prides himself, as belonging only to a gifted -minority? Nothing more nor less than a certain mental -quickness, alert to catch the point of an anecdote or to -appreciate the surprise of a new and unexpected point of -view toward an old and familiar phenomenon. Add together -these gifted minorities, and each nation reaches -what is fallaciously termed the national sense of humor—an -English word, incidentally, for which D’Israeli was -unable to find an equivalent in any other language, and -which is in itself simply a natural development of the -critical faculty, born of a present need of describing what -earlier ages had taken for granted. The jovial porter and -his charming chance acquaintances, the three ladies of -Bagdad, enlivened conversation with a kind of humor, -carefully removed from the translation of commerce and -the public libraries, for which they needed no descriptive -noun, but which may nevertheless be fairly taken as typical -of that city in the day of the Caliph Haroun.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The Middle Ages rejoiced in a similar form of persiflage, -and the present day in France, Germany, England, or -America, for example, inherits it,—minus its too juvenile -indecency,—in the kind of pleasure afforded by these -comic supplements. Their kinship with the lower publications -of European countries is curiously evident to whoever -has examined them. Vulgarity, in fact, speaks the -same tongue in all countries, talks, even in art-ruled -France, with the same crude draughtsmanship, and usurps -universally a province that Emerson declared “far better -than wit for a poet or writer.” In its expression and enjoyment -no country can fairly claim the dubious superiority. -All are on the dead level of that surprising moment -when the savage had ceased to be dignified and man had -not yet become rational. Men, indeed, speak freely and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>vain-gloriously of their national sense of humor; but they -are usually unconscious idealists. For the comic cut that -amuses the most stupid Englishman may be shifted entire -into an American comic supplement; the “catastrophe -joke” of the American comic weekly of the next higher -grade is stolen in quantity to delight the readers of similar -but more economical publications in Germany; the lower -humor of France, barring the expurgations demanded by -Anglo-Saxon prudery, is equally transferable; and the -average American often examines on Sunday morning, -without knowing it, an international loan-exhibit.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Humor, in other words, is cosmopolitan, reduced, since -usage insists on reducing it, at this lowest imaginable level, -to such obvious and universal elements that any intellect -can grasp their combinations. And at its highest it is -again cosmopolitan, like art; like art, a cultivated characteristic, -no more spontaneously natural than a “love of -nature.” It is an insult to the whole line of English and -American humorists—Sterne, Thackeray, Dickens, Meredith, -Twain, Holmes, Irving, and others of a distinguished -company—to include as humor what is merely the crude -brutality of human nature, mocking at grief and laughing -boisterously at physical deformity. And in these Sunday -comics Humor, stolen by vandals from her honest, if sometimes -rough-and-ready, companionship, thrusts a woe-be-gone -visage from the painted canvas of the national -side-show, and none too poor to “shy a brick” at her.</p> - -<p class='c010'>At no period in the world’s history has there been a -steadier output of so-called humor—especially in this -country. The simple idea of printing a page of comic -pictures has produced families. The very element of variety -has been obliterated by the creation of types: a confusing -medley of impossible countrymen, mules, goats, German-Americans -and their irreverent progeny, specialized -<span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span>children with a genius for annoying their elders, white-whiskered -elders with a genius for playing practical jokes -on their grandchildren, policemen, Chinamen, Irishmen, -negroes, inhuman conceptions of the genus tramp, boy -inventors whose inventions invariably end in causing somebody -to be mirthfully spattered with paint or joyously -torn to pieces by machinery, bright boys with a talent for -deceit, laziness, or cruelty, and even the beasts of the -jungle dehumanized to the point of practical joking. -<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">Mirabile dictu!</span></i>—some of these things have even been -dramatized.</p> - -<p class='c010'>With each type the reader is expected to become personally -acquainted,—to watch for its coming on Sunday -mornings, happily wondering with what form of inhumanity -the author will have been able to endow his brainless -manikins. And the authors are often men of intelligence, -capable here and there of a bit of adequate drawing and -an idea that is honestly and self-respectingly provocative -of laughter. Doubtless they are often ashamed of their -product; but the demand of the hour is imperative. The -presses are waiting. They, too, are both quick and heavy. -And the cry of the publisher is for “fun” that no intellect -in all his heterogeneous public shall be too dull to appreciate. -We see, indeed, the outward manifestation of a -curious paradox: humor prepared and printed for the -extremely dull, and—what is still more remarkable—excused -by grown men, capable of editing newspapers, on -the ground that it gives pleasure to children.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Reduced to first principles, therefore, it is not humor, -but simply a supply created in answer to a demand, hastily -produced by machine methods and hastily accepted by -editors too busy with other editorial duties to examine it -intelligently. Under these conditions “humor” is naturally -conceived as something preëminently quick; and so -<span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span>quickness predominates. Somebody is always hitting -somebody else with a club; somebody is always falling -downstairs, or out of a balloon, or over a cliff, or into a -river, a barrel of paint, a basket of eggs, a convenient cistern, -or a tub of hot water. The comic cartoonists have -already exhausted every available substance into which one -can fall, and are compelled to fall themselves into a veritable -ocean of vain repetition. They have exhausted everything -by which one can be blown up. They have exhausted -everything by which one can be knocked down or run over. -And if the victim is never actually killed in these mirthful -experiments, it is obviously because he would then cease -to be funny—which is very much the point of view of the -Spanish Inquisition, the cat with a mouse, or the American -Indian with a captive. But respect for property, respect -for parents, for law, for decency, for truth, for beauty, for -kindliness, for dignity, or for honor, are killed, without -mercy. Morality alone, in its restricted sense of sexual -relations, is treated with courtesy, although we find -throughout the accepted theory that marriage is a union -of uncongenial spirits, and the chart of petty marital deceit -is carefully laid out and marked for whoever is likely to -respond to endless unconscious suggestions. Sadly must -the American child sometimes be puzzled while comparing -his own grandmother with the visiting mother-in-law of -the colored comic.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>II</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Lest this seem a harsh, even an unkind inquiry into the -innocent amusements of other people, a few instances may -be mentioned, drawn from the Easter Sunday output of -papers otherwise both respectable and unrespectable; -papers, moreover, depending largely on syndicated humor -that may fairly be said to have reached a total circulation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span>of several million readers. We have, to begin with, two -rival versions of a creation that made the originator famous, -and that chronicle the adventures of a small boy -whose name and features are everywhere familiar. Often -these adventures, in the original youngster, have been -amusing, and amusingly seasoned with the salt of legitimately -absurd phraseology. But the pace is too fast, even -for the originator. The imitator fails invariably to catch -the spirit of them, and in this instance is driven to an ancient -subterfuge.</p> - -<p class='c010'>To come briefly to an unpleasant point: an entire page -is devoted to showing the reader how the boy was made -ill by smoking his father’s cigars. Incidentally he falls -downstairs. Meanwhile, his twin is rejoicing the readers -of another comic supplement by spoiling a wedding -party; it is the minister who first comes to grief, and is -stood on his head, the boy who, later, is quite properly -thrashed by an angry mother—and it is all presumably -very delightful and a fine example for the imitative genius -of other children. Further, we meet a mule who kicks a -policeman and whose owner is led away to the lockup; a -manicured vacuum who slips on a banana peel, crushes the -box containing his fiancée’s Easter bonnet, and is assaulted -by her father (he, after the manner of comic fathers, having -just paid one hundred dollars for the bonnet out of a -plethoric pocketbook); a nondescript creature, presumably -human, who slips on another banana peel and knocks over -a citizen, who in turn knocks over a policeman, and is also -marched off to undeserved punishment. We see the German-American -child covering his father with water from -a street gutter; another child deluging his parent with -water from a hose; another teasing his younger brother -and sister. To keep the humor of the banana peel in -countenance, we find the picture of a fat man accidentally -<span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>sitting down on a tack; he exclaims, “Ouch!” throws a -basket of eggs into the air, and they come down on the -head of the boy who arranged the tacks. We see two white -boys beating a little negro over the head with a plank (the -hardness of the negro’s skull here affording the humorous -<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">motif</span></i>), and we see an idiot blowing up a mule with dynamite. -Lunacy, in short, could go no further than this -pandemonium of undisguised coarseness and brutality—the -humor offered on Easter Sunday morning by leading -American newspapers for the edification of American -readers.</p> - -<p class='c010'>And every one of the countless creatures, even to the -poor, maligned dumb animals, is saying something. To -the woeful extravagance of foolish acts must be added an -equal extravagance of foolish words: “Out with you, intoxicated -rowdy!” “Shut up!” “Skidoo!” “They’ve set -the dog on me.” “Hee-haw.” “My uncle had it tooken in -Hamburg.” “Dat old gentleman will slip on dem banana -skins,” “Little Buster got all that was coming to him.” -“Aw, shut up!” “Y-e-e-e G-o-d-s!” “Ouch!” “Golly, dynamite -am powerful stuff.” “I am listening to vat der vild -vaves is sedding.” “I don’t think Pa and I will ever get -along together until he gets rid of his conceit.” “Phew!”</p> - -<p class='c010'>The brightness of this repartee could be continued indefinitely; -profanity, of course, is indicated by dashes and -exclamation points; a person who has fallen overboard says, -“Blub!” concussion is visibly represented by stars; “biff” -and “bang” are used, according to taste, to accompany a -blow on the nose or an explosion of dynamite.</p> - -<p class='c010'>From this brief summary it may be seen how few are -the fundamental conceptions that supply the bulk of -almost the entire output, and in these days of syndicated -ideas a comparatively small body of men produce the -greater part of it. Physical pain is the most glaringly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>omnipresent of these motifs; it is counted upon invariably -to amuse the average humanity of our so-called Christian -civilization. The entire group of Easter Sunday pictures -constitutes a saturnalia of prearranged accidents in which -the artist is never hampered by the exigencies of logic; -machinery in which even the presupposed poorest intellect -might be expected to detect the obvious flaw accomplishes -its evil purpose with inevitable accuracy; jails and lunatic -asylums are crowded with new inmates; the policeman -always uses his club or revolver; the parents usually thrash -their offspring at the end of the performance; household -furniture is demolished, clothes ruined, and unsalable eggs -broken by the dozen. Deceit is another universal concept -of humor, which combines easily with the physical pain -<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">motif</span></i>; and mistaken identity, in which the juvenile idiot -disguises himself and deceives his parents in various ways, -is another favorite resort of the humorists. The paucity -of invention is hardly less remarkable than the willingness -of the inventors to sign their products, or the willingness -of editors to publish them. But the age is notoriously one -in which editors underrate and insult the public intelligence.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Doubtless there are some to applaud the spectacle,—the -imitative spirits, for example, who recently compelled -a woman to seek the protection of a police department -because of the persecution of a gang of boys and young -men shouting “hee-haw” whenever she appeared on the -street; the rowdies whose exploits figure so frequently in -metropolitan newspapers; or that class of adults who tell -indecent stories at the dinner-table and laugh joyously -at their wives’ efforts to turn the conversation. But the -Sunday comic goes into other homes than these, and is -handed to their children by parents whose souls would -shudder at the thought of a dime novel. Alas, poor parents! -<span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span>That very dime novel as a rule holds up ideals of -bravery and chivalry, rewards good and punishes evil, -offers at the worst a temptation to golden adventuring, -for which not one child in a million will ever attempt to -surmount the obvious obstacles. It is no easy matter to -become an Indian fighter, pirate, or detective; the dream -is, after all, a day-dream, tinctured with the beautiful color -of old romance, and built on eternal qualities that the -world has rightfully esteemed worthy of emulation. And -in place of it the comic supplement, like that other brutal -horror, the juvenile comic story, which goes on its immoral -way unnoticed, raises no high ambition, but devotes itself -to “mischief made easy.” Hard as it is to become an -Indian fighter, any boy has plenty of opportunity to throw -stones at his neighbor’s windows. And on any special -occasion, such, for example, as Christmas or Washington’s -Birthday, almost the entire ponderous machine is set in -motion to make reverence and ideals ridiculous. Evil -example is strong in proportion as it is easy to imitate. -The state of mind that accepts the humor of the comic -weekly is the same as that which shudders at Ibsen, and -smiles complacently at the musical comedy, with its open -acceptance of the wild-oats theory, and its humorous exposition -of a kind of wild oats that youth may harvest without -going out of its own neighborhood.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In all this noisy, explosive, garrulous pandemonium one -finds here and there a moment of rest and refreshment—the -work of the few pioneers of decency and decorum brave -enough to bring their wares to the noisome market and -lucky enough to infuse their spirit of refinement, art, and -genuine humor into its otherwise hopeless atmosphere. -Preëminent among them stands the inventor of “Little -Nemo in Slumberland,” a man of genuine pantomimic -humor, charming draughtsmanship, and an excellent decorative -<span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span>sense of color, who has apparently studied his medium -and makes the best of it. And with him come Peter -Newell, Grace G. Weiderseim, and Condé,—now illustrating -<cite>Uncle Remus</cite> for a Sunday audience,—whose pictures -in some of the Sunday papers are a delightful and -self-respecting proof of the possibilities of this type of -journalism. Out of the noisy streets, the cheap restaurants -with their unsteady-footed waiters and avalanches of soup -and crockery, out of the slums, the quarreling families, the -prisons and the lunatic asylums, we step for a moment into -the world of childish fantasy, closing the iron door behind -us and trying to shut out the clamor of hooting mobs, the -laughter of imbeciles, and the crash of explosives. After -all, there is no reason why children should not have their -innocent amusement on Sunday morning; but there seems -to be every reason why the average editor of the weekly -comic supplement should be given a course in art, literature, -common sense, and Christianity.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span> - <h2 class='c008'>THE AMERICAN GRUB STREET</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY JAMES H. COLLINS</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>New York’s theatres, cafés, and hotels, with many of -her industries, are supported by a floating population. The -provinces know this, and it pleases them mightily. But -how many of the actual inhabitants of New York know -of the large floating population that is associated with -her magazines, newspapers, and publishing interests?—a -floating population of the arts, mercenaries of pen and -typewriter, brush and camera, living for the most part in -the town and its suburbs, yet leading an unattached existence, -that, to the provincial accustomed to dealing with -life on a salary, seems not only curious but extremely -precarious—as it often is.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The free-lance writer and artist abound in the metropolis, -and with them is associated a motley free-lance crew -that has no counterpart elsewhere on this continent. New -York’s “Grub Street” is one of the truest indications of -her metropolitan character. In other American cities the -newspaper is written, illustrated, and edited by men and -women on salaries, as are the comparatively few magazines -and the technical press covering our country’s material -activities. But in New York, while hundreds of editors, -writers, and artists also rely upon a stated, definite stipend, -several times as many more live without salaried connections, -sometimes by necessity, but as often by choice. -These are the dwellers in Grub Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This thoroughfare has no geographical definition. Many -of the natives of Manhattan Island know as little of it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span>as do the truck loads of visitors “seeing New York,” who -cross and recross it unwittingly. Grub Street begins nowhere -and ends nowhere; yet between these vague terminals -it runs to all points of the compass, turns sharp -corners, penetrates narrow passageways, takes its pedestrians -up dark old stairways one moment and through -sumptuous halls of steel and marble the next, touching -along the way more diverse interests than any of the actual -streets of Manhattan, and embracing ideals, tendencies, -influences, and life-currents that permeate the nation’s -whole material and spiritual existence. Greater Grub -Street is so unobtrusive that a person with no affair to -transact therein might dwell a quarter-century in New -York and never discover it; yet it is likewise so palpable -and vast to its denizens that by no ordinary circumstances -would any of them be likely to explore all its infinite -arteries, veins, and ganglia.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Not long ago there arrived on Park Row for the first -time in his life a newspaper reporter of conspicuous ability -along a certain line. In the West he had made a name for -his knack at getting hold of corporate reports and court -decisions several days in advance of rival papers. Once, -in Chicago, by climbing over the ceiling of a jury-room, he -was able to publish the verdict in a sensational murder trial -a half-hour before it had been brought in to the judge. A -man invaluable in following the devious windings of the -day’s history as it must be written in newspapers, he had -come to Park Row as the ultimate field of development for -his especial talent. To demonstrate what he had done, he -brought along a thick sheaf of introductory letters from -Western editors. There was one for every prominent editor -and publisher in the New York newspaper field, yet -after all had been delivered it seemed to avail nothing. -Nobody had offered him a situation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span>“The way to get along in New York is to go out and get -the stuff,” explained a free lance whom he fell in with in -a William Street restaurant. “Get copy they can’t turn -down—deliver the goods.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>In that dull summer season all the papers were filled -with gossip about a subscription book that had been sold -at astonishing prices to that unfailing resource of newspapers, -the “smart set.” Charges of blackmail flew -through the city. Official investigation had failed to reveal -anything definite about the work, which was said to -be in process of printing. In twenty-four hours the newcomer -from the West appeared in the office of a managing -editor with specimen pages of the book itself. Where he -had got them nobody knew. No one cared. They were -manifestly genuine, and within two hours a certain sensational -newspaper scored a “beat.” At last accounts he -was specializing in the same line, obtaining the unobtainable -and selling it where it would bring the best price.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This is one type of free lance.</p> - -<p class='c010'>At the other end of the scale may be cited the all-around -scientific worker who came to the metropolis several years -ago, after long experience in the departments at Washington. -Lack of influence there had thrown him on the -world at forty. Accustomed to living on the rather slender -salary that goes with a scientific position, and knowing no -other way of getting a livelihood, he set out to find in New -York a place similar to that he had held in the capital. He -is a man who has followed the whole trend of modern -scientific progress as a practical investigator—a deviser -of experiments and experimental apparatus, a skilled technical -draughtsman, a writer on scientific subjects, and a -man of field experience in surveying and research that has -taken him all over the world. New York offered him nothing -resembling the work he had done in Washington; but -<span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span>in traveling about the town among scientific and technical -publishers he got commissions to write an article or two -for an encyclopedia. These led him into encyclopedic illustration -as well, and then he took charge of a whole section -of the work, gathering his materials outside, writing and -drawing at home, and visiting the publisher’s office only -to deliver the finished copy. Encyclopedia writing and -illustration has since become his specialty. His wide experience -and knowledge fit him to cope with diverse subjects, -and he earns an income which, if not nearly so large as -that of the free-lance reporter, is quite as satisfactory as -his Washington salary. As soon as one encyclopedia is -finished in New York, another is begun, and from publisher -to publisher go a group of encyclopedic free-lances, -who will furnish an article on integral calculus or the Vedic -pantheon, with diagrams and illustrations—and very -good articles at that.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>II</h3> - -<p class='c013'>Who but a Balzac will take a census of Greater Grub -Street, enumerating its aristocrats, its well-to-do obscure -bourgeois, its Bohemians, its rakes and evil-doers, its -artisans and struggling lower classes? Among its citizens -are the materials of a newer <cite><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Comédie Humaine</span></cite>. The two -personalities outlined above merely set a vague intellectual -boundary to this world. In its many kinds and stations of -workers Grub Street is as irreducible as nebulæ. Its aristocracy -is to be found any time in that “Peerage” of Grub -Street, the contents pages of the better magazines, where -are arrayed the names of successful novelists, essayists, -and short-story writers, of men and women who deal with -specialties such as travel, historical studies, war correspondence, -nature interpretation, sociology, politics, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span>every other side of life and thought; and here, too, are -enlisted their morganatic relatives, the poets and versifiers, -and their showy, prosperous kindred, the illustrators, who -may be summoned from Grub Street to paint a portrait at -Newport. This peerage is real, for no matter upon what -stratum of Grub Street each newcomer may ultimately -find his level of ability, this is the goal that was aimed at -in the beginning. This is the Dream.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Staid, careful burghers of the arts, producing their good, -dull, staple necessities in screed and picture, live about the -lesser magazines, the women’s periodicals, the trade and -technical press, the syndicates that supply “Sunday stuff” -to newspapers all over the land, the nameless, mediocre -publications that are consumed by our rural population in -million editions. The Bohemian element is found writing -“on space” for newspapers this month, furnishing the -press articles of a theatre or an actress the next, running -the gamut of the lesser magazines feverishly, flitting hither -and thither, exhausting its energies with wasteful rapidity, -and never learning the business tact and regularity that -keep the burgher in comfort and give his name a standing -at the savings bank. The criminal class of Grub Street -includes the peddler of false news, the adapter of other -men’s ideas, and the swindler who copies published articles -and pictures outright, trusting to luck to elude the editorial -police. The individual in this stratum has a short career -and not a merry one; but the class persists with the persistence -of the parasite. Grub Street’s artisans are massed -about the advertising agencies, producing the plausible -arguments put forth for the world of merchandise, and the -many varieties of illustration that go with them; while the -nameless driftwood which floats about the whole thoroughfare -includes no one knows how many hundreds of aspirants -whose talents do not suffice for any of these classes, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span>together with the peddler of other men’s wares on commission, -who perhaps ekes out a life by entering as a super -at the theatres, the artists’ models, both men and women, -who pose in summer and are away with a theatrical company -in winter, the dullard, the drone, the ne’er-do-well, -the palpable failure. At one end, Art’s chosen sons and -daughters; at the other, her content, misguided dupes.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The free lance is bred naturally in New York, and -thrives in its atmosphere, because the market for his wares -is stable and infinitely varied. The demand he satisfies -could be appeased by no other system. The very life of -metropolitan publishing lies in the search for new men and -variety. Publishers spend great sums upon the winnowing -machinery that threshes over what comes to their editors’ -desks, and no editor in the metropolis grudges the time -necessary to talk with those who call in person and have -ideas good enough to carry them past his assistants. Publicly, -the editorial tribe may lament the many hours spent -yearly in this winnowing process. Yet every experienced -editor in New York has his own story of the stranger, -uncouth, unpromising, unready of speech, who stole in late -one afternoon and seemed to have almost nothing in him, -yet who afterwards became the prolific Scribbler or the -great D’Auber. Not an editor of consequence but who, -if he knew that to-morrow this ceaseless throng of free -lances, good, bad, and impossible, had declared a Chinese -boycott upon him and would visit his office no more, would -regard it as the gravest of crises.</p> - -<p class='c010'>New York provides a market so wide for the wares of -the free lance that almost anything in the way of writing -or picture can eventually be sold, if it is up to a certain -standard of mediocrity. A trained salesman familiar with -values in the world of merchandise would consider this -market one of the least exacting, most constant, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>remunerative. And it is a market to be regarded, on the -whole, in terms of merchandise. Not genius or talent sets -the standards, but ordinary good workmanship. Magazines -are simply the apex of the demand—that corner of -the mart where payment is perhaps highest and the byproduct -of reputation greatest. For each of the fortunate -workers whose names figure in the magazine peerage, there -are virtually hundreds who produce for purchasers and -publications quite unknown to the general public, and -often their incomes are equal to those of the established -fiction writer or popular illustrator.</p> - -<p class='c010'>New York has eight Sunday newspapers that buy matter -for their own editions and supply it in duplicate to other -Sunday newspapers throughout the country under a syndicate -arrangement. Perhaps an average of five hundred -columns of articles, stories, interviews, children’s stuff, -household and feminine gossip, humor, verse, and miscellany, -with illustrations, are produced every week for this -demand alone; and at least fifty per cent of the yearly -$150,000 that represents its lowest value to the producers -is paid to free-lance workers. The rest goes to men on -salary who write Sunday matter at space rates. This item -is wholly distinct from the equally great mass of Sunday -stuff written for the same papers by salaried men. Several -independent syndicates also supply a similar class of matter -to papers throughout the United States, for both Sunday -and daily use. This syndicate practice has, within the -past ten years, made New York a veritable journalistic -provider for the rest of the nation. The metropolis supplies -the Sunday reading of the American people, largely -because it has the resources of Grub Street to draw upon. -Syndicate matter is cheaper than the provincial product, -it is true; but not price alone is accountable for this supremacy -of the syndicate. By the side of the workmanlike -<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>stories, articles, skits, and pictures supplied by Greater -Grub Street, the productions of a provincial newspaper -staff on salary grow monotonous in their sameness, and -reveal themselves by their less skillful handling.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The Sunday-reading industry provides a market, not -only for writers and artists, but also for photographers, -caricaturists, cartoonists, makers of squibs and jokes, -experts in fashions, devisers of puzzles, men and women -who sell ideas for novel Sunday supplements, such as those -printed in sympathetic inks, and the like. It is a peculiarity -of our country worth noting, that all our published -humor finds its outlet through the newspapers. Though -England, Germany, France, and other countries have a -humorous press distinctly apart, the United States has -only one humorous journal that may be called national in -tone. An overwhelming tide of caricature and humor -sweeps through our daily papers, but the larger proportion -is found in the illustrated comic sheets of the leading New -York dailies; and these are syndicated in a way that gives -them a tremendous national circulation. The Sunday -comic sheet, whatever one wishes to say of its quality, was -built in Greater Grub Street, and there, to-day, its foundations -rest.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In Grub Street, too, dwells the army of workers who -furnish what might be called the cellulose of our monthly -and weekly publications—interviews, literary gossip, -articles of current news interest, matter interesting to -women, to children, to every class and occupation. As -there are magazines for the servant girl and clerk, so there -are magazines for the millionaire with a country estate, -the business man studying system and methods, the -woman with social or literary aspirations, the family planning -travel or a vacation. To-day it is a sort of axiom in -the publishing world that a new magazine, to succeed, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>must have a new specialty. Usually this will be a material -one, for our current literature deals with things rather -than thought; it is healthy but never top-heavy. Each new -magazine interest discovered is turned over to Greater -Grub Street for development, and here it is furnished with -matter to fit the new point of view, drawings and photographs -to make it plain, editors to guide, and sometimes a -publisher to send it to market.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Then come, rank on rank, the trade and technical periodicals, -of which hundreds are issued weekly and monthly in -New York. These touch the whole range of industry and -commerce. They deal with banking, law, medicine, insurance, -manufacturing, and the progress of merchandise of -every kind through the wholesale, jobbing, and retailing -trades, with invention and mechanical science, with crude -staples and finished commodities, with the great main -channels of production and distribution and the little by-corners -of the mart. Some of them are valuable publishing -properties; more are insignificant; yet each has to go to -press regularly, and all must be filled with their own particular -kinds of news, comment, technical articles, and -pictures. Theirs is a difficult point of view for the free -lance, and on this account much of their contents is written -by salaried editors and assistants. Contributions come, -too, from engineers, scientists, bankers, attorneys, physicians, -and specialists in every part of the country. Foremen -and superintendents and mechanics in some trades -send in roughly outlined diagrams and descriptions that -enable the quick-witted editors to see “how the blamed -thing works” and write the finished article. The American -trade press is still in an early stage of development on its -literary side. It has grown up largely within the past two -decades, and still lacks literary workmanship. To hundreds -of free-lance workers this field is now either unknown -<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>or underestimated. Yet year after year men disappear -from Park Row and the round of Magazinedom, to be -found, if any one would take the trouble to look them up, -among the trade journals. Some of the great properties in -this class belong to journalists who saw an opportunity a -decade ago, and grasped it.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>III</h3> - -<p class='c013'>The trade journals lead directly into the field of advertising, -which has grown into a phenomenal outlet for free -lance energies in the past ten years, and is still growing at -a rate that promises to make it the dominant market of -Grub Street. A glance through the advertising sections -of the seventy-five or more monthly and weekly magazines -published in New York reveals only a fraction of this -demand, for a mass of writing and illustration many times -greater is produced for catalogues, booklets, folders, circulars, -advertising in the religious, agricultural, and trade -press, and other purposes. Much of it is the work of men -on salary, yet advertising takes so many ingenious forms -and is so constantly striving for the novel and excellent, -that almost every writer and illustrator of prominence -receives in the course of the year commissions for special -advertising work, and fat commissions, too. Often the -fine drawing one sees as the centre of attraction in a magazine -advertisement is the work of a man or woman of -reputation among the readers of magazines, delivered with -the understanding that it is to be published unsigned.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The advertising demand is divided into two classes—that -represented by business firms which prepare their own -publicity, and that for the advertising agencies which prepare -and forward to periodicals the advertising of many -business houses, receiving for their service a commission -<span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span>from the publishers. It is among the latter especially that -the free lance finds his market, for the agencies handle a -varied mass of work and are continually calling in men -who can furnish fresh ideas. One of the leading advertising -agencies keeps in a great file the names and addresses -of several hundred free-lance workers—writers, sculptors, -illustrators, portrait painters, translators, news and -illustrating photographers, fashion designers, authorities -in silver and virtu, book-reviewers, journalists with such -specialties as sports, social news, and the markets. Each -is likely to be called on for something in his particular line -as occasions arise.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This concern, for example, may receive a commission to -furnish a handsomely bound miniature book on servants’ -liveries for a clothing manufacturer, or a history of silver -plate to be privately printed and distributed among the -patrons of a great jewelry house. For a simple folder to -advertise a brand of whiskey, perhaps, the sporting editor -of a leading daily newspaper is asked to compile information -about international yacht-racing. From Union Square -may be seen a large wall, upon which is painted a quaint -landscape of gigantic proportions. It is a bit of thoroughly -artistic design, fitting into the general color scheme -of the square, and its attractiveness gives it minor advertising -value for the firm that has taken an original way of -masking a blank wall. This decoration was painted from -a small design, made for the above advertising agency by -a painter of prominence. The same agency, in compiling -a catalogue of cash registers some time ago, referred to -their utilitarian ugliness of design. The cash register manufacturers -protested that these were the best designs they -had been able to make, whereupon the advertising agency -commissioned four sculptors, who elaborated dainty cash-register -<span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>cases in the <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">art nouveau</span></i> manner, for installation in -cafés, milliners’ shops, and other fine establishments.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Advertising requires versatility of a high order. A newspaper -writer, so long as he makes his articles interesting -to the widest public, is not required to give too strict attention -to technicalities—he writes upon this subject to-day -and upon one at the opposite pole to-morrow. A writer -for a trade journal, on the other hand, need not give pains -to human interest if his technical grasp of the iron market, -the haberdashery trade, or the essentials of machine-shop -practice is sure. Moreover, each year’s experience in -writing for a trade journal adds to his knowledge of its subject -and makes his work so much the surer and simpler. -But the writer of advertising must combine human interest -with strict accuracy; his subject is constantly changing, -unless he is a specialist in a certain line, taking advertising -commissions at intervals. To-day he studies the methods -of making cigars and the many different kinds of tobacco -that enter therein; to-morrow he writes a monograph on -enameled tin cans, investigating the processes of making -them in the factory; and the day after that his topic may -be breakfast foods, taking him into investigations of starch, -gluten, digestive functions, diet and health, and setting -him upon a weary hunt for synonyms to describe the “rich -nutty flavor” that all breakfast foods are said to have. -All the illustrative work of an advertising artist must be -so true to detail that it will pass the eyes of men who spend -their lives making the things he pictures. The Camusots -and Matifats no longer provide costly orgies for Grub -Street, sitting by meekly to enjoy the flow of wit and -banter. They now employ criticism in moulding their -literature of business. It was one of them who, difficult to -please in circulars, looked over the manuscript submitted -by an advertising free lance with more approval than was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>his custom. “This is not bad,” he commented; “not bad -at all—and yet—I have seen all these words used -before.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>An interesting new development of advertising is the -business periodical, a journal published by a large manufacturer, -usually, and sent out monthly to retail agents or his -consuming public. In its pages are printed articles about -the manufacturer’s product, descriptions of its industrial -processes, news of the trade, and miscellany. Many of -these periodicals are extremely interesting for themselves. -There must be dozens of them in New York—none of the -newspaper directories list them. Writers who are not -especially familiar with the product with which they deal -often furnish a style of matter for them that is valued for -its fresh point of view and freedom from trade and technical -phraseology. These publications range from journals -of a dozen pages, issued on the “every little while” plan -for the retail trade of a rubber hose manufacturer, to the -monthly magazine which a stocking jobber mails to thousands -of youngsters all over the land to keep them loyal -to his goods.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This, then, is the market in its main outlines. But a -mass of detail has been eliminated. In groups large and -small there are the poster artists who work for theatrical -managers and lithographers; the strange, obscure folk who -write the subterranean dime-novel stories of boyhood; the -throngs of models who go from studio to studio, posing at -the uniform rate of fifty cents an hour whether they work -constantly or seldom; the engravers who have made an -art of retouching half-tone plates; the great body of crafts-and-arts -workers which has sprung up in the past five years -and which leads the free-lance life in studios, selling pottery, -decorated china, wood, and metal work to rich patrons; -the serious painters whose work is found in exhibitions, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span>and the despised “buckeye” painter who paints for -the department stores and cheap picture shops; the etchers, -the portrait painters, and the “spotknockers” who lay in -the tones of the crude “crayon portrait” for popular consumption—these -and a multitude of others inhabit Greater -Grub Street, knowing no regularity of employment, of -hours, or of income.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>IV</h3> - -<p class='c013'>While its opportunities are without conceivable limitation, -Grub Street is not a thoroughfare littered with currency, -but is paved with cobblestones as hard as any along -the other main avenues of New York’s life and energy. -The Great Man of the Provinces, landing at Cortlandt or -Twenty-third Street after an apprenticeship at newspaper -work in a minor city, steps into a world strangely different -from the one he has known. For, just to be a police reporter -elsewhere is to be a journalist, and journalism is the -same as literature, and literature is honorable, and a little -mysterious, and altogether different from the management -of a stove foundry, or the proprietorship of a grocery house, -or any other of the overwhelmingly material things that -make up American life. Times have not greatly changed -since Lucien de Rubempré was the lion of Madame de -Bargeton’s salon at Angoulême, and this is a matter they -seem to have ordered no better in provincial France. To -be a writer or artist of any calibre elsewhere breeds a form -of homage and curiosity and a certain sure social standing. -But New York strikes a chill over the Great Man of the -Provinces, because it is nothing at all curious or extraordinary -for one to write or draw in a community where thousands -live by these pursuits. They carry no homage or -social standing on their face, and the editorial world is even -studied in its uncongeniality toward the newcomer, because -<span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>he is so fearfully likely to prove one of the ninety-nine -in every hundred aspirants who cannot draw or write -well enough. The ratio that holds in the mass of impossible -manuscript and sketches that pours into every editorial -office is also the ratio of the living denizens of Grub Street. -The Great Man of the Provinces is received on the assumption -that he is unavailable, with thanks, and the hope -that he will not consider this a reflection upon his literary -or artistic merit.</p> - -<p class='c010'>So he finds himself altogether at sea for a while. No -Latin Quarter welcomes him, for this community has no -centre. His estimates of magazine values, formed at a -distance, are quickly altered. Many lines of work he had -never dreamed of, and channels for selling it, come to light -day by day. To pass the building where even <cite>Munsey’s</cite> -is published gives him a thrill the first time; yet after a -few months in New York he finds that the great magazines, -instead of being nearer, are really farther away than they -were in the provinces. Of the other workers he meets, few -aspire to them, while of this few only a fraction get into -their pages. He calls on editors, perhaps, and finds them -a strange, non-committal caste, talking very much like -their own rejection slips. No editor will definitely give -him a commission, even if he submits an idea that seems -good, but can at most be brought to admit under pressure -that, if the Great Man were to find himself in that neighborhood -with the idea all worked up, the editor <em>might</em> be -interested in seeing it, perhaps even reading it—yet he -must not understand this as in any way binding ... -the magazine is very full just at present ... hadn’t he -better try the newspapers, now? For there are more blanks -than prizes walking the Grub Street paving, and persons -of unsound minds have been known to take to literature -as a last resort, and the most dangerous person to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>editor is not a rejected contributor at all, but one who has -been accepted once and sees a gleam of a chance that he -may be again.</p> - -<p class='c010'>If the Great Man really has “stuff” in him, he stops -calling on editors and submits his offerings by mail. Even -if he attains print in a worthy magazine, he may work a -year without seeing its notable contributors, or its minor -ones, or its handmaidens, or even its office-boy. Two -men jostled one another on Park Row one morning as they -were about to enter the same newspaper building, apologized, -and got into the elevator together. There a third -introduced them, when it turned out that one had been -illustrating the work of the other for two years, and each -had wished to know the other, but never got around to it. -An individual circle of friends is easily formed in Grub -Street, but the community as a whole lives far and wide -and has no coherence.</p> - -<p class='c010'>What ability or skill the Great Man brought from his -province may be only the foundation for real work. There -will surely be extensive revising of ideals and methods. A -story is told of a poet who came to the metropolis with a -completed epic. This found no acceptance, so after cursing -the stupidity of the public and the publishers, he took -to writing “Sunday stuff.” Soon the matter-of-fact attitude -of the workers around him, with the practical view -of the market he acquired, led him to doubt the literary -value of the work he had done in the sentimental atmosphere -of his native place. Presently a commission to write -a column of humor a week came to him, and he cut his -epic into short lengths, tacked a squib on each fragment, -and eventually succeeded in printing it all as humor, at a -price many times larger than the historic one brought by -<cite>Paradise Lost</cite>. Another newcomer brought unsalable plays -and high notions of the austerity of the artistic vocation. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>Three months after his arrival he was delighted to get a -commission to write the handbook a utilitarian publisher -proposed to sell to visitors seeing the metropolis. This -commission not only brought a fair payment for the manuscript -on delivery, but involved a vital secondary consideration. -The title of the work was “Where to Eat in New -York,” and its preparation made it necessary for the -author to dine each evening for a month in a different café -at the proprietor’s expense.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This practical atmosphere of Grub Street eventually -makes for development in the writer or artist who has -talent. It is an atmosphere suited to work, for the worker -is left alone in the solitude of the multitude. False ideals -and sentimentality fade from his life, and his style takes -on directness and vigor. Greater Grub Street is not given -to reviling the public for lack of ideals or appreciation. -The free lance’s contact with the real literary market, day -after day, teaches him that, as soon as he can produce the -manuscript of the great American novel, there are editors -who may be trusted to perceive its merit, and publishers -ready to buy.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>V</h3> - -<p class='c013'>This free-lance community of the metropolis is housed -all over Manhattan Island, as well as in the suburbs and -adjacent country for a hundred miles or more around. An -amusing census of joke-writers and humorists was made -not long ago by a little journal which a New Jersey railroad -publishes in the interest of its suburban passenger -traffic. It was shown, by actual names and places of -residence, that more than three fourths of the writers who -keep the suburban joke alive live in Suburbia themselves.</p> - -<p class='c010'>New York has no Latin Quarter. As her publications -are scattered over the city from Park Row to Forty-second -<span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span>Street, so the dwellings of free-lance workers are found -everywhere above Washington Square. There are numerous -centres, however. Washington Square is one for newspaper -men and women, and in its boarding-houses and -apartment hotels are also found many artists who labor in -studios near by. Tenth Street, between Broadway and -Sixth Avenue, has a few studios remaining, surrounded by -the rising tide of the wholesale clothing trade, chief among -them being the Fleischmann Building, next Grace Church, -and the old studio building near Sixth Avenue. More old -studios are found in Fourteenth Street; and around Union -Square the new skyscrapers house a prosperous class of -illustrators who do not follow the practice of living with -their work. On the south side of Twenty-third Street, -from Broadway to Fourth Avenue, is a row of old-time -studios, and pretty much the whole gridiron of cross streets -between Union and Madison squares has others, old and -new. Thence, Grub Street proceeds steadily uptown until, -in the neighborhood of Central Park, it may be said to have -arrived.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Look over the roofs in any of these districts and the toplight -hoods may be seen, always facing north, as though -great works were expected from that point of the compass. -Grub Street is the top layer of New York, and dislikes to -be far from the roof. A studio that has been inhabited -by a succession of artists and writers for twenty, thirty, -forty years, may be tenanted to-day by a picturesque -young man in slouch hat, loose neckerchief, and paint-flecked -clothes, who eats about at cheap cafés, and sleeps -on a cot that in daytime serves as a lounge under its dusty -Oriental canopy. The latter ornament is the unfailing -mark of that kind of studio, and with it go, in some combination, -a Japanese umbrella and a fish-net. This young -man makes advertising pictures, perhaps, or puts the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>frames around the half-tone illustrations for a Sunday -newspaper. By that he lives, and for his present fame -draws occasional “comics” for <cite>Life</cite>. But with an eye to -Immortality, he paints, so that there are always sketching -trips to be made, and colors to putter with, and art, sacred -art, to talk of in the terms of the technician. Or such an -old studio may shelter some forlorn spinster who ekes out -a timid existence by painting dinner cards or the innumerable -whatnots produced and sold by her class in Grub -Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In the newer studios are found two methods of working. -Prosperous illustrators, writers, and teachers may prefer -a studio in an office building, where no one is permitted -to pass the night, conducting their affairs with the aid of -a stenographer and an office boy. Others live and work in -the newer studios that have been built above Twenty-third -Street in the past decade. Few of the traditions of -Bohemia are preserved by successful men and women. -The young man of the Sunday supplement, and the -amateur dauber, once he succeeds as a magazine illustrator, -drops his slouch hat, becomes conventional in dress, -and ceases to imitate outwardly an artistic era that is -past. Success brings him in contact with persons of truer -tastes, and he changes to match his new environment. -This is so fundamental in Grub Street that the ability of -any of its denizens may be gauged by the editor’s experienced -eye; the less a given individual dresses like the traditional -artist or writer of the Parisian Latin Quarter, the -nearer he is, probably, to being one.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Women make up a large proportion of the dwellers in -Grub Street, and its open market, holding to no distinctions -of sex in payment for acceptable work, is in their -favor. Any of the individual markets offers a fair field for -<span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span>their work, and in most of them the feminine product is -sought as a foil to the staple masculine.</p> - -<p class='c010'>What is the average Grub Street income? That would -be difficult to know, for the free lance, as a rule, keeps no -cash-book. Many workers exist on earnings no larger than -those of a country clergyman, viewed comparatively from -the standpoint of expenses, and among them are men and -women of real ability. Given the magic of business tact, -they might soon double their earnings. Business ability -is the secret of monetary success in Greater Grub Street. -One must know where to sell, and also what to produce. -It pays to aim high and get into the currents of the best -demand, where prices are better, terms fairer, and competition -an absolute nullity. Even the cheapest magazines -and newspapers pay well when the free lance knows how -to produce for them. Hundreds of workers are ill paid -because they have not the instinct of the compiler. Scissors -are mightier than the pen in this material market; -with them the skillful ones write original articles and books—various -information brought together in a new focus.</p> - -<p class='c010'>While untold thousands of impossible articles drift -about the editorial offices, these editors are looking for -what they cannot often describe. A successful worker in -Grub Street divines this need and submits the thing itself. -Often the need is most tangible. For two weeks after the -Martinique disaster the newspapers and syndicates were -hunting articles about volcanoes—not profound treatises, -but ordinary workmanlike accounts such as could be tried -out of any encyclopedia. Yet hundreds of workers, any -one of whom might have compiled the needed articles, -continued to send in compositions dealing with abstract -subjects, things far from life and events, and were turned -down in the regular routine. Only a small proportion of -free lances ever become successful, but those who do, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>achieve success by attention to demand, with the consequence -that most of their work is sold before it is written.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This community is perhaps the most diversified to be -found in a national centre of thought and energy. Paris, -London, Munich, Vienna, Rome—each has the artistic -tradition and atmosphere, coming down through the centuries. -But this Grub Street of the new world is wholly -material,—a “boom town” of the arts,—embodying in -its brain and heart only prospects, hopes. Its artistic -rating is written plainly in our current literature. There -is real artistic struggle and aspiration in it all, undoubtedly, -but not enough to sweeten the mass.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Greater Grub Street is utilitarian. That which propels -it is not Art, but Advertising—not Clio or Calliope, but -Circulation.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span> - <h2 class='c008'>JOURNALISM AS A CAREER</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BY CHARLES MOREAU HARGER</div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>I</h3> - -<p class='c013'>In a recent discussion with a successful business man -concerning an occupation for the business man’s son, a -college graduate, some one suggested: “Set him up with -a newspaper. He likes the work and is capable of success.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>“Nothing in it,” was the prompt reply. “He can make -more money with a clothing store, have less worry and -annoyance, and possess the respect of more persons.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>This response typifies the opinion of many fathers regarding -a newspaper career. It is especially common to -the business man in the rural and semi-rural sections. The -dry-goods merchant who has a stock worth twenty thousand -dollars, and makes a profit of from three thousand -dollars to five thousand dollars a year, realizes that the -editor’s possessions are meagre, and believes his income -limited. He likewise hears complaints and criticisms of -the paper. Comparing his own placid money-making -course with, what he assumes to be the stormy and unprofitable -struggle of the publisher, he considers the printing -business an inferior occupation.</p> - -<p class='c010'>For this view the old-time editor is largely responsible. -For decades it was his pride to make constant reference to -his poverty-stricken condition, to beg subscribers to bring -cord-wood and potatoes on subscription, to glorify as a -philanthropist the farmer who “called to-day and dropped -a dollar in the till.” The poor-editor joke is as well established -as the mother-in-law joke or the lover-and-angry-father -<span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span>joke, and about as unwarranted; yet it has built up -a sentiment, false in fact and suggestion, often accepted -as truth.</p> - -<p class='c010'>To the younger generation, journalism presents another -aspect. The fascination of doing things, of being in the -forefront of the world’s activities, appeals to young men -and young women of spirit. Few are they who do not -consider themselves qualified to succeed should they choose -this profession. To the layman it seems so easy and so -pleasant to write the news and comment of the day, to -occupy a seat on the stage at public meetings, to pass the -fire-lines unquestioned.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Not until the first piece of copy is handed in does the -beginner comprehend the magnitude of his task or the -demand made upon him for technical skill. When he sees -the editor slash, blue-pencil, and rearrange his story, he -appreciates how much he has yet to learn. Of this he was -ignorant in his high school and his college days, and he was -confident of his ability. An expression of choice of a life-work -by the freshman class of a college or university will -give a large showing for journalism; in the senior year it -will fall to a minor figure, not more than from three to -seven per cent of the whole. By that period the students -have learned some things concerning life, and have decided, -either because of temperament, or as did the business -man for his son, for some other profession.</p> - -<p class='c010'>To those who choose it deliberately as a life-work, obtaining -a position presents as many difficulties as it does -in any other profession. The old-time plan by which the -beginner began as “devil,” sweeping out the office, cleaning -the presses, and finally rising to be compositor and -writer, is in these days of specialization out of date. The -newspaper business has as distinct departments as a department -store. While a full knowledge of every part of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>the workings of the office is unquestionably valuable, the -eager aspirant finds time too limited to serve a long apprenticeship -at the mechanical end in order to prepare himself -for the writing-room.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Hence we find the newspaper worker seeking a new -preparation. He strives for a broad knowledge, rather -than mechanical training, and it is from such preparation -that he enters the newspaper office with the best chances -of success. Once the college man in the newspaper office -was a joke. His sophomoric style was the object of sneers -and jeers from the men who had been trained in the school -of actual practice at the desk. To-day few editors hold to -the idea that there can be no special preparation worth -while outside the office, just as you find few farmers sneering -at the work of agricultural colleges. It is not uncommon -to find the staff of a great newspaper composed largely -of college men, and when a new man is sought for the -writing force it is usually one with a college degree who -obtains the place. It is recognized that the ability to think -clearly, to write understandable English, and to know the -big facts of the world and its doings, are essential, and that -college training fits the young man of brains for this. Such -faults as may have been acquired can easily be corrected.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Along with the tendency toward specialization in other -directions, colleges and universities have established -schools or departments of journalism in which they seek -to assist those students who desire to follow that career. -It is not a just criticism of such efforts to say, as some -editors have said, that it is impossible to give practical -experience outside a newspaper office. Such an opinion -implies that news and comment can be written only within -sound of a printing-press; yet a vast deal of actual everyday -work on the papers themselves is done by persons outside -the office.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>About twenty colleges and universities, chiefly in the -Middle West and Northwest, have established such schools. -They range in their curriculum from courses of lectures by -newspaper men continued through a part of the four-years’ -course, to complete schools with a systematic course of -study comprehending general culture, history, and science, -with actual work on a daily paper published by the students -themselves, on which, under the guidance of an -experienced newspaper man, they fill creditably every department -and assist in the final make-up of the publication. -They even gain a fair comprehension of the workings -of linotypes, presses, and the details of composition, without -attempting to attain such hand-skill as to make them -eligible to positions in the mechanical department.</p> - -<p class='c010'>These students, in addition to possessing the broad culture -that comes with a college degree, know how to write -a “story,” how to frame a headline, how to construct editorial -comment, and they certainly enter the newspaper office -lacking the crudeness manifested by those who have all -the details of newspaper style to learn. This sort of schooling -does not make newspaper men of the unfit, but to the -fit it gives a preparation that saves them much time in attaining -positions of value. That a course of this kind will -become an integral part of many more colleges is probable.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In these schools some of the most capable students enroll. -They are the young men and young women of literary -tastes and keen ambitions. They are as able as the students -who elect law, or science, or engineering. From -months of daily work in a class-room fitted up like the city -room of a great newspaper, with definite news-assignments -and tasks that cover the whole field of writing for the press, -they can scarcely fail to absorb some of the newspaper -spirit, and graduate with a fairly definite idea of what is -to be required of them.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span> - <h3 class='c014'>II</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c013'>Then there comes the question, where shall the start be -made? Is it best to begin on the small paper and work -toward metropolitan journalism? or to seek a reporter’s -place on the city daily and work for advancement?</p> - -<p class='c010'>Something is to be said for the latter course. The editor -of one of the leading New York dailies remarked the other -day: “The man who begins in New York, and stays with -it, rises if he be capable. Changes in the staffs are frequent, -and in a half-dozen years he finds himself well up -the ladder. It takes him about that long to gain a good -place in a country town, and then if he goes to the city he -must begin at the bottom with much time wasted.” This -is, however, not the essential argument.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Who is the provincial newspaper man? Where is found -the broadest development, the largest conception of journalism? -To the beginner the vision is not clear. If he -asks the busy reporter, the nervous special writer on a -metropolitan journal, he gets this reply: “If I could only -own a good country paper and be my own master!” Then, -turning to the country editor, he is told: “It is dull in the -country town—if I could get a place on a city journal -where things are happening!” Each can give reasons for -his ambition, and each has from his experience and observation -formed an <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">ex parte</span></i> opinion. Curiously, in view of -the glamour that surrounds the city worker, and the presumption -that he has attained the fullest possible equipment -for the newspaper field, he is less likely to succeed -with satisfaction to himself on a country paper than is the -country editor who finds a place in the city.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The really provincial journalist, the worker whose scope -and ideals are most limited, is often he who has spent years -as a part of a great newspaper-making machine. Frequently, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span>when transplanted to what he considers a narrower -field, which is actually one of wider demands, he -fails in complete efficiency. The province of the city paper -is one of news-selection. Out of the vast skein of the day’s -happenings what shall it select? More “copy” is thrown -away than is used. The <cite>New York Sun</cite> is written as definitely -for a given constituency as is a technical journal. -Out of the day’s news it gives prominence to that which -fits into its scheme of treatment, and there is so much -news that it can fill its columns with interesting material, -yet leave untouched a myriad of events. The <cite>New York -Evening Post</cite> appeals to another constituency, and is made -accordingly. The <cite>World</cite> and <cite>Journal</cite> have a far different -plan, and “play up” stories that are mentioned briefly, or -ignored, by some of their contemporaries. So the writer -on the metropolitan paper is trained to sift news, to choose -from his wealth of material that which the paper’s traditions -demand shall receive attention; and so abundant is -the supply that he can easily set a feast without exhausting -the market’s offering. Unconsciously he becomes an epicure, -and knows no day will dawn without bringing him -his opportunity.</p> - -<p class='c010'>What happens when a city newspaper man goes to the -country? Though he may have all the graces of literary -skill and know well the art of featuring his material, he -comes to a new journalistic world. Thus did the manager -of a flourishing evening daily in a city of fifty thousand -put it: “I went to a leading metropolitan daily to secure -a city editor, and took a man recommended as its most -capable reporter, one with years of experience in the city -field. Brought to the new atmosphere, he was speedily -aware of the changed conditions. In the run of the day’s -news rarely was there a murder, with horrible details as -sidelights; no heiress eloped with a chauffeur; no fire destroyed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>tenements and lives; no family was broken up by -scandal. He was at a loss to find material with which to -make local pages attractive. He was compelled to give -attention to a wide range of minor occurrences, most of -which he had been taught to ignore. In the end he resigned. -I found it more satisfactory to put in his place a -young man who had worked on a small-town daily and -was in sympathy with the things that come close to the -whole community, who realized that all classes of readers -must be interested in the paper, all kinds of happenings -reported, and the paper be made each evening a picture of -the total sum of the day’s events, rather than of a few -selected happenings. The news-supply is limited, and all -must be used and arranged to interest readers—and we -reach all classes of readers, not a selected constituency.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>The small-town paper must do this, and because its -writers are forced so to look upon their field they obtain a -broader comprehension of the community life than do -those who are restricted to special ideas and special conceptions -of the paper’s plans. The beginner who finds his -first occupation on a country paper, by which is meant a -paper in one of the smaller cities, is likely to obtain a better -all-round knowledge of everything that must be done in a -newspaper office than the man who goes directly to a position -on a thoroughly organized metropolitan journal. He -does not secure, however, such helpful training in style or -such expert drill in newspaper methods. He is left to work -out his own salvation, sometimes becoming an adept, but -frequently dragging along in mediocrity. When he goes -from the small paper to the larger one, he has a chance to -acquire efficiency rapidly. The editor of one of the country’s -greatest papers says that he prefers to take young -men of such training, and finds that they have a broader -<span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span>vision than when educated in newspaper-making from the -bottom in his own office.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is easy to say, as did the merchant concerning his son, -that there are few chances for financial success in journalism. -Yet it is probable that for the man of distinction -in journalism the rewards are not less than they are in -other professions. The salaries on the metropolitan papers -are liberal, and are becoming greater each year as the business -of news-purveying becomes better systematized and -more profitable. The newspaper man earns vastly more -than the minister. The editor in the city gets as much out -of life as do the attorneys. The country editor, with his -plant worth five thousand dollars or ten thousand dollars, -frequently earns for his labors as satisfactory an income -as the banker; while the number of editors of country -weeklies who have a profit of three thousand dollars or -more from their papers is astonishing.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is, of course, not always so, any more than it is true -that the lawyer, preacher, or physician always possesses a -liberal income. When the city editor makes sport of the -ill-printed country paper, he forgets under what conditions -the country editor at times works. A prosperous publisher -with sympathy in his heart put it this way:—</p> - -<p class='c010'>“The other day we picked up a dinky weekly paper that -comes to our desk every week. As usual we found something -in it that made us somewhat tired, and we threw it -down in disgust. For some reason we picked it up again -and looked at it more closely. Our feelings, somehow or -other, began to change. We noted the advertisements. -They were few in number, and we knew that the wolf was -standing outside the door of that little print-shop and -howling. The ads were poorly gotten up, but we knew -why. The poor fellow didn’t have enough material in his -shop to get up a good ad. It was poorly printed—almost -<span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span>unreadable in spots. We knew again what was the matter. -He needed new rollers and some decent ink, but probably -he didn’t have the money to buy them. One of the few -locals spoke about ‘the editor and family.’ So he had -other mouths to feed. He was burning midnight oil in -order to save hiring a printer. He couldn’t afford it. -True, he isn’t getting out a very good paper, but at that, -he is giving a whole lot more than he is receiving. It is -easy to poke fun at the dinky papers when the waves of -prosperity are breaking in over your own doorstep. Likely, -if we were in that fellow’s place we couldn’t do as well as -he does.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>The profession of the publicist naturally leads to politics, -and the editor is directly in the path to political preferment. -The growth of the primary system adds greatly -to the chance in this direction. One of the essentials of -success at a primary is that the candidate have a wide -acquaintance with the public, that his name shall have -been before the voters sufficiently often for them to become -familiar with it. The editor who has made his paper -known acquires this acquaintance. He goes into the campaign -with a positive asset. One western state, for instance, -has newspaper men for one third of its state officers -and forty per cent of its delegation in Congress. This is -not exceptional. It is merely the result of the special conditions, -both of fitness and prominence, in the editor’s -relation to the public.</p> - -<p class='c010'>This very facility for entering politics is perhaps an -objection rather than a benefit. The editor who is a seeker -after office finds himself hampered by his ambitions and -he is robbed of much of the independence that goes to -make his columns of worth. The ideal position is when -the editor owns, clear of debt, a profit-making plant and -is not a candidate for any office. Just so far as he departs -<span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span>from this condition does he find himself restricted in the -free play of his activities. If debt hovers, there is temptation -to seek business at the expense of editorial utterance; -if he desires votes, he must temporize often in order to win -friendships or to avoid enmities. Freedom from entangling -alliances, absolutely an open way, should be the ambition -of the successful newspaper worker. Fortunate is the -subordinate who has an employer so situated, for in such -an office can be done the best thinking and the clearest -writing. Though he may succeed in other paths, financially, -socially, and politically, he will lack in his career -some of the finer enjoyments that can come only with -unobstructed vision.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>III</h3> - -<p class='c013'>It is not agreed that everyday newspaper work gives -especial fitness for progress in literature. The habit of -rapid writing, of getting a story to press to catch the first -edition, has the effect for many of creating a style unfitted -for more serious effort. Yet when temperament and taste -are present, there is no position in which the aspirant for -a place in the literary field has greater opportunity. To -be in touch with the thought and the happenings of the -world gives opportunity for interpretation of life to the -broader public of the magazine and the published volume. -Newspaper work does not make writers of books, but experience -therein obtained does open the way; and the successes, -both in fiction and economics, that have come in -the past decade from the pens of newspaper workers is -ample evidence of the truth of this statement.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is one of the criticisms of the press that it corrupts -beginners and not only gives them a false view of life, but -compels them to do things abhorrent to those possessed of -the finer feelings of good taste and courtesy. The fact is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span>that journalism is, to a larger degree than almost all other -businesses or professions, individualistic. It is to each -worker what he makes it. The minister has his way well -defined; he must keep in it or leave the profession. The -teacher is restrained within limits; the lawyer and physician, -if they would retain standing, must follow certain -codes. The newspaper worker is a free lance compared -with any of these.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The instances in which a reporter is asked to do things -in opposition to the best standards of ethics and courtesy -are rare—and becoming rarer. The paper of to-day, -though a business enterprise as well as a medium of publicity -and comment, has a higher ideal than that of two -decades ago. The rivalry is greater, the light of competition -is stronger, the relation to the public is closer. Little -mystery surrounds the press. Seldom does the visitor -stand open-eyed in wonder before the “sanctum.” The -average man and woman know how “copy” is prepared, -how type is set, how the presses operate. The newspaper -office is an “open shop” compared with the early printing-offices, -of which the readers of papers stood somewhat in -awe. Because of this, there is less temptation and less -opportunity for obscure methods. The profession offers -to the young man and young woman an opportunity for -intelligent and untainted occupation. Should there be a -demand that seems unreasonable or in bad taste, plenty -of places are open on papers that have a higher standard -of morals and are conducted with a decent respect for the -opinions and rights of the public.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Nor is it necessary that the worker indulge in any pyrotechnics -in maintaining his self-respect. The editor of one -of the leading papers of western New York quietly resigned -his position because he could not with a clear conscience -support the nominee favored by the owner of the paper. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span>He did nothing more than many men have done in other -positions. His action was not proof that his employer was -dishonest, but that there were two points of view and he -could not accept the one favored by the publisher. Such -a course is always open, and so wide is the publishing -world that there is no need for any one to suffer. Nor can -a paper or an editor fence in the earth. With enough -capital to buy a press and paper, and to hire a staff, any -one can have his say—and frequently the most unpromising -field proves a bonanza for the man with courage and -initiative.</p> - -<p class='c010'>In a long and varied experience as editor, I have rarely -found an advertiser who was concerned regarding the editorial -policy of the paper. The advertiser wants publicity; -he is interested in circulation—when he obtains that, he -is satisfied. Instances there are where the advertiser has -a personal interest in some local enterprise and naturally -resents criticism of its management, but such situations -can be dealt with directly and without loss of self-respect -to the publisher. Not from the advertiser comes the most -interference with the press. If there were as little from -men with political schemes, men with pet projects to promote, -men (and women) desiring to use the newspaper’s -columns to boost themselves into higher positions or to -acquire some coveted honor, an independent and self-respecting -editorial policy could be maintained without -material hindrance. With the right sort of good sense and -adherence to conviction on the part of the publisher it can -be maintained under present conditions—and the problem -becomes simpler every year. More papers that cannot -be cajoled, bought, or bulldozed are published to-day -than ever before in the world’s history. The “organ” is -becoming extinct as the promotion of newspaper publicity -<span class='pageno' id='Page_276'>276</span>becomes more a business and less a means of gratifying -ambition.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Publishers have learned that fairness is the best policy, -that it does not pay to betray the trust of the public, and -journalism becomes a more attractive profession exactly -in proportion as it offers a field where self-respect is at a -premium and bosses are unconsidered. The new journalism -demands men of high character and good habits. The -old story of the special writer who, when asked what he -needed to turn out a good story for the next day’s paper, -replied, “a desk, some paper, and a quart of whiskey,” -does not apply. One of the specifications of every request -for writers is that the applicant shall not drink. Cleanliness -of life, a well-groomed appearance, a pleasing personality, -are essentials for the journalist of to-day. The -pace is swift, and he must keep his physical and mental -health in perfect condition.</p> - -<p class='c010'>That there is a new journalism, with principles and -methods in harmony with new political and social conditions -and new developments in news-transmission and the -printing art, is evident. The modern newspaper is far -more a business enterprise than was the one of three -decades ago. To some observers this means the subordination -of the writer to the power of the publisher. If this -be so in some instances, the correction lies with the public. -The abuse of control should bring its own punishment in -loss of patronage, or of influence, or of both. The newspaper, -be it published in a country village or in the largest -city, seeks first the confidence of its readers. Without -this it cannot secure either business for its advertising -pages or influence for its ambitions. Publicity alone may -once have sufficed, but rivalry is too keen to-day. Competition -brings a realizing sense of fairness. Hence it is -that there is a demand for well-equipped young men and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_277'>277</span>clever young women who can instill into the pages of the -press frankness, virility, and a touch of what newspaper -men call “human interest.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>The field is broad; it has place for writers of varied accomplishments; -it promises a profession filled with interesting -experiences and close contact with the world’s pulse. -It is not for the sloth or for the sloven, not for the conscienceless -or for the unprepared. Without real qualifications -for it, the ambitious young person would better -seek some other life-work.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_279'>279</span> - <h2 class='c008'>BIBLIOGRAPHY</h2> -</div> - -<h3 class='c012'>1. Books on Principles of Journalism</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Adams, Samuel Hopkins. The Clarion. A novel. 1914.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Bleyer, W. G. Newspaper Writing and Editing. The Function -of the Newspaper, pp. 331–389. 1913.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Hapgood, Norman. Everyday Ethics. Ethics of Journalism, -pp. 1–15. 1910.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Holt, Hamilton. Commercialism and Journalism. 1909.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Proceedings of the First National Newspaper Conference. University -of Wisconsin. 1913.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Reid, Whitelaw. American and English Studies. Journalistic -Duties and Opportunities, v. 2, pp. 313–344. 1913.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Rogers, Jason. Newspaper Building. 1918.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Rogers, J. E. The American Newspaper. 1909.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Scott-James, R. A. The Influence of the Press. 1913.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Thorpe, Merle, <em>editor</em>. The Coming Newspaper. 1915.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>2. What Typical Newspapers Contain</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Wilcox, Delos F. The American Newspaper: A Study in Social -Psychology. Annals of the American Academy, v. 16, p. 56. -(July, 1900.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Garth, T. R. Statistical Study of the Contents of Newspapers. -School and Society, v. 3, p. 140. (Jan. 22, 1916.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Tenney, A. A. Scientific Analysis of the Press. Independent, -v. 73, p. 895. (Oct. 17, 1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Mathews, B. C. Study of a New York Daily. Independent, -v. 68, p. 82. (Jan. 13, 1910.)</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>3. What the Public Wants</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Thorpe, Merle, <em>editor</em>. The Coming Newspaper, pp. 223–247; -Symposium: Giving the Public What It Wants, by newspaper -and magazine editors. 1915.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Independent Chicago Journalist, An. Is an Honest and Sane -Newspaper Possible? American Journal of Sociology, v. 15, -p. 321. (Nov. 1909.)</p> - -<p class='c021'><span class='pageno' id='Page_280'>280</span>What the Public Wants. Dial, v. 47, p. 499. (Dec. 16, 1909.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Haskell, H. J. The Public, the Newspaper’s Problem. Outlook, -v. 91, p. 791. (April 3, 1909.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Stansell, C. V. People’s Wants. Nation, v. 98, p. 236. (March -6, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Newspapers as Commodities. Nation, v. 94, p. 236. (May 9, -1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Scott, Walter Dill. The Psychology of Advertising, pp. 226–248. -1908.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Bennett, Arnold. What the Public Wants. A play. 1910.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>4. What Is News?</h3> - -<p class='c020'>What Is News? A Symposium from the Managing Editors of -the Great American Newspapers. Collier’s Weekly, v. 46, -p. 22 (March 18, 1911); v. 47, p. 44 (April 15, 1911); v. 47, -p. 35 (May 6, 1911); v. 47, p. 42 (May 13, 1911); v. 47, -p. 26 (May 20, 1911).</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. What Is News? Collier’s Weekly, v. 46, p. 16. -(March 11, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>What Is News? Outlook, v. 89, p. 137. (May 23, 1908.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>What Is News? Scribner, v. 44, p. 507. (Oct. 1908.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Brougham, H. B. News—What Is It? Harper’s Weekly, -v. 56, p. 21. (Feb. 17, 1912.)</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>5. The Reporter and the News</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Irwin, Will. “All the News That’s Fit to Print.” Collier’s -Weekly, v. 47, p. 17. (May 6, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. The Reporter and the News. Collier’s Weekly, v. -47, p. 21. (April 22, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Münsterberg, Hugo. The Case of the Reporter. McClure’s -Magazine, v. 36, p. 435. (Feb. 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Strunsky, Simeon. Two Kinds of Reporters. Century, v. 85, -p. 955. (April 1913.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Gentlemanly Reporter, The. Century, v. 79, p. 149. (Nov. -1909.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Dealing in Scandal. Outlook, v. 97, p. 811. (April 15, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Seldes, G. H. and G. V. The Press and the Reporter. Forum, -v. 52, p. 722. (Nov. 1914.)</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_281'>281</span> - <h3 class='c014'>6. Effects of News of Crime and Scandal</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>Fenton, Francis. Influence of Newspaper Presentation upon the -Growth of Crime and Other Anti-social Activity. 1911. -Also in American Journal of Sociology, v. 16, pp. 342 and -538. (Nov. 1910, and Jan. 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Phelps, E. B. Neurotic Books and Newspapers as Factors in the -Mortality of Suicides and Crime. Bulletin of the American -Academy of Medicine, v. 12, No. 5. (Oct. 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Newspapers’ Sensations and Suggestion. Independent, v. 62, -p. 449. (Feb. 21, 1907.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Tragic Sense. Nation, v. 87, p. 90. (July 30, 1908.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Danger of the Sensational Press. Craftsman, v. 19, p. 211. -(Nov. 1910.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Howells, W. D. Shocking News. Harper’s Magazine, v. 127, -p. 796. (Oct. 1913.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. “All the News That’s Fit to Print.” Collier’s -Weekly, v. 47, p. 17. (May 6, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Responsibility of the Press. Independent, v. 53, p. 2248. -(Sept. 19, 1901.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Our Chamber of Horrors. Outlook, v. 99, p. 261. (Sept. 30, -1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>The Newspaper as Childhood’s Enemy. Survey, v. 27, p. 1794. -(Feb. 24, 1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Lessons in Crime at Fifty Cents per Month. Outlook, v. 85, -p. 276. (Feb. 2, 1907.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>The Man Who Ate Babies. Harper’s Weekly, v. 51, p. 296. -(March 2, 1907.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Lawlessness and the Press. Century, v. 82, p. 146. (May 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Newspaper Responsibility for Lawlessness. Nation, v. 77, p. 151. -(Aug. 20, 1903.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Newspaper Invasion of Privacy. Century, v. 86, p. 310. (June -1913.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Newspaper Cruelty. Century, v. 84, p. 150. (May 1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Newspapers and Crime. Journal of Criminal Law, v. 2, p. 340. -(Sept. 1912.)</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>7. Yellow and Sensational Journalism</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Irwin, Will. The Fourth Current. Collier’s Weekly, v. 46, -p. 14. (Feb. 18, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'><span class='pageno' id='Page_282'>282</span>Irwin, Will. The Spread and Decline of Yellow Journalism. -Collier’s Weekly, v. 46, p. 18. (March 4, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Thomas, W. I. The Psychology of the Yellow Journal. American -Magazine, v. 65, p. 491. (March 1908.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Brooks, Sydney. The Yellow Press: An English View. Harper’s -Weekly, v. 55, p. 11. (Dec. 23, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Whibley, Charles. The American Yellow Press. Blackwood’s, -v. 181, p. 531 (April 1907); also in Bookman, v. 25, p. 239. -(May 1907.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Brisbane, Arthur. Yellow Journalism. Bookman, v. 19, p. 400. -(June 1904.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Brisbane, Arthur. William Randolph Hearst. North American -Review, v. 183, p. 511 (Sept. 21, 1906); editorial comment -on this article, by George Harvey, on p. 569.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Commander, Lydia K. The Significance of Yellow Journalism. -Arena, v. 34, p. 150. (Aug. 1905.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Brunner, F. J. Home Newspapers and Others. Harper’s Weekly, -v. 58, p. 24. (Jan. 10, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Pennypacker, S. W. Sensational Journalism and the Remedy. -North American Review, v. 190, p. 587. (Nov. 1909.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Curb for the Sensational Press. Century, v. 83, p. 631. (Feb. -1912.)</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>8. Inaccuracy</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Smith, Munroe. The Dogma of Journalistic Inerrancy. North -American Review, v. 187, p. 240. (Feb. 1908.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Collins, James H. The Newspaper—An Independent Business. -Saturday Evening Post, v. 185, p. 25. (April 12, 1913.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Kelley, Fred C. Accuracy Pays in Any Business: New York -World’s Bureau of Accuracy and Fair Play. American -Magazine, v. 82, p. 50. (Nov. 1916.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>New Credulity. Nation, v. 80, p. 241. (March 30, 1905.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Fakes and the Press. Science, v. 25, p. 391. (March 8, 1907.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Newspaper Science. Science, v. 25, p. 630. (April 19, 1907.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Gladden, Washington. Experiences with Newspapers. Outlook, -v. 99, p. 387. (Oct. 14, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. The New Era. Collier’s Weekly, v. 47, p. 15. -(July 8, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Print the News. Outlook, v. 96, p. 563. (Nov. 12, 1910.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Falsification of the News. Independent, v. 84, p. 420. (Dec. 13, -1915.)</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_283'>283</span> - <h3 class='c014'>9. Faking</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>Faking as a Fine Art. American Magazine, v. 75, p. 24. (Nov. -1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Bok, Edward. Why People Disbelieve the Newspapers. World’s -Work, v. 7, p. 4567. (March 1904.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Offenses Against Good Journalism. Outlook, v. 88, p. 479. -(Feb. 29, 1908.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Lying for the Sake of War. Nation, v. 98, p. 561. (May 14, -1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Wheeler, H. D. At the Front with Willie Hearst. Harper’s -Weekly, v. 61, p. 340. (Oct. 9, 1915.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Russell, Isaac. Hearst-made War News. Harper’s Weekly, -v. 59, p. 76. (July 25, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Hearst-made War News. Harper’s Weekly, v. 59, p. 186. (Aug. -22, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Dream Book. Outlook, v. 111, p. 535. (Nov. 3, 1915.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Hall, Howard. Hearst: War-maker. Harper’s Weekly, v. 61, -p. 436. (Nov. 6, 1915.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Pulitzer, Ralph. Profession of Journalism: Accuracy in the -News. Pamphlet published by the New York World. 1912.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>10. Coloring the News</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Irwin, Will. The Editor and the News. Collier’s Weekly, v. 47, -p. 18. (April 1, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. Our Kind of People. Collier’s Weekly, v. 47, p. 17. -(June 17, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. The New Era. Collier’s Weekly, v. 47, p. 15. (July -8, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. The Press Agent. Collier’s Weekly, v. 48, p. 24. -(Dec. 2, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Confessions of a Managing Editor. Collier’s Weekly, v. 48, p. 18. -(Oct. 28, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Tainted News as Seen in the Making. Bookman, v. 24, p. 396. -(Dec. 1906.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Baker, Ray Stannard. How Railroads Make Public Opinion. -McClure’s Magazine, v. 26, p. 535. (March 1906.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>How the Reactionary Press Poisons the Public Mind. Arena, -v. 38, p. 318. (Sept. 1907.)</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_284'>284</span> - <h3 class='c014'>11. Suppression of News</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>Irwin, Will. The Power of the Press. Collier’s Weekly, v. 46, -p. 15. (Jan. 21, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. Advertising Influence. Collier’s Weekly, v. 47, p. 15. -(May 27, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. Our Kind of People. Collier’s Weekly, v. 47, p. 17. -(June 17, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. The Foe Within. Collier’s Weekly, v. 47, p. 17. -(July 1, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>The Patent Medicine Conspiracy against the Freedom of the -Press. Collier’s Weekly, v. 36, p. 13. (Nov. 4, 1905.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Silencing the Press. Nation, v. 76, p. 4. (Jan. 1, 1903.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Stansell, C. V. Ethics of News Suppression. Nation, v. 96, -p. 54. (Jan. 16, 1913.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>A Real Case of Tainted News. Collier’s Weekly, v. 53, p. 16. -(June 6, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Seitz, Don C. The Honor of the Press. Harper’s Weekly, v. 55, -p. 11. (May 6, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Can the Wool Trust Gag the Press? Collier’s Weekly, v. 46, p. 11. -(March 18, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Holt, Hamilton. Commercialism and Journalism. 1909.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>12. Editorial Policy and Influence</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Kemp, R. W. The Policy of the Paper. Bookman, v. 20, p. 310. -(Dec. 1904.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Blake, Tiffany. The Editorial: Past, Present, and Future. Collier’s -Weekly, v. 48, p. 18. (Sept. 23, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>The Editorial Yesterday and To-day. World’s Work, v. 21, -p. 14071. (March 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Editorialene. Nation, v. 74, p. 459. (June 12, 1902.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. The Unhealthy Alliance. Collier’s Weekly, v. 47, -p. 17. (June 3, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Shackled Editor. Collier’s Weekly, v. 51, p. 22. (April 12, 1913.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Fisher, Brooke. The Newspaper Industry. Atlantic Monthly, -v. 89, p. 745. (June 1902.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Porritt, Edward. The Value of Political Editorials. Atlantic, -v. 105, p. 62. (Jan. 1910.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Haste, R. A. Evolution of the Fourth Estate. Arena, v. 41, -p. 348. (March 1909.)</p> - -<p class='c021'><span class='pageno' id='Page_285'>285</span>We. Independent, v. 70, p. 1280. (Jan. 8, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Bonaparte, Charles J. Government of Public Opinion. Forum, -v. 40, p. 384. (Oct. 1908.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Ogden, Rollo. Journalism and Public Opinion. American Political -Science Review, Supplement, v. 7, p. 194. (Feb. -1913.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Williams, Talcott. The Press and Public Opinion. American -Political Science Review, Supplement, v. 7, p. 201. (Feb. -1913.)</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>13. The Associated Press and the United Press</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Beach, H. L. Getting Out the News. Saturday Evening Post, -v. 182, p. 18. (March 12, 1910.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Noyes, F. B. The Associated Press. North American Review, -v. 197, p. 701. (May 1913.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Stone, Melville E. The Associated Press. Century, vv. 69 and -70. (April to Aug. 1905.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. What’s Wrong with the Associated Press? Harper’s -Weekly, v. 58, p. 10. (March 28, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Is There a News Monopoly? Collier’s Weekly, v. 53, p. 16. -(June 6, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Stone, Melville E. The Associated Press: A Defense. Collier’s -Weekly, v. 53, p. 28. (July 11, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Mason, Gregory. The Associated Press: A Criticism. Outlook, -v. 107, p. 237. (May 30, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Kennan, George. The Associated Press: A Defense. Outlook, -v. 107, p. 240. (May 30, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>The Associated Press as a Trust. Literary Digest, v. 48, p. 364. -(Feb. 21, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>The Associated Press Under Fire. Outlook, v. 106, p. 426. -(Feb. 28, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Criticisms of the Associated Press. Outlook, v. 107, p. 631. -(July 18, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Irwin, Will. The United Press. Harper’s Weekly, v. 58, p. 6. -(April 25, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Roy W. Howard, General Manager of the United Press. American -Magazine, V. 75, p. 41. (Nov. 1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Howard, Roy W. Government Regulation for Press Association -in Thorpe’s The Coming Newspaper, pp. 188–204. 1915.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_286'>286</span> - <h3 class='c014'>14. Ethics of Newspaper Advertising</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>The Patent Medicine Conspiracy against the Freedom of the -Press. Collier’s Weekly, v. 36, p. 13. (Nov. 4, 1905.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Adams, Samuel Hopkins. The Great American Fraud. A series -of articles in Collier’s Weekly, vv. 36 and 37. (Oct. 7, 1905, -to Sept. 22, 1906.) Published as a book, with the same title, -in 1906.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Creel, George. The Press and Patent Medicines. Harper’s -Weekly, v. 60, p. 155. (Feb. 13, 1915.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Roberts, W. D. Pursued by Cardui. Harper’s Weekly, v. 60, -p. 175. (Feb. 20, 1915.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Waldo, Richard H. The Second Candle of Journalism, in -Thorpe’s The Coming Newspaper, pp. 248–261. 1915.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Roosevelt, Theodore. Applied Ethics in Journalism. Outlook, -v. 97, p. 807. (April 15, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>The Lure of Fake Sales. Current Opinion, v. 56, p. 223. (March -1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Adams, Samuel Hopkins. Tricks of the Trade. Collier’s Weekly, -v. 48, p. 17. (Feb. 17, 1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Millions Lost in Fake Enterprises. Outlook, v. 100, p. 797. -(April 13, 1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Brummer, F. J. The Home Newspaper and Others. Harper’s -Weekly, v. 58, p. 24. (Jan. 10, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Houston, H. S. New Morals in Advertising. World’s Work, -v. 28, p. 384. (Aug. 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Stelze, Charles. Publicity Men in a Campaign for Clean Advertising. -Outlook, v. 107, p. 589. (July 11, 1914.)</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>15. Dramatic Criticism</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Confessions of a Dramatic Critic. Independent, v. 60, p. 492. -(March 1, 1906.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Armstrong, Paul, and Davis, Hartley. Manager <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vs.</span></i> Critic. -Everybody’s Magazine, v. 21, p. 119. (July 1909.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Cudgeling the Dramatic Critics. Literary Digest, v. 48, p. 321. -(Feb. 14, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Serious Declaration of War Against the Dramatic Critic. Current -Opinion, v. 57, p. 328. (Nov. 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Trials and Duties of a Dramatic Critic. Current Literature, -v. 39, p. 428. (Oct. 1905.)</p> - -<p class='c021'><span class='pageno' id='Page_287'>287</span>William Winter’s Retirement. Independent, v. 67, p. 487. (Aug. -26, 1909.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>The Newspaper and the Theatre. Outlook, v. 93, p. 12. (Sept. -4, 1909.)</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>16. Book-Reviewing in Newspapers</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Perry, Bliss. Literary Criticism in American Periodicals. Yale -Review, v. 3, p. 635. (July 1914).</p> - -<p class='c021'>Grocery-shop Criticism. Dial, v. 57, p. 5. (July 1, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Reviewing the Reviewer. Nation, v. 98, p. 288. (March 19, -1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Varieties of Book-Reviewing. Nation, v. 99, p. 8. (July 2, -1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Haines, Helen E. Present-Day Book-Reviewing. Independent, -v. 69, p. 1104. (Nov. 17, 1910.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Benson, A. C. Ethics of Book-Reviewing. Putnam’s, v. 1, -p. 116. (Oct. 1906.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Matthews, Brander. Literary Criticism and Book-Reviewing, -in Gateways to Literature, pp. 115–136. 1912.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Woodward, W. E. Syndicate Service and Tainted Book-Reviews. -Dial, v. 56, p. 173. (March 1, 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Book-Reviewing <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">à la Mode</span></i>. Nation, v. 93, p. 139. (Aug. 17, -1911.)</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>17. Newspaper Style</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Journalistic Style. Independent, v. 64, p. 541. (March 5, 1908.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Newspaper English. Literary Digest, v. 47, p. 1229. (Dec. 20, -1913.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Scott, Fred Newton. The Undefended Gate. English Journal, -v. 3, p. 1. (Jan. 1914.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Bradford, Gamaliel. Journalism and Permanence. North -American Review, v. 202, pp. 239–241. (Aug. 1915.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Henry James on Newspaper English. Current Literature, v. 39, -p. 155. (Aug. 1905.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Boynton, H. W. The Literary Aspect of Journalism. Atlantic -Monthly, v. 93, p. 845. (June, 1904.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Perils of Punch. Nation, v. 100, p. 240. (March 4, 1915.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Mr. Hardy and Our Headlines. World’s Work, v. 24, p. 385. -(Aug. 1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Lowes, J. L. Headline English. Nation, v. 96, p. 179. (Feb. -20, 1913.)</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_288'>288</span> - <h3 class='c014'>18. Newspapers and the Law</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>Schofield, Henry. Freedom of the Press in the United States. -Papers and Proceedings of the American Sociological Society, -v. 9, p. 67. 1914.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Grasty, C. H. Reasonable Restrictions upon the Freedom of -the Press and Discussion. Papers and Proceedings of the -American Sociological Society, v. 9, p. 117. 1914.</p> - -<p class='c021'>White, Isaac D. The Clubber in Journalism, in Thorpe’s The -Coming Newspaper, pp. 81–90. 1915.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Bourne, Jonathan. The Newspaper Publicity Law. Review of -Reviews, v. 47, p. 175. (Feb. 1913.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Newspapers Opposing Publicity. Literary Digest, v. 45, p. 607. -(Oct. 12, 1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Smith, C. E. The Press: Its Liberty and License. Independent, -v. 55, p. 1371. (June 11, 1903.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Gamer, J. W. Trial by Newspapers. Journal of Criminal Law, -v. 1, p. 849. (Mar. 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Keedy, E. R. Third Degree and Trial by Newspapers. Journal -of Criminal Law, v. 3, p. 502. (Nov. 1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Gilbert, S. Newspapers as Judiciary. American Journal of -Sociology, v. 12, p. 289. (Nov. 1906.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>O’Hara, Barratt. State License for Newspaper Men, in Thorpe’s -The Coming Newspaper, pp. 148–161. 1915.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Lawrence, David. International Freedom of the Press Essential -to a Durable Peace. Annals of the American Academy, -v. 72, p. 139. (July 1917.)</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>19. The Country Newspaper</h3> - -<p class='c020'>White, William Allen. The Country Newspaper. Harper’s -Magazine, v. 132, p. 887. (May 1916.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Tennal, Ralph. A Modern Type of Country Journalism, in -Thorpe’s The Coming Newspaper, pp. 112–147. 1915.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Bing, P. C. The Country Weekly. 1917.</p> - -<h3 class='c014'>20. Newspapers of the Future</h3> - -<p class='c020'>Irwin, Will. The Voice of a Generation. Collier’s Weekly, -v. 47, p. 15. (July 29, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Low, A. Maurice. The Modern Newspaper as It Might Be. -Yale Review, v. 2, p. 282. (Jan. 1913.)</p> - -<p class='c021'><span class='pageno' id='Page_289'>289</span>Thorpe, Merle, <em>editor</em>. The Coming Newspaper, pp. 1–26. 1915.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Munsey, Frank A. Journalism of the Future. Munsey Magazine, -v. 28, p. 662. (Feb. 1903.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Ideal Newspaper. Current Literature, v. 48, p. 335. (March -1910.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Murray, W. H. An Endowed Press. Arena, v. 2, p. 553. (Oct. -1890.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Payne, W. M. An Endowed Newspaper, in Little Leaders, -p. 178–185. 1902.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Endowed Journalism. Literary Digest, v. 45, p. 303. (Aug. 24, -1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Holt, Hamilton. Plan for an Endowed Journal. Independent, -v. 73, p. 299. (Aug. 12, 1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Taking the Endowed Newspaper Seriously. Current Literature, -v. 53, p. 311. (Sept. 1912.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Municipal Newspaper, The. Independent, v. 71, p. 1342. (Dec. -14, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Municipal Newspapers. Survey, v. 26, p. 720. (Aug. 19, 1911.)</p> - -<p class='c021'>Slosson, E. E. The Possibility of a University Newspaper. -Independent, v. 72, p. 351. (Feb. 15, 1912.)</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_290'>290</span> - <h2 class='c008'>NOTES ON THE WRITERS</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'><span class='sc'>Rollo Ogden</span> became a member of the editorial staff of the -<cite>New York Evening Post</cite> in 1891, and has been editor of that -paper since 1903. He edited the <cite>Life and Letters of Edwin -Lawrence Godkin</cite>, published in 1907. His article on “Some -Aspects of Journalism” was published in the <cite>Atlantic Monthly</cite> -for July, 1906.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Oswald Garrison Villard</span>, whose article, entitled “Press -Tendencies and Dangers,” appeared in the <cite>Atlantic</cite> for January, -1918, is a son of the late Henry Villard, who owned the <cite>New York -Evening Post</cite> and the <cite>Nation</cite>, and a grandson of William Lloyd -Garrison, the great emancipator and editor of the <cite>Liberator</cite>. He -succeeded his father as president of the <cite>New York Evening Post</cite> -and of the <cite>Nation</cite>, to both of which he frequently contributes -editorials and special articles.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Francis E. Leupp</span> was actively engaged in newspaper work -for thirty years, from the time that he joined the staff of the -<cite>New York Evening Post</cite> in 1874 until 1904. During half of that -time, from 1889 to 1904, he was in charge of the Washington -bureau of the <cite>Post</cite>. Since retiring from that position, he has -been doing literary work. His article on “The Waning Power -of the Press” was published in the <cite>Atlantic</cite> for February, 1910.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>H. L. Mencken</span> was connected with Baltimore newspapers for -nearly twenty years, part of the time as city editor and later as -editor of the <cite>Baltimore Herald</cite>, and for the last twelve years as a -member of the staff of the <cite>Baltimore Sun</cite>, from which he has -recently severed his connection. He is now one of the editors of -<cite>Smart Set</cite>. “Newspaper Morals” was printed in the <cite>Atlantic</cite> -for March, 1914.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Ralph Pulitzer</span>, who wrote his reply to Mr. Mencken’s -article for the <cite>Atlantic</cite> for June, 1914, is a son of the late Joseph -Pulitzer of the <cite>New York World</cite> and the <cite>St. Louis Post-Dispatch</cite>. -He began newspaper work in 1900, and since 1911 has been president -of the company that publishes the <cite>World</cite>. He takes an -<span class='pageno' id='Page_291'>291</span>active part in the direction of the editorial and news policies of -that paper.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Professor Edward A. Ross</span> has been an aggressive pioneer -in the field of sociology in this country and has written many -books on social problems. His study of the suppression of news, -the results of which were published in the <cite>Atlantic</cite> for March, -1910, grew out of his interest in the newspaper as a social force.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Henry Watterson</span>, who takes issue with Professor Ross in -his article on “The Personal Equation in Journalism,” in the -<cite>Atlantic</cite> for July, 1910, is the last of the great editorial leaders of -Civil War days. For half a century his trenchant editorial comments -in the <cite>Louisville Courier-Journal</cite>, of which he has been the -editor since 1868, have been reprinted in newspapers all over the -country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>An Observer</span> has seen much service as the Washington correspondent -of an important newspaper. “The Problem of the -Associated Press” was printed in the <cite>Atlantic</cite> for July, 1914.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Melville E. Stone</span>, who defends the Associated Press, has -been its general manager for twenty-five years. Previous to his -connection with that organization he was associated with Victor -F. Lawson in the establishment and development of the <cite>Chicago -Daily News</cite>. He has written a number of articles on the work of -the Associated Press.</p> - -<p class='c010'>“<span class='sc'>Paracelsus</span>” sketches briefly his own career in journalism -in his “Confessions of a Provincial Editor,” published in the -<cite>Atlantic</cite> for March, 1902.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Charles Moreau Harger</span>, as head of the department of -journalism at the University of Kansas from 1905 to 1907, was -one of the first college instructors of journalism in this country. -At the same time he was editor of the <cite>Abilene</cite> (Kan.) <cite>Daily -Reflector</cite>, which he has published for thirty years. “The Country -Editor of To-day” is taken from the <cite>Atlantic</cite> for January, 1907, -and “Journalism as a Career,” from that for February, 1911.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>George W. Alger</span>, author of the article on “Sensational -Journalism and the Law,” in the <cite>Atlantic</cite> for February, 1903, has -been engaged in the practice of law in New York City for many -<span class='pageno' id='Page_292'>292</span>years. He has taken an active part in the framing of New York -state laws protecting workers. Two books of his, <cite>Moral Overstrain</cite>, -1906, and <cite>The Old Law and the New Order</cite>, 1913, deal -with the relation of the law to social, commercial, and industrial -problems.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Richard Washburn Child</span>, although a lawyer, is best known -to the reading public as the author of novels and short stories, -many of which have been published in magazines. His article -on “The Critic and the Law” appeared in the <cite>Atlantic</cite> for May, -1906.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Charles Miner Thompson</span>, editor-in-chief of <cite>Youth’s Companion</cite>, -has been a member of the staff of that periodical since -1890. Previous to that time he was literary editor of the <cite>Boston -Advertiser</cite>. “Honest Literary Criticism” was published in the -<cite>Atlantic</cite> for August, 1908.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>James S. Metcalfe</span> has been dramatic editor of <cite>Life</cite> for -nearly thirty years. In 1915 he established the Metcalfe dramatic -prize at Yale University, his alma mater. His article on -“Dramatic Criticism in the American Press” appeared in the -<cite>Atlantic</cite> for April, 1918.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Ralph Bergengren</span> has been cartoonist, art critic, dramatic -critic, and editorial writer on various Boston newspapers, and is -a frequent contributor to magazines. “The Humor of the Colored -Supplement” is taken from the <cite>Atlantic</cite> for August, 1906.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>James H. Collins</span>, whose article on “The American Grub -Street” appeared in the <cite>Atlantic</cite> for November, 1906, is a New -York publisher, best known as the writer of articles on business -methods published in the <cite>Saturday Evening Post</cite>.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c006' /> -</div> - -<div class='section ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>OTHER ATLANTIC TEXTS</div> - <div>FOR THE PROGRESSIVE TEACHER</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/i_293.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -</div> - -<div class='section ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>ESSAYS AND ESSAY WRITING</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>Edited, with Notes and Introduction, by <span class='sc'>William M. Tanner</span></div> - <div class='c006'><em>University of Texas.</em></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'>This book is a collection of about seventy-five short familiar essays -selected from the Contributors’ Club of <cite>The Atlantic Monthly</cite> -and specially edited for use in advanced high school work, as well as -in college English. The selections, of about one thousand words -each, are classified under five types of the familiar essay, each type-group -preceded by a concise statement of its distinguishing characteristics. -An introduction, with suggestions for study, specific questions, -and a list of 250 suggestive titles for original essays, renders the volume -unusually valuable as a textbook for classes in composition.</p> - -<p class='c010'>It is the aim of <cite>Essays and Essay Writing</cite> to encourage the student -in discovering his own ideas and in expressing his thought in as clear, -personal, fresh, vigorous, and correct style as he can develop. An -attempt is made to assist both student and teacher to get away from -the rather trite, impersonal composition, or ‘weekly theme’. Originality, -clearness, simplicity, ease, and naturalness of expression are -qualities emphasized throughout the book.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Among the titles included in the Table of Contents are essays -on such everyday subjects as ‘The Saturday Night Bath’, ‘Furnace -and I’, ‘The Daily Theme Eye’, ‘On Noses’, and others, which readers -of <cite>The Atlantic Monthly</cite> have particularly appreciated, and which -both students and teachers have welcomed with new interest.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>For advanced High School and College Classes.</div> - <div class='c006'><em>Examination copies sent to teachers on request.</em></div> - <div class='c006'>$1.00, postpaid; school rate, 80 cents, carriage additional.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='section ph3'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>ATLANTIC NARRATIVES, First Series</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>Selected and Edited by <span class='sc'>Charles Swain Thomas</span>, A.M.</div> - <div class='c006'><em>Head of the English Department, Newton (Mass.) High School, and Lecturer in the Harvard Summer School</em></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'>This book contains twenty-three short stories of unusual merit -which have appeared in <cite>The Atlantic Monthly</cite>. Chosen for their -high literary value and for their freshness, modernity, and human -interest, these stories are typical of the best work of John Galsworthy, -Dallas Lore Sharp, Henry Seidel Canby, Katharine Fullerton Gerould, -E. Nesbit, Margaret Prescott Montague, and other leading -writers of England and America.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Although a delightful book for the general reader, <cite>Atlantic Narratives</cite> -is published especially for use in college classes in English. -In addition to acquainting students with the best in contemporary -short stories, it will help them to compare and discuss intelligently -the most eminent story-tellers, <em>not of yesterday, but of to-day</em>—the -men and women who are <em>now</em> writing for our better publications, and -whose works must be included in any scheme of education in English -which is not one-sided.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The volume contains a general introduction, including a suggestive -discussion of the modern short story, critical comments upon each -story, and brief biographical notes. The editor has aimed to make, -not a ‘textbook’ containing short stories, but a book of short stories -so good that it will be used as a text.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><cite>Examination copies sent to teachers on request.</cite></div> - <div>$1.00, postpaid; school rate, 80 cents, carriage additional.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='section ph3'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>ATLANTIC NARRATIVES, Second Series</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><em>in preparation</em></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'>Similar to Atlantic Narratives First Series, but intended for the -use of younger students, this collection of Atlantic short stories -is selected and edited for secondary schools.</p> - -<div class='section ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>THE ATLANTIC CLASSICS SERIES</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<p class='c009'>Although both series of ATLANTIC CLASSICS are intended -primarily for the general reader, both are being used with success -in classes in American literature. These collections of <cite>Atlantic -Monthly</cite> essays present the work of some of our best contemporary -authors. The fact that these distinguished men and women are still -writing, cannot fail to quicken the student’s interest both in them -and in the essays as subjects of study.</p> - -<div class='section ph3'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>ATLANTIC CLASSICS, First Series</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<p class='c010'>The sixteen essays in this volume include among others: ‘Turtle -Eggs for Agassiz’ by Dallas Lore Sharp; ‘A Father to his Freshman -Son’ by Edward Sanford Martin, ‘Reminiscence with Postscript’ by -Owen Wister, ‘The Provincial American’ by Meredith Nicholson, -‘The Street’ by Simson Strunsky, ‘A Confession in Prose’ by Walter -Prichard Eaton, and ‘Our Lady Poverty’ by Agnes Repplier.</p> - -<div class='section ph3'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>ATLANTIC CLASSICS, Second Series</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<p class='c010'>Among the essays contained in this collection are ‘Every Man’s -Natural Desire to be Somebody Else’ by Samuel McChord Crothers, -‘The Devil Baby at Hull House’ by Jane Addams, ‘The Greek -Genius’ by John Jay Chapman, ‘Haunted Lives’ by Laura Spencer -Portor, ‘Jungle Night’ by William Beebe, and others of equal interest -to the general reader and to the young student.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>Suitable for College and advanced High School classes.</div> - <div class='c006'><em>Examination copies of either book sent to teachers on request.</em></div> - <div class='c006'>Each $1.25, postpaid; school rate, 83 cents, carriage additional.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div><span class='sc'>THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS, Inc.</span></div> - <div class='c006'>41 MOUNT VERNON STREET, BOSTON</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c006' /> -</div> -<div class='tnotes'> - -<div class='section ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - - <ol class='ol_1 c005'> - <li>Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling. - - </li> - <li>Archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed. - - </li> - <li>Footnotes have been re-indexed using numbers. - </li> - </ol> - -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Profession of Journalism, by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PROFESSION OF JOURNALISM *** - -***** This file should be named 61982-h.htm or 61982-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/1/9/8/61982/ - -Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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