1882 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



543 



COURTESY I!N JOURNALISM. 



ADDRESS DELIVERED BY A. I. ROOT, BEFORE THE NA- 

 TIONAL CONVENTION, AT CINCINNATI, O. 



BEAR FRIENDS, I assure you I should 

 never have chosen such a subject had 

 — not Professor Cook kindly asked me to 

 take it, or, ratlier, suggested it, as it were. 

 In the lirst place, 1 do not feel sure that my 

 experience in journalism would warrant my 

 taking such a subject ; and then again, I am 

 not sure that my ideas might not be called 

 queer and singular by some. 



As this is a bee convention, I presume the 

 kind of journalism I am expected to speak 

 of is bee journalism, if I am to be allowed 

 the term ; and as we now have a half-dozen 

 or more bee journals published in our own 

 country, and about as many more in other 

 countries, it very likely behooves us to con- 

 sider well this Very matter of courtesy in 

 journalism. Are the editors and the writers 

 tor the bee journals more uncourteous to 

 each other than those of other class journals^ 

 1 trust not, although I think it has been 

 said, that all bee-men, so long accustomed 

 to stinging ways, sometimes go so far as to 

 think that stinging things in print are right 

 and proper. 



A manager of a theater once said, by way 

 of excusing himself for some things in the 

 play, that theaters are just what the public 

 demand they should be, thus throwing the 

 blame all on his patrons. Editors of bee 

 journals might doubtless say, that their jour- 

 nals are edited in such a way as to please the 

 wants and wislies of the greater number of 

 their subscribers. There may be truth in 

 this, and it would be a very convenient way 

 for us who have the journals in charge, to 

 tlirow all blame for what want of courtesy 

 there may have been in our respective jour- 

 nals on to the shoulders of our patrons and 

 contributors. It might be very convenient, 

 but it would not be right. At the same 

 time that we strive to please those who give 

 us their support, it is our duty to strive to 

 elevate and ennoble. It is every teacher's 

 duty to do this ; and what teacher should be 

 more careful tlian the editors of our jour- 

 nals? These journals go into our homes, and 

 it is to be hoped they are read by our chil- 

 dren. We all know it will not do to give 

 children all they ask for. As we are all but 

 children of a larger growth, the same rule 

 will apply to most of us, I believe. It is not 

 always well or wise to give us all we ask for. 

 All bodies are in the habit, usually, of choos- 

 ing some one from among their number to 

 look after their best interests. We have 

 teachers for our youth, pastors of our church- 

 es for grown-up children, and our papers 

 and magazines for the people at large. Per- 

 haps these latter are primarily for the pur- 

 pose of keeping us informed of the events of 

 the times ; but at the same time they must 

 exercise a powerful intiuence over the mor- 

 als of the people before whom they speak. 

 What, then, should be the character of these 

 leaders and teachers? If it is a fact, that 

 our papers and journals are to a great ex- 

 tent what we as a people demand of those 

 who publish them, what is our duty as a 

 people in the matter? Your pastor is very 



glad indeed to have you take him by the 

 hand and tell him 'that his sermons have 

 been helpful to you, and your doing so helps 

 him, perhaps more than you imagine, to 

 preach better sermons. So every editor is 

 glad to hear from those whom his words 

 reach ; and not only is he glad of words of 

 commendation, but those of kind criticism. 

 In fact, he is often led to do things he would 

 never think of doing, because some one sug- 

 gested it. Of course, these suggestions are 

 not always wise, and on this account an ed- 

 itor needs more than ordinary wisdom and 

 discrimination. 



I need hardly say that those who wield 

 the power of the press should be free from 

 and entirely above, if it were possible, all 

 feelings of prejudice, spite, or jealousy. The 

 wants and needs and rights of his readers 

 should be all equally dear to him. The pe- 

 culiarities and perhaps weaknesses of each 

 member of his large family should be held 

 sacred, and touched upon with the greatest 

 gentleness ; and he, above all others, should 

 have a wide charity. 



Think gently of the erring: 



Ye may not know the power 

 With which the dark temptation came 



In some unguarded hour. 



Whatever appears in print is a public mat- 

 ter. It is more public than any that can be 

 said in any public meeting, because it stands 

 there to be read of all men — ay, and women 

 and children too. When we have visitors at 

 our homes we are very careful to be court- 

 eous to them, and we are on our best behav- 

 ior, as it were ; for who would think of in- 

 dulging in little spites, or unkind words, be- 

 fore company ? Well, friends, I fear we 

 sometimes forget that whatever is printed is 

 before a very large company. Few can real- 

 ize how it cuts and smarts to be held up in 

 derision in public print, who have not pass- 

 ed through it. It may be urged that this 

 dread of being published is a most powerful 

 restraint to one who is strongly tempted to 

 do wrong, and I grant this, and would by all 

 means advise warning the public when the 

 matter is something demanding they should 

 be warned. I think we all agree in this; 

 but at the same time I believe in putting it 

 mildly, and using only a few kind words in- 

 stead of harsh, to do the most good. 



There is one kind of temptation into which 

 we may almost all of us be drawn, that I 

 would "speak of. Sooner or later somebody 

 will " come down " on you a little roughly, 

 and perhaps a tritle unjustly, or, what 

 amounts to the same thing, you may, if you 

 are of the proper temperament, imagine some 

 one has publicly insulted you, when such is 

 really not the case. In either instance, what 

 ought a real live man do, when publicly and 

 falsely accused? In a great many cases I 

 would say, do nothing at all. One reason 

 for giving this advice would be, because if 

 you say any thing you will say too much. 

 While it is bad for a contributor to fill a col- 

 umn or more in endeavoring to set himself 

 right before the people, it is still worse for 

 the editor to use space in this way. 



Years ago some one accused me unjustly, 

 through one of the bee journals. I have for- 



