AN EDITOR'S RETROSPECT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2237, 14 January 1897, Page 20

AN EDITOR'S RETROSPECT.

The Weekly Scotsman of the 28fch ■ November contains the following review of a bonk written by the gentleman who is ju«b at present oa a visit to this city : — "An Kditor's Retrospect" is the title of a nowly-published book, in which £5? C. A. Cooper, editor of the Scotsman, tells the story of his 50 years' connection with newspaper work. Mr Cooper, writing of his early days as a reporter in London, tells this story of an encouuter with Thackeray, whoie first lecture on •« 'j['tj C Four Gooses "he had reported On the taorning whan the report appeared a note from Thackeray was put into my livid* at the office. In it he simply asked that the gentleman who had reported his lecture would call upon him. I was mightily proud of the invitation. I pictured to myself the interview, thought of praises which would be given me. I knew the report was accurate, as far as it went, and it did not eofcer into my mind th&t fault would be found with me. I went, and was brought to Thackeray. He rote from his chair, and standing with his back to the fire, beckoned me to a seat. Then the conversation began. "Are you the young man who reported my lecture ? " he asked, "lam." "Do you know, sir, tbafc you have douo your bsafc to deprive mo of my living ? " " Nc," said I, in sheer asbonishmant. " You have," he said. " I make my living by delivering those lectures. If they are reported, no one will come to hear them, and I shall not be wanted." " That vi&w of the matter never occurred to me," I eaid somewhat nervously. "I bad no other object than to ltt the general public who could not hear the lectures kaow what they were like." "No doubt," he said ; "but there are people who will be satisfied with your reports, and I shall be deprived of my just gains as a worker." | " Was the report good as far as it went ? " j " Confound it, sir, that is what I complain of. ! If thn report had not; been good, I should not I have cared. The public would have seen tba l; ! it was rubbish that I could not have written." i "In that case," said I, "as I have not | wronged you by incapacity or stupidity, you have nothing to complain of save my ignorance of your position. That ignorance is now removed, aud of course, so far as I am concerned, I shall respect your wishes." " Thank you. Is there anyone else to bo consulted?"' 41 Of course," I replied, " the editor may have views of his own, &nd I must do his bidding. But I have no doubt that when I tell him whab you have said, he will not require the lectures to be further reported." " Then you will tell him ? " " Yes ; as soon a3 I see him." " Thauk you. Then that matter is at an end." I was rising to go when he said, " And now, young sir, what do yt v think of tha lecture ? " " I thought it very clever," I replied ; " but I thought you had used a great deal of cleverness in trying to hide a kindly heart under cover of cheap cynicism." "Confound ifc," he said, "you are frauk enough. What do you mean by cheap cyniri«m ? " "Well, I am scarcely prapared to answer that question off-hand." " I thiok you should try to tell me what you mean It sounds like harth criticism ! " "Please remember ifc is the criticism of a very young man. Perhaps it is impertinent." "I asn sure you did not mean to be impertinent, and I should like to know what was ia your mind'"

* "I thought the lecture was cynical. You will, I think, admit that it ia." He nodded ; and I went on. " Ib struck me that the cynicism was what any clever man who chose to give his mind to ib could produce, and therefore I spoke of it ss ' cheap cynicism.' " " Thank you," he Paid, wifch a smile. " Pertaps you are right. Bub no one has ever »aid such a thing to me before. Don't ioongine lam offended. Ex oribus varvulorum ; you know the rest." AN INGENIOUS " LINER." Here is one story of many that Mr Cooper tells of "liners" : — " Truro was some question agitating tho church at tht time — I forget whot it waH. Tho lioer book advaotaga of the fact aud made many pounds out of ib. He began by writing paragraphs describing the rise of a movement among some of the clergy, whose names were not given on the ground that as they were going to deal with the doing* ct their ecclesinatical superiors, ifc wm nob desirable that they should be individually known. 'Tha p?iragv&uhs wave printsd. They iuctossed in miajber «nri grsw laager. Then the anonymous olerjjy men began to hold meetings and to make speeches. These were duly reported. They were certainly interesting, and soon they furnished topics for leading articles. I forget how the fraud was discovered, but discovered it was. Them was do such movement a» thab described Thovo had never bteu such n. mnveme»t. No meetings had been held ; no speeches ho-d been delivered. The- reports were tbo invention of the liner. They were clever. He had contrived to introduce variety into them. While they were directed to the same end they did nob advocate the saroe methods, aud they T?e.-t» nob in the same style. Iv short, they might have been genuine — ouly the> wwh noh." ALKXAN'DKR UVSSKL. In 1868 Mr C'jc-p r cmne to Edinburgh as assistant to Mr AU'Xftuder RiiJSttl, editor of th« Scotsman, of whom he has, of course, much to say. Among his social acquaintances Kussel passed for a jovial, rather boisterous being, who • laughed at difficulties and at tho world gener- ! *123. Iv society he was all thab: ia hn work ! he was a ncrrcms, anxious man, who gave ell i his mind and all his attention for the time bsiug to the subject on which be was engaged, and who would often discuss thab subject conversationally for some time befora he wrote, as if he were most anxioas to be sure of the ground on which he stood. Thut was prudent ; bub ib was nob the side of his ohfvntctar thab was seen wifcb. those with whotn he dised. I Shortly aftnsr R'ns«i had crifcicmed with much humour * some Highland minister who hßd denounced dancing, he w&b taking a holiday ,and found bimself travailing by coach in Subherlandshire. There was some stoppage at a hotel door, round which were staudiug stveral of the men of the place whoje dny's work it cimtnonly was to watch the coach arrive aud deport. Rucse.l noticed two or three of these industrious men looking at him and overheard their words. " See that man sitting on the coaoh P" " Yes ; who is he ? " " Don't you know him ? " " No ; who is he ? " " That is the Enemy of tho People of God, It is Ruisel, the editor of the Scotsman." HIS LAST HKBTINO WITH MR Ur,AT)STO??E. This is an account of the la&t inrebing between Mr Cooper and Mr Gladstone. They were both guests of Sir Donald Carrie on board the Tautallon Castle :—: — " On the Monday mo-niny, Mr Henry Gladstone came to me and asked me if I had any objection to »cc his father. Certainly I oould have none. Mr Gladstone was rittiog ab the lower end of one of the long tables. We want to him, and Mr Henry Gladstone mentioned my name. "'How do you do, Mr Cooper?' said Mr Ghd stone. 'Ib is a long time since we last met.' " ' Ib is, sir.' " • How long is it since we last met ?' "•Nearly 10 years, I think. Ib was at ! DaJmeny during the general election of 1885. We had then a long walk together in tho woods. . . .' " ' I am Rorry I have not had an earlier opportunity of talking with you while we have been on bo*rd this ship. My imperfect vition, though it is helped by the spectacles tbey hava ; given me, prevents ma from recogni'ing faces, i except of those who are always about me.' j "♦ Mr Gladstone, I have not beea willing to intrude upon you.' "♦ I wish you had. I am an old man, conscious that I stand on the verge of the grave, j and I should have liked to tell you that though j political affairs have now little or no interest for j me, I have baen impressed by the honesty of purpose with which you havu couduoted your { paper. Ido nob tend many newsoapnrs — and i have not done so for some time, — but. parJ ticular m&tbera in newspaper!! are brought; ur:dar my notice, and what yon have wribheo has often j been brought before me. We have differed. I | could not agree with you. I think you have ■ bei-.n wrong. But I have been impressed by . your straightforwardness and earnestness in ! enforcing your views. Perhaps if there had ; bean a» much Rtr&ightforwurJniiss iv other ; quarters it would have been better.* ; "' I cannot say, Mr Gladstone, how deeply I I feel your commendation. Let me thank you for |ib with all my heart. But I have no right to : occupy your attention longer.' "