The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-02-24
What shall we Write and Print
From the GAINESVILLE Gazette.

| AnOugntiul men eng&{5cG IN Vilc news
paper business, have long been Impressed
with the i6ea thet Enss aE,ounS Of iutel-
| igent labor is next TO wasted ia tho
discussion-of questions which have little
practical application to tho busines0 of
| life. What peoplS see in print is not
only more readily remembered than
Whist We heer, but they arc more opt to
believe is, 2nd hence it is thSt we'll
written er$icles upon political ecoaorny,
or upon theories of goveroEaental policy,
how ever impractible or uptopian, are
often more creedily deVoured even by
isrmers, thsn would the mort useful and
practicle treatise on agricultural purcuits.
| AS an illueSfafion OF ho@ readily the
pouple Of america get absorbed in ques-
ltions whose decision does zos affect shem
pacunlarily ono cent, tho impeachment
trial OF andrew Johnson may be cited O.
d case in goin&. All remember hoT ed ger
| ly everybody entered into that cOntrover-
sg aid with what zeet our whole people
Of all shades of political opinioE, followed
the trisi, day By dsy, IS ID dragged its
Slow length along. A foreigner would
have supposed, judging from the interest
laanifesSed, aud the immense amount OF
paper and ink used upon 10, that tho
lpolticei destiny ofthia people huCg upon
the iseae OF that celebrated trial, CT thab
Ic,mneTeial and financial ruiz would "a
tsureiy follow Mr Johnsons acquittal, as
weter would run down hill. Yet all re-
member very well what the result was
u hen the Senate refused to adjudge him
guilty Of the high crimes and misdemean-
ors alleged against him by the House. in
the name Of the people, and we may
guess how steadily the business of the !
Icouutry would have held on the even
tenor of It's way, had that majority Of ono
been on the other side, and an impeached
President sent into retirement IN disgrace.
No man in Wisconsin would have been
affected in his person or property, to the
amount OF one cent, except the Office
holders, whether the scale holding John
son wens up or down, yet a majority OF
! men read, thought and talked more
about the trial, than over they did about
their own futrue destiny. a sure and
Isimple cure for the bark louise would
nave been of Intimately more Importance,
than Buttlers method Of cutting short
the brief term of a bad President, by
impeachment, not shat we fail to appre-
ciate she Importance of having just and
wise rulers.
Take another example. The great
business Of the people IF Wisconsin is
agriculture, and yet of the one hundred
md fifty newspapers that are published
within her borders, only taco OF them are
d. voted especially to farming and its
hiDdred pursuits, while at least one hum
cred end forty of them spend the most
VI their intellectual force upon POLITICAL
! aaestioss! Look sgain, and worse yet:
, sthiuu concerns the human race so
nwca Is religion, and yet of the one hum
sired and ffty newspapers in Wisconsin
only three or four, and they not half sus-
aimed, pretend togive their best energies
Ia the elucidation of moral and religious
duties. Again, the subject Of sducatioa
il ono is Important as to rank next TO re-
ligion, bat there is not q publication IN
Wisconsin of tho kind, worthy OF the.
name, or that is recognized ofany use or
power as an educational force. dorticul-
ture, q great and growing interest, has no
printed advocate among the press OF the
state; Commerce none, Trade none. It
is not to be denied but that the secular
papers lend a helping hand to all those
important interests, and are the friends
Of morals, religion, agriculture, education
and business generally, but it is the le1t
hand, while the right is employed in
brandishing the political er,chopplng
logic with opponents over impractical
/, issues when it wonld be better for all
!, concerned if the disputants were chop
. lpjng wood. The legislature meets, and
the ne ,spapcrs are full of its doings, but
how few people are really affected in
"rnind, body, or estate" one jot or title,
with what they do, or leave undone?
Now the question which we desire to
submit to our brethren Of the Press, IS
this: Are we not spending more time and
labor upon unimportant themes than we
fought, and could not the secular news
papers be vastly improved by entering
, the domain Of society, and discussing
more fully those topics which relate to
our every day life? 1t seems to US that
, There is wide, unculrvated field lying
: before such journalists as have the ability
and taste to enter and improve it. Go IN
to any well regulated family, or intelll-
! gent social circle, composed OF both sexes
o and mark how seldom you hear the sub
E ipcts discussed that have been made the
q basis for elaborate leaders even In the
ablest papers that are published in the
. land. 1t is not extreme notions on pollt-
! zeal questions, more beautiful In the alb
: stract than of any practical utility, that
ELECTS conversation, but sensible views
lon our social relations, society, fashion,
f manners, morals, art, domestic enconomy,
1 the laws of health. criticisms upon fami-
e Iv government, education, the relation of
> the sexes, the public schools, the causes
e of success and failnre in life, and the
thousand and one subjects ola practical
nature in whose pleasant atmosphere we