Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-10-13
THE IOWA VOTER.
KNOXVILLE, Der. 10, 1870.


viii grow with each succeeding year,
every one must see. The constant
augmentation Of ifs power during
the past thirty years is one Of the
most momentOus facts Of the times,
or OF the history Of the human race.
And yet much has to be done before
It will reach that degree Of perfcc-
ton, in respect to the supply Of cur
rent intelligence, which is sure to be
its destiny. This might seem to be
n singular observation, seeing what
the press has already accomplished;
that the events Of distant continents
reports OF great meetings, the
transactions Of commerce and fl
nance, the details Of battles, revolu-
lions, the triumphs Of craftsmanship,
OF thought and science--are read by
all intelligent persons within few
hours Of the occurrence Of those
events. We can almost hear the
firing Of the guns in France; we can
almost see the Italian army entering
the ancient capital Of the world.
When we think about all these
achievements Of lightning and the
lightning press, we may ask what
more can be done?
Before answering that question, 1t
may be well to see what already has
been done. The different portions Of
the world are connected together by
submarine telegraph cables, in oper-
alton, or soon to be, reaching over
q, 900 miles in extent. All these are
completed except that from Panama
to Peru, that from Singapore to Ba-
tavia, and that from Singapore to
Hong Kong, which are expected to
be in operation I'm 1871.
1t will be seen that the great EN-.
pire Of Brazil Is still isolated from
the rest Of the world. There are
also many interesting portions of the
earth, among them the land where
Christian civilization itself had its
origin, which are still of "the olden
time long ago." But the great de-
sideratum in respect to submarine
telegraphs is Pacific cable between
the United States and China. An
other IL, an Atlantic cable, owned
and controlled by an American COM
pany. More than thirty-five years
ago, Prof. WheatstOne announced
the fact that an electric current could
he passed 2sS,000 miles; or eleven
times round tho earth, in one second.
notwithstanding the wonderful
achievements which have been made
in telegraphy, Europe does not use
II for public intelligence to anything
like the extent that America does.
II might seem that In this, as In SO
many inventions, American enter
prise Is necessary to grand success.
When there shall he two or three
times rs many miles Of submarine
cable as now, and Ave or six times as
many land lines, with American en-
terprise infused into the press, the
interesting and important events Of
the whole world will be known ev-
crywhere on the day of their oc-
currence.
Nor is 1t to be supposed that with
the improvement made In the press
in respect to current intelligence,
progress will not take place In other
respects also. It's thought will be
more mature, It's opinions more COR
rect, its sentiment more liberal, its
principle more elevated. With the
extension Of the field for news, the
character Of news may he expected
to improve. Accounts Of horse races,
prize fights, and private scandal, will
be banished by accounts of more i'm
I,ortant events. And the influence
Of this change can but be most bene-
fetal to the press; so that we may
confidently trust the time is coming
and Is not very far distant, when the
treat duly journals Of the world will
throw their weight OF influence and
power IN behalf Of Christian civiliza-
ton, and the culture, refinement,
and genuine happiness Of mankind,
aud without losing one j0t Of enter
prise either Chicago Post.
How the I'm migrants Come.
Capt. Is. Il. Jeanson, q Swedish
minister, and the General Scandina-
vian Agent Of the American Emf
grant Company, has lately been on a
tour through the west inspecting the