River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-12-19
Tho Homo Ncwsnnner.


can scarcely be appreciated. As pub
lie institution it was formerly ignored
but to-day its Importance is recognized
aud avowed by respectable MAORI '
of every intelligent community. Its
character is what the public make it,
since it is impossible for it to be any
thing else. 1t was once looked upon
as strictly personal matter in which
the community had no more interest
than they had in the success or failure
Of pack-pedlar. But nowadays the
citizens of every town and hamlet point
with pride to their newspaper, if they
have one; or with regret refer to the
fact that they have none. 1t is not per.
haps that people desire popularity at
home, but because they would be
respected abroad, that they take an in
terest in the success of their home news
paper. This incites men to good deeds;
it encourages them to keep up the good
name of their place, and fixes a restraint
upon those who may be tempted to do
evil Then, too, the newspaper aids to
develop town. and does more to build
it up than oil the moued men you can
pack into it, In fact the monied men
are almost pOwerless without the aid Of
newspaper. This fact is PLAIN to all,
and there is no better index to the
character Of place than
the newspaper il supports or starves.
As matter of necessity, the home
newspaper is made up of it, surround
ings; its character partakes largely of
the character of its supporters. This
is inevitable; it is the legitimate result
of organic social law. THIS fact we
might clearly demonstrate, but that is
not the object Of this article.
IT'S true that the home newspaper
must pcsse,s some vitality of its own,
it must emit light; it must sometimes
sparkle with scintillations Of wit; il
must possess warmth, but it cannot
flourish without external aid, and this
aid becomes part Of itself. No one
is proud of staryehng, nor are they
profitable to maintain. This rule holds
good every where, and in every de-
partment ofsocial, domestic AMI bust
ness life, nor does it need single ex-
ample t. illustrate its truth.
As to the management Of these
institutions, every man has his peculiar
theory; but, like every thing else in
art and science both theroy aud practice
are constantly changing. The man
ners of society are far from what they
we're twenty-five years ago, Perhaps
there is no more striking illustration of
this than is seen in the manner of cen.
Quoting religious services. From long
prayers, often of au hour or more, dur
ing which the congregation used to
stand--the most dolorous singing, aud
two to four hours discourses Is some
times called sermons, we have reached
the easy position, quick music, and
sharp, pointed sermons of the present
day
The same degree Of improvement is
reached by the newspapers, though its
most marked features, and its rapid adj
vancement will be found within the
last decade. Formerly both editors
aud correspondents dealt largely in met
aphor--made strange, and sometimes
ridiculous efforts at rhetorical -four.
ishes, and brandshed lengthy, incom.
preheusible sentences before their won.
dering readers. To-day they deal in
local items, use plain language, and
make themselves familiar, if not agree
able, to all.
Hence it is that the local newspaper
has become a constituent part Of mod.
ern society, as we'll as the medium Of
current events. IL is map, so to
speak, or sort ofvivid delineation Of
the business, of the men, aud Of the
things in and around tho place from
which it emanates; aud it is spread out
before the world, or it should be, at
least, 10 such a way as to be read,
studied aud comprehended By all 10
this form it il attractive to all 10 the
old, to the middle aged, and 10 the
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