Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-09-03
A London Literal journal.

III one of a series Of articles on til.
newspaper press Of London, all Eng
| lish writer gives these intercstin.
facts i'll the history Of the News oi
that city: "The rise of the Dali,
News has been rendered familiar Il
most of us by Mr.. Fosters life o.
Dickens. 1t has had somewhat
cieckercd existence. Beginning un
der the most favorable auspices, il
passed through a somewhat chccrless
childhood and youth. This would
appear surprising with regard to u
journal which had Dickens and then
Foster for its editors, and lIarric,
Martineau for one of its chief con-
tributors. But the ability of many
ofits editors was, to speak somewhat
paradoXically, the source of its i'll
success. Mahv of its writer's were,
We believe, OF the class known as
dOctrinaires. Now, dOctrinaireS have
their function i'll newspapers as well
us in politics, and equally dccirin-
aires may be US harmful in one as In
the otlsr. or course, the articles in
the Daily News were models of phil
osophic reasoning, but philosophers
msy be unfit for newspapers in two
ways. First, they are usually in too
great hurry to reform the world,
and, secondly, they have the knack
of being somewhat dull. For it must
be remembered that the uses of n
newspaper are various. The portion
of its contents which is all-importani
or all-intercsting to one man, i.
neither of importance nor of interest
IN nd nr
which newspaper is occasionally
put by every man is that of killing
those hours of leisure which are the
resultant either Of want of business.
or want Of amusement, or q filled
stomach. A newspaper written by
dOcfrinaires is scarcely suited for the
functions of killing time. Thus, the
Daily News languished for wears, the
fortunes of the "high class" Liberal
journal, as it was called, being ut a
very low ebb. a reduction of price
was tried, but the result was not. we
believe, very encouraging. AT length
the FrancO-Prussian war came, aud
with it began a new cru in the Daily
News. The articles nrc now lively
without being hystericaI; the popu-
lar taste is studied and gratified. 1t
cannot be said that this increase i'm
its circulation has been wholly with.
out prejudice 10 the paper; for the
popular taste is, in many respects, by
no means a highly moral or highly
intellectual guide. But, making al
lowance for occasional mistakes, il.
must be acknowledged that the tone
of the DAILY News is elevated and
honorable alike TO its manager and
its proprietOrs. 1t has, of course,
one CRATE and glaring fault; its arti.
cles are full ofthat narrOwness which
distigurps the lin most respects) broad
and tolerant creed of English dissent.
1t clanors for disestablisliuent when
the majority of the English people
are either indiflercn, To the question,
Or unprepsred for II; and il deals
with such Irish questions rs that of
education with bigotry which shows
thaty hose who preach toleration most
loudN are often in practice intOler-
ant in tho highest degree. With
regard to the proprietOrslIip OF the
Daily News, there was an absurd
story that many of its shares were
held in Germany, and we have heard
a Frenchman cOolly attribute the Mt
titude OF the paper during the earlier
part of the Franco-Gcrman war
which, 1t is well.kmowu, was strongly
anti.GallicaR-to this, as he declared,
indutitablc fact. But there 10 no
truth Whatever In the ststemcnt;
The three Rcipal proprietors OF
the paper ir; Ss%s9s' ss GS.sss: cSssss:
Reed, membeSt Tor hackney, ana Ar'
Henry Labo0clers1