The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-05-05
The Heroic Age Of the Newspaper.

The newspaper is the great preacher of the
age, after all though we say it who shouldn't.
It is undeniable that if it had not been for
the earnestness of the journals, maintained
with unfagging zeal from the momentinhatlon
was preached till the President bottled IL up
the country would now be pursuing the paper
road to ruin, or, at all events, the fresldehs
would have found it infinitely more difficult
to withstand the flood which over-slaughed
the hard money men in Congress. To say
nothing of the provincial press, which has
certainly shown no lack of earnes,ness and
sincerity, the journals Of the great cities have
displayed splendid abilities as we'll as a lofty
purpose in their crusade against The false and
fatal dollar that has become the object of a
fouler idolatry than its almighty prototype
of gold ever commanded. In England they
boast of their "Thunderer," but since De
cember we have had in this country score
of Thunderers. The American press has
not only numbered but Tightened. In spir
it of Lutheran boldness and determination,
it has never ceased to lift up solemn voice
of warning, reproof, exhortation and threat
ening. The light of history, the teachings Of
experience and of political economy and the
example of contemporary nations have all
been adduced in their columns to prove to
the Congressional buncombites, billiards and
rogues that they proposed an evil thing and
one that would inevitably bring speedy
punishment. In them the people found a
potent voice, which, reaching the receptive
ear and the teachable, intelligent and con-
scientious mind of the President, strengthen
ed his hands to perform the great act of his
civil career.
Once before within the last few months
the newspapers have performed like service
for the country. A war with Spain would
almost inevitably have resulted from the seiz-
ure of an American vessel by Spanish man.
-of-war had it not been for the energetic pro-
tests of the country press, for on that occa-
sion the New York papers, at least, were on
the wrong side. But then, as now, the Presi-
dent caught the voice of the people through
the medium of the newspaper press as sup
port to his own sound, strong, conservative
good sense and saved the republic from the
horrors OF foreign war.
The people must have some tribune, and
in the newspaper they have found a trusty
one. For the present, corruption and bad
faith have but small place in American
journalism. 1t will be sad day for the
country when this fact can no longer be
alleged. 1t will be sad day when men like
Butler can obtain a reputable mouthpiece
and organ--a thing which, with all his power
and skill, he has never yet succeeded in
doing. This is apparently the heroic age
of the press-the time when it has reached
its highest efficiency and usefulness, and
when its moral aims are highest and most
definite. The best papers of both political
parties are independent in the true sense
of the word. They beslow praise and blame
with great impartiality, hardly DETECTING the
scale of justice to one side or the other on
account of partizan bias. There are of course
exceptions to the general journalistic high tone
and honesty. There are still few journals
who use no weapon but the muckrake, whose
gaze is bent constantly downward and who
are never SO happy as when digging in some
unsavory garbage heap-who will 60 so far
as to create a garbage heap for the purpose Of
digging in it. These fellows are not yet
weary of rehearsing absurd fables about our
best public men, and blunt the edge of just
and useful criticism by indiscriminate evil
speaking. This, however, is an abuse which
is remedying itself. The people are much
more intelligent than these muckrake philos-
ophers assume, and their Munchausensms
are getting more and more distastetul to the
public.
The Journalistic millennium, then, has not
arrived, but in general the American news
paper, especially during the past four months,
has been something to be proud of-some-
thing to rely upon. Neither the government
nor the people can fall permanently into Sc
rious error so long as the press maintains its
present high average of ability, purity and
Influence