The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-04-05
OUR NEWSPAPERS.
Or. Hdllnnd hhs Word to Say Abnat the
Newspaper Press and iis Conduct.

month from tho newspaper press, says
DR.. Holland, editor of Scribner's maya
zine, have placed us under many obliga-
tions, which, we Rre bound in honor to
confess, have received little practical nc
acknowledgement. We have ondeayorcd, it
Is true, to profit by all wiso suggestions,
and tried to show our gntitude by max.
ing our monthly offering more and more
valuable TO its great host Of readers but
we have had too much tho feeling OF
Junior, or prOtCge, 10 presume TO make
any return in kind. Shall we le pardon
cd IL, for once, We break out OF this very
pleasant position OF n recipient, and Try
to realize to ourselves how much more
blessed it is to give than to receivoi
AS newspapers, simply, those OF
America are the best in tho world. The
entire globe IL mixed, md rHknd clean,
every day, OF incident, movement, and
event, to DO blnzoned upon their teom.
ing pages. Science, religion, politics,
society, commerce, mechanics, nll things
Of human concern, find place for every
fact aud phase in their columns. Tho
lightnings arO their messengers, winnow-
Ing tho midnight world with their wings,
and bearing in their boOks from the har.
yest-hOlds of thought aud action every
precious seed that hns ripened md
dropped during tho day. NOcost Of toll
or gold dismhys them. Their aOrvnnts
Rro on every battlefield, in tho thick Of
every mob, in the forests and the deserts,
on the mountninsand on the seas, watch.
ing kings, watching parliaments, sitting
by the side Of the astronomer in his
vigils, recording the message Of ihc
preacher, counting the steps Of scientific
progress, and bearing the product OF all
this enormous enterprise and industry,
morning by morning, to the homes OF
tho nation. The outcome Of this world
wide inquisition and exposition rises nj
most into tho realm OF minicle. We have
no words to express our admiration OF il
mo Phrases by which We can measure
the height and dopth and length and
breadth Of the lmgessit contains and tho
influence it exerts.
Thus much We can say with entire
truthfulness; thus much wo do say with
thorough heartiness. To preside over
q great American newspaper is to hold
and exercise one Of tie most dignihed
offices Of the world. Now, let lis open
tho newspaper, and SEQ how it looks.
Freightcd with the worlds great affairs,
loaded down with tho hopes, struggles,
misfortunes, crimes, triumphs and
achievements of humanity, we expect to
find it earnest, dignillod and catholic
The first thing We sec is half column Of
sensational headings, addressed, perhaps,
to the pruriGnt curiosity Of tho basest
mon. We opGn n Western paper, md
find over an item of intelligence, or Of
falsehood, concerning grievous scandal
the word "HELLl" in rs large letters
as can be squeezed into column. This
is followed by minor heads, every one Of
which is intonded to produce sensa.
tion. We go on through the paper, md
1t is all sensation. Oitentimes tho
headings mislead rs to the real character
OF tho Intelligence TO which they are tho
preface. All tho news chronicled Is
wrought mp into its most startling
forms. To piquo curiosity, TO miso
feeling, to Nttnet attention, to appeal to
the sense OF the marvellous, TO DO stun.
ming rather thon simple and true, mo tho
apparentmotivcs of tho conductor.
Is this an extreme casei We can
furnish papers by tho hundred that
steadily pursue this course rs a mntter
OF policy. It Is not enough that wc have
party presses in religion md politics
that give a party shnpe to everything
that comes to them. II is not enough
that wo have presses that rejoice in
scandal and crime, and tike greater dc.
light in them, and greater pains with
their details, than aro excited by those
niIairs which mark the advance Of the
world in goodness and wisdom. It Is
not enough that there Hre papers which
mold all things that they touch TO tho
personal purposes and prejulices Of
their conductors. II q thing is tamo il
must DO whipped into n startling appear.
ancc. II it is sad-inexprcssibly sad
from its badness-its badness must yield
the requisite sensation. Great and good
names aro josted with. Topics which
involve tho most precious interests OF
tho human race nro tossed flippantly
about, like the balls of iuggler, to at
tract tho eyes Of the gaping multitude.
Subjects Of which children can never
know too little are laid before the family
eye as familiarity rs il they were not
stepped in shame. Torecoiye the worlds
news, in the spirit and shape in which it
is presented to millions Of readers every
day, is to suppose that oil the worlds
momentous events are conceived in fever
and brought forth in Mysteries.
II anything wore really gained by this
course there might be poor apology
for it, but nothing evor was gained by it.
The papers which indulge in it most
nro least trusted. The moment an edi-
tor becomes thoroughly conscientious,
and recognizes tho importance and
dignity OF his position, he drops his
sensational headings with disgust. II
ho has news from Zanzibar, tho heading
OF his item states the fact; nnd il the
reader is interested in Zanzibar he reads
the itom. II he Inns important news from
Zanzibar his heading states TINT fact, and
II very important nows from Zanzibar,
that fact; and the reader finds tho facts
rs represented, and iudgca Of tho facts
and their relations without having been
misled by sensational hehdings. 1t ia q
good newspaper rule to hit every subor-
dinate, sensational head wherever the
editor secs it. All news with more than
one head Is guilty Of crime against
editor and reader alike, and deserves
decapitation.
Shall wo mention another sinl Have
we, today, any such thing in America