The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-09
About Newspapers.

us generally, but thinks marvellou,y well
of what we have to say on the financial
question. He thinks It is so good that 1t
ought to be put into a magazine. aud then
reproduced in u p ,mphlet or book.
This person makes great mistake in sup
posing that everything that IL good In a
newspaper ought TO bc put into magazine
frst, aud then into n book. He ought TO
know that the best place for good
articles on finance, or politics, or
war, or peace, or any other topic OF
public interest and importance. Is the
columns OF n daily and weekly journal
like THE Sun, numbering two hundred
and Twenty-Five thousand sub 4crbers, and
million or million and half OF readers
Tho chief purpose Of good writing and of
the presentation OF wise and practical ideas
on public affairs, is TO influence the general
judgment and to spread wide the seeds OF
truth and knowledge. Whatever mode
will best accomplish this result is the best
mode.
What IL the power or the value OF an
article In the North American Review for
example, with Its ave hundred or thou
sand readers-tbe article being ham
certain habits aud presumed neces-
sites of such journal IA regards magni-
tude and rhet ORIGIN comparison with a
newspaper article OF a columns length,
sharpened, compressed, and condensed IN
thought and expression, and carefully
made plain TO the rapid reader, such ms the
majority OF busy men must be? In the
latter case, something useful is accom-
plished for the public, on broad and liv-
Ing scale, affecting the thought, the con-
vietions, and the action OF men who are
carving on the business of the world
This usefulness is enhanced just in pro-
portion to the extent of the circle Of read
crs who are reached. In the one case this
circle Is n million and "a half, in the other il
Is "A thousand.
The essay or the review requires Of
the reader protracted thought, and lei
sure for attentive contemplation; In
short, it interests only specialists who
have time and taste for exhaustive study.
But in the newspaper the ideas are vigor-
ously and clearly expressed, shaken from
the wing with such brevity and perspcu-
business that every reader, no matter how
preoccupied, catches something of their
spirit and truth, something on which to
found "a judgment. It is in this way that the
daily press most worthily accompanies its
Office ms the educator of the general mass OF
men, and the chief agent in inspiring pub
lie sentiment. But this broad and effective
activity would be injuriously abridged II
writers occupied in such an important
function should leave it for magazine and
book writing. We must tell our hating
correspondent his advice is very bad. In
TACT, lie would diminish the influence of
the daily press, 10y getting its best writers
aud wisest heads to quit their vocation aud
go TO something else, which Is falsely as
sumed 10 be better aud more useful-an
assumption wholly unfounded. growing
out Of oldmethods OF thought and old ways
OF the world, and not recognizing the
changes which the progress of mankind
brings along with 1t. There il n demand
for the best men and the best writer's in
the newspaper press, because the world Is
getting more aud more to look TO II for
sound views and enlightened opinions:
md 1t cannot keep itself abreast OF the
times on topics of public interest unless
its writers are able to lay themselves
alongside our legislators and public preach
ers and instructors and give them solid
information aud advice worthy TO be fol-
lowed.
II the newspaper press did not have bet
ter writing on financial and other topics
than is frequently found in books of pre-
tension on the same subjects, it would
not be able to attract readers and would
fhl and be silenced. II is the very
fact that such prejudiced persons as our
hating friend are struck with our financial
articles aud recommend their being gath
ored into magazine articles and books, that
proves their superiority and shows the just
ness OF the public judgment which de-
mands two hundred and twenty-five thou
sand copies of the paper that contains
them.
But while we shall not folio W our hating
friends advice, it is nevertheless open TO
him to embark in the business himself.
Probably he could not make himself more
useful than by taking the articles he so
approves and presenting them to the
magazines, and getting them repub-
1ished and then let him compile
them all in book and circulate that.
II the magazines, owing TO their pride of
publishing only original matter, should
decline his Offer he might establish mag
hzine himself for the purpose of reprint
tng these articles if he thinks he could
thereby give our views greater force dig
nifty and usefulness.
But for ourselves, we have 10 DO con-
tent with the one daily and weekly pub
LEGATION OF our most mertorious articles,
finding our satisfaction in the fact that we
tender their perusal to an enormous num-
Der OF people, who must necessarily be
their own judges whether they will ao-
crpt the advantage we offer; of one thing
feeling quite sure, that in the vast multi
tude into whose hands they fail there will
De- under any circumstances, much
greater number who will profit by them
than II they were published in any other
FORM.
1t is very likely il our hating friend
were not 50 pIcjudiced, that he would dis
cover great merit in the treatment of
other subjects in our columns, rs well as in
that Of finance, and would be led 10 ex-
press an equal degree of admiration for