The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-12-15

more than double the circulation of the
entire press of the country in 1Sl0-66
years ago. In 1924 a circulation OF
1000 for New York daily was con-
sidered immense. The Sun, which
now has the largest daily issue, sells
as high as 13s, 1000 copies a day. while
several others range in the neighbor-
hood-of 100000.
In 1928 the whole number of papers
had reached $50, with an aggregate
yearly circulation of GS,1I7,7 copies.
In 1910 the number of papers had
grown to l,63l-total yearly circuIa-
ton, l95. s3s,673 copies. In 1850 the
number of papers was 1896 total
yearly issue, 426s409,9 1913. The next
ten years, from 1850 to 1860, the num-
Der had nearly doubled, and stood at
4,50l, while the aggregate yearly issue
considerably more than doubled, being
927, 95l ,54s copies. In 1870 the num-
Der had advanced to 5.s71-total an
nual circulation, 1,5Os, 54s, $50 copies.
This year, as we learn from Centennial
statistics furnished by Rowell, the
number or papers has reached S,129-
an increase of 2,25S in the last six
years. But we are little surprised to
learn from the same source that, while
the number of publications has in
creased SO rapidly, the total aggregate
circulation has decreased since 1870,
25s,523, 500, it being this year put down
at O,O24 $50. This falling off can
be accounted for, 1 think, solely on ac-
count of the hard times of the last
three or four years. Several of the
leading papers, we all know, have lost
heavily from this and other causes.
The United States print more papers
than all the rest of the world.
The increase In ability, enterprise,
respectability, responsibility and use
fulness of the American Press has kept
pace with its rapid growth and devel-
opment In numbers and circulation.
To the papers themselves belongs most
of the credit for this advancement.
They have created the demand tor
papers. They have educated the peo-
pie up to the point of making it i'm
possible to DO without these advocates
and friends of civilization. Who that
wishes to keep up with the times
thinks of living without his Newspaper /?
None but the deadest and stingiest
fOgy. There Is a very marked i'm
provement in the personnel of the
Press in the last quarter of a century.
The half-vagabond, half dead-beat, who
was so common In the newspaper office
twenty-five years ago, has taken q back
seat; SO has the dingY, verdant lock-
ing paper, in great measure. The
newspapers are far better printed
to-day than then-are cleaner looking,
more enterprising and much better
fed. There is another cause of especial
congratulation. The editorial whisky
bloat is rapidly leaving the field. while
his place is being taken by the man
who has some respect for his business
and his personal and financial standing.
The kind Of "critters who take the
500 offered them by some over-ambi-
tious politician, to start metropolitan
have Joined the procession
whose banner is labelled " defunct."
The enterprise of the Press of to-day
is worthy of note, and this furnishes
the key to the principal share of its
rapid advancement. An instance or
two. During the Franco-Prussian war
the enterprise of the New York Trib-
une was marvellous. By it we were
enabled to read the account of great
battles before it was even known at
the German capital that there had
been a fight. An hundred years ago
three months news from England was
deemed fresh. To-day we have our
cable messages from European cities.
They reveal the policy of Bismarck !;
tell US how the Pope's govt is getting
along, and record the movements made
yesterday by the people of the Eastern
world. In 1775 It was Paul Revere,
the editor, who, on fleet horse and by
midnight rides, dashed from village to
village, arouslng the Sons of Liberty
to action and to glory. To-day the
editor sends his paper, and it goes
further In an hour than Paul went in
a night. At It's destination It finds an
and expecGant people waiting
TO consult its pages and its opinions.
I believe no paper has yet been enter
prising enough though to tell who was
elected President % days ago, but
that is not their fault. The industry
of the press in gathering news is far
greater than eyer before. Every en-
village and hamlet has its
and every town and
city its associated press agent
I can but touch Hpon the
subject of the grow
ing influence and power of the
press. While these are mostly ST.
lent and unobserved by the public,
there are not wanting abundaAt in
stances of the direct power of Journal
ism. All remember Horace Greeley's
"a On to Richmond" editorials. The
was sick with dissappoint-
ment at the slow movements of the
army in front of Washington, and
thoroughly Disguised with the g old,
old story, " " all quiet on the Poto-
mae. " The "old man " who sat on
the throne In the Tribune office took
up his little pen and gave the COM
nand, On to Richmond. The Po-
tomac army moved. The demand of
the Tribune could not be resisted.
Perhaps the most noticeable recent
achievement of an earnest paper is
found In the utter annihilation, by
the New York Times, of the band of
thieves and robbers in that city, who
had been plundering the public treas
ury for years. In the brief space of
six months q man whose evil Influence
permeated every condition of society,
and whose grasp en- the public me1