The Portland daily press., 1877-10-20
Concerning journalism.

In an article on the Harvest Moon Apple
toms Journal says:-
In olden times, when the British yeoman
studied the earth and the stars instead of ques-
tionable cheap newspapers, the recurrence OF
the harvest moon was long anticipated, and
was hailed with merrymaking.
1t is common to hear people complaining of
the evil influence Of newspapers, and some
journals are foolish enough to take up the cry,
ascribing the evils complained of to the
cheaper papers, forgetting that the newspaper
is simply mirror held up to nature, which
shows the exact state of the community in
which it is published. 1t is true there is room
for improvement, but the worst newspaper is
better than the idle Dame, Rumor, who did
is work in the good old times referred to.
Those old customs have died out because the
superstitiops upon which they were founded
have been dissipated by newspapers. The
very same objections were made, when types
were first invented, against disseminating the
Bible. How far back would the writer go for
his good old times? To the merry days Of
Robin Hood when thousands of yeom en-
robbed and maltreated beyond endurance
became outlaws and oppressed their more for
tunate or more enduring neighboIs? When
Jews were tortured to make them disgorge
their wealth, and no one dared call attention
to the outrages? What would have been the
effect of free press, like that of today, fully
reporting all those scenes, and the causes OF
them? Or would he so back to the days oi
the Merry Monarch, when the plague ragged
all over England, because there were no means
Of teaching the people sanitary precautions
We have faults enough now that need correct
ton, but the press enables the accumulated
wisdom of the nation to be constantly ham.
mering at them, and those most fagrant are
being as constantly corrected.
Perhaps there is jealousy of the power ex-
ercised by the press. This is silly, because it
is only powerful in telling the truth; truth
distorted perhaps, by the medium through
which it passes before it reaches
the Journal, but much less than it
would be if passed around in the 'good
old way" An able writer has exactly the
same power that he would have if he pub
lished in book form, and there were plenty Of
| silly books before there were foolish news
papers. When one considers the crude and
foolish notions constantly expressed in con.
versation. can he wonder that journalists oc.
casionally make mistakes? And does he moi
admire the accuracy with which so much
work is so quickly done? If he would i'm
prove the tone of the press let him patronizt
those papers which maintain the highest
standard. The supply will always keep pace
with the demand. The book of Piers Plough
man is rude but very fair representa-
tion of the sensational paper of to-day; bu
his readers were class of men who are now
educated up to higher level and such railing:
are admired now by class such as ther
lived in mud novels and never dreamed o
letters. There will always be iferent grader
ofjournalism, as there will always be differ
ent grades of books, for minds must always
differ in intelligence, and the commonplace
will probably have the largest audience fo
many age, to come, but the most exactin,
will always find, if they will intelligently dis
criminate, journals which will keep step will
them in almost any line of thought whicl
they may wish to pursue.
u