Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-06-21
THE INFLUENCE OF THE PRESS.
A graduating Oration delivered at the Com
mencement OF the Lancaster High School,
June rs, 1877 by Arthur sherman.

1 June AOy AosfBDf Artnur SHcfMhhs
No power in this country is comparable
with the influence of the press. Throughout
| the land, IRON the centers of civilization 10
the sparse settlements Of far off territories is
found the newspaper. Society in al its stages
and struggles acknowledges the press indis-
lpensble 10 its welfare. Through its medium
art, science, politics and religion find access
TO the busy millions Of our wife spread coun-
try. Human thought III all lis diversity OF
opinion here find ready outlet 10 the eager
multitude. The history Of village, town, city
and nation Is being daily recorded with the mt
nutest detail incident to growing civilization.
No power is so ceaseess in its efforts, so all
peryading in its influence and so mighty in its
results as the newspaper press OF this country
| day. From the day labOrer to the mer-
chant, from the petty politician TO the sage
| legislator, from the newsboy to The editor
| from the lowest TO the highest--all do homage
| to The constant presence and increasing power
of the printed sheets as they weekly aud daily
| supply mental food and recreation for their
myriads of readers. II is the power of the age,
| the modern educator of the masses. No one
| can pcruse the articles published in the paper
4 &c his choice without receiving a bias OF mind
from the principles and teachings therein adj
voeated. AS surely as constant dropping
wears the stone so surely will the continual
| reading of a chosen newspaper leave its im~
pressions upon the mind Thus the work of
| education commences, thought imprintng
| thought. which gives direction to the read~
! ers opiuions and actions. The intelligence,
| energy and prosperity Of our people must be
attributed to the thousands OF newspapers
published aud sustained throughout the coun-
| try. Where they exsist and flourish the most,
| there is found thu greatest activity OF mind,
The most successful industry and the largest
amount of wealth, thus clearly demonstrating
that tie press is the most potent lever the
world has yet seen for the elevation Of tho
people.
| However much the influence of the news
paper press of our country as it sends forth its
unfaiing streams of intelligence to its millions
of readers, mays Justly be prised yet there is
| much to deplore, and much to condemn in the
| increasing desire to foster the sensational and
fictitious as is too plainly evidenced in the many
newspapers of this kind which are scattering
their noxous influence Throughout the land
Think of the great numbers who seldom or
never read anything save their paper. The de.
morazing influence which is insidiously per-
| forming its terrible work in sowing the seed of
immortality and vice, and undermining those
social virtues which are tho strength and safe
guard of a free people, cannot be over estimate
ed. The multitude of youths early thrown
upon their own resources for livelihood, with
but little spare time to cultivate their minds
are particularly beguiled by this kind Of read-
ing, Eager for amusement or novelty with
unsettled principles and habits uniformed, this
large class readily become the willing, if not
principal support of those papers which de-
stroy the desires for a better, purer, and
more useful literature
N aHnnafinu aannciallv If tha vo,og r,h;cb
stimulates the appetites and passions; which
which mixes the ingredients of right and wrong
go as to confuse and mislead; which dresses
vice in the garb of virtue; which makes all
honest toll seryle or degraded; which makes
doubtful and imaginary successes the sure
path to manhood must lead to error and vice
No thoughtful person would advise such
course of instruction, yet there are millions of
readers who are daily receiving impressions
from detailed descriptions of vice and crime,
which are silently and rapidly degrading their
manhood and which will sooner or later show
their effects upon society. We wonder at the
early examples of vice aud crime, at the dis,
soluteness surrounding the rising generation,
at the frequent disrespect and insolence to-
wards parents, employers, and Others on the
part of the young. | feel no hesitation in as
sorting that this class OF papers is in the main
responsible for the destruction of moral purity
in our youth No parent or guardian having
proper sense of life and its duties would
permit the youth of his care or affection in
Discriminatory to select their associates How
much more should vigilance be exereis-
ed in selecting companions for their intsllects
and morals.
There is a great responsibility resting on
the Press as an educator of the masses The
period has arrived in history when our
| people will be Just what our newspaper edu-
cate them to be. Everybody reads it, there
| fore il has more to do with the moulding Of
character than all other influences combined.
| When we see everywhere illustrated papers
| Haunting their indecent representations, tempt,
ing the young of both sexes, VIXEN we see in
| the family the fctitions and sensational, max
ing all else stand aside until the last story is Gag.
ly perused when we behold the youth with
premature knowledge and false ideas, we are
led to ask, who are doing this work Who
are responsible? Those publisherswhose sole
object is issue immense editions and to amass
wealth, regardless ofthe consequences are re
sponsible. To do this and to attract their
hundreds of thousands of readers, the won
derfuy startling, the awfully mysterious, the
most diabocal plots, the most skilled aud ac-
complished of murders, are fashioned with
all the adroitness and varied imagination that
perverted thought and labor can devise, fur
thermore, in order to aggregate desire, at
fractions must increase, plots deepen, muir
ders be made more foul and human nature
must be made more satanic. We cry out
against the drunkard and bewail his miserable
condition; at the same time we have AND are
encouraging in our families and social circles
literature which is as truly stimulating to the
mind as intoxicating drink is to the appetite.
Responsibility goes hand 10 hand with In
duenee and power; no class of men should
learn to realize this more than the publishers
aud editors of the newspapers throughout our
land. Certainly compensation, thrift and
wealth should be the result Of their brain pow
err, but never at the sacrifice of honest princ-
pies aud moral worth; never by corrupting So
ciety and perverting its YOUTH never by
poisoning life and crushing manhood. 1t ls
more than gratifying to know that society
has no purer or nobler men than those who
are welding the pan in the newspapers and
jour nails of our country. Though corruption
may for season tester aud multiply in soci
ETY.. Though fraud and dishonesty my for a
tins flourish, though wrongs may be perpstrat-
cd and the good crushed for the time being there
stand the conscientious, the fearless and the
noble conductors -four press, who will ever,as
they have done, continue TO assail the wrong
and perpetuate the right througha free press