Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1877-07-07
THE NEWSPAPER-ITS DUTY AND
ITS INFLUENCE.
Address Delivered Before the Mis-
souri, Press AsSOCiation, AT
Ered.riCkIOwm, No,
June 6th, 1877.

erS' Association of Missouri: For the
first time have the pleasure OF meeting
with yVu IN your annual gathering.
Though practically 4 member OF what
has been iaCctIOuSly called the Pres,
trang, for several Years, and proud /" be
associated in work and sympathy with
men surpassed by none in the Iand in in
tellIgcnCc, usefulness and patriotism,
have hitherto been unable tp iuin VOu on
these occasions; Il tact which have trc-
quenti V regretted. 1t is. therefore with
more than ordinary pleasure that have
met You and been permitted to greet 50
many who are my friends and ;" MANY
others who hope Will be.
Newspaper lie is. by no means. path
OF roses; II has more in il perhaps OF
poetry and sentiment than many other
pursuits, and possesses a strange ta-cin-
alton which we all acknowledge while
We do not understand it: and which Al
most lnv9riably allures its follower back
to the work, wander from il as he may
1t Is nevertheless 4 hard life. studded
with trials uncndiug. and bcSrt with
.abUr. difficulties and veXationS that Try
The patience. temper. heaIth, and man
hood, aS do few other occupations. and
II seem, to me cmincntlV proper that
those engaged III 50 ardUuus 4 pursuit
should At least once q wear cast asiNe
| the cares OF the S"I,rtt'U, and ~crk that
relief which UverwOrked humanity iueN-
( orab!y demands, in friendly association
with each other | know that very many
condemn these gatherings upon the
ground that they do 50 little practical
w"rh. 10 such. presume, Il series Of
resolutions, Il table Of advertising ru e.
and rates, made only to be broken hr-
! cause the habits and necessities of Ii.-
/ iGrcnt communities are rs varied ~ are
the ln!nd> ui the people who compose
/ them, Wot..d be 4 recommendation But
| III my opinion the chief value Of these
associations and these gatherings is IN
the personal icquantanceS made and
/ friendships formed which link Us to-
| gcth"r IN 4 roml4unitE OF interest. and
. by still stronger ties that outlast time
and sense. /" this agency NOR" than to
/ any other, @ent.cnel, | believe we must
/ louh tor thcaholItOu u now >paper quar-
re.s, which are both degrading ard UNI
| profitable, and for the dIscuutuuauce of
| personalities which lower the mora
| standing OF the men OF the press and
| destroy their influence in the community.
| Before the press can rise to its true
dignity and take the part il in ,hc
! grand drama OF human progress in which
we are all actors. rs Il great educator.
monitor and civilizer OF men these
! Dlotche> and toui eNcresence> must be a.
/ tar removed from journalism us they are
. Inconsistent with il dignity and its mis-
/ sion He who enters up0n such It work
] - !,
| worthy the association oi Respectable,
Journalists and should be promptly cast
uut a. an intruder Man was intended
! for socla. intercourse. Hermit or re-
clu>e has never yet originated or per
/ iected 4 great work reduunding to the
! advancement OF man. 1t IS III the at
, trtIono Of society that manners are
! formed, as the rough and angular peh-
bles become smooth and round in the
/ flowing water; it is in the clash of opim-
! i"n> thar great thnughtS are evolved IL
/ the lightning leaps from the bosom of
! the clouds that meet in mIdhcavcn, and
so II is in the associations OF men that the
kindly sympathics OF human nature are
evoked to blossom IN acts OF good Wi
and dittu,c the radiance OF charity ovcl
mans pathway. And am persuaded
that this association and these gathering,
are DOING this work that Their i less a.
| Unnan.y and ungcueruu~ de- yavtlpn %
each other 10y men of the rr>>. thar
formerly, and that those who still en-
| rare in it t. their own di>hOuur and the
disgust nt their readers arc GENERALLY
lucu whose over SCrupUluu> morality ul
sour a>Ccticism. has SmUthere! ur de
stroyGd their capacity tor >ocia, enjoy.
mcnt and their regard for their fellows
and induced them to stand strictly aiou
from this means OF editorial grace.
And another great snd. gentlemen. i
has seemed to me might be sccurcc
through these associations. TheS,
meetings and interchangcS of thought
leading us to magnify our calling ant
encouraging among us what. i'll army
circles. would be called the esprit 4,
corps ought to lead TO a more pronounc
ed independence OF the press and con
,equent increase OF power. The pres:
of this country needs Il declaration o
independence.
Ii needs it because it i. subjected I,
influences to which it should be superior
and is often controlled by men and IN
tcreStS to which it should be the deadly
foe. We talk much OF 4 free pres
when in fact. with few exceptions, thcr,
Is no such thing rs a free press. W,
habituaily talk, also. of the power of tn,
press for good. while We in practic,
constantly undcrrate that power an,
make il SubServlent to bad men and cvI
policies.
And. in rejecting upon this subject
have frequently asked myself, what i,
| nd b.,, q
a loss to satisfactorily answer the ques
ton have found it easier to say
what is not Il irc" press that what is. 4
Tree press can never be a partisan press
1t can never be blind uurras Dning
follower ofparty accepting its measures
endorsing its men, and in all things bow
ing to its dictatiOn without opinions ol
principles of its own. a free press cal
never DC Il party organ to grind out JUS
such tunes rs party managers may as
sign 1t. and none others. | know o
nothing more repugnant to a freeman
than that
ITO do all thes. things We're to be born knav"
To live Il slave and die u coward -
For my part, and | am sure but echo
the thought of each one OF You, | woulo
rather he dog. wearing the collar and
ltIl'" !lir- iii' iit'lS Va i'iA'NA'i iiI'AI
fashioned in God-like image, lay my
manhood nj the feet of party manager,
or the creatures of caucus. lie who cal
do this and not feel within him {;
nauSeating sense of disgust at his OWL
abasement may. in Gods inScrutahit
wisdom. have been intended for som,
work in his life, but he was never made
tor an editor.
would not have You infer that tre,
press may not properly bc connected
with a party, the advocate and defender
oil ltS principles and the supporter of it.
men. There is an immense ditlcrenC,
between the party press and partisan
press In one may be found the highe-
development of journalistic power, an,
i'll the other nought but ;lbascmcnt ant
prostitution. Parties may be said /,
exist only in tree governments. Under
dcspotic rules there may be cabalS, in
trigucs cuiminatin. frequently in insur
rections, rcbelTions and the destruction
of government, but political partic:
tlourishing only in the sunlight OF Tree
opinions. free speech and free action
Hence they find their greatest develop
ment under tree government, and areah
Solutely essential to it. 1t were far casIe
for the sea to retain its purity withou
the tides and winds that lash its water
into billows and dash them with rest
less energy upon its shores, than for