Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-03-01
The Educator Of the Age.

Without a question, one Of the most
important educational instrumentalities
of the present age is the newspaper. 1t
is the living, breathing, exponent of the
world. Whether it be Stanley in Afri-
ca, the Pope in Italy, the Bear in Rus
STA, the Turk in Constantinople, Glad
stone in Parliament, Cook in the Bos-
ton Monday lecture course, Beecher or
Swing in the pulpit, Blaine or Hill in
Congress, the thief in his cell, the sick
on the death-bed, the scientist in his
labratory, the inventor over his model,
the perils of land and sea, the flights of
the poets fancy,-every thing known or
imagined, is proclaimed by the ready
voice of the newspaper.
Go forth among the families of the
world, and you will invariably find that
where intelligence and thrift predoml-
nate there is the newspaper, the con-
slant teacher and companion. Ignor-
ance and superstition vanish at at its
appearance:
Notice the vast amount OF thought
and vitality put into n of the daily
issues of our metropolitan journals
With agencies and news-gatherers in
every part of the globe, and its tele-
graph ever ready to convey the results,
we find in each issue a resume of the
worlds condition.
Then, again, see the still harder toll
for the editor of the weekly journal,
who is required to sift the essential and
condense and arrange for the anxious
reader. Think you this is a small tax.
As our BULLETIN friends scan our we'll
filled pages, do they ever think how
carefully the choice of topics has been
made,-how one after another has been
rejected for a etter,-how Industrious
ly the non-essential items have been
pruned to make room for the more i'm
p%ortant? Whether thought of or not,
these are the weekly experiences of the
editors. From one weeks end to the
other, the effort is continuous. There
is no period of repose, for IN this fast
age something is happening is happen
ing every moment. Is it not evident
that between the writer and the reader
there should come to be a strong SYM
pathy and friendship. See the impress
on the national mind made by such men
as Greeley, Raymond, and Bowles.-
The of such noble champions
will ever be held sacred.
On a lesser scale, but equally precious
is the tie that binds the editor of a
weekly county paper to his loved pat
rons and friends, very many of whom
learn to sympathize with his tolls, and
appreciate his efforts in their behalf
The support of such friends is a re-
Election that adds much to the zeal and
strength of the patient toiler.
The position and influence of the
newspaper being SO prominent and po-
tent, how important then that it be in
dependent and truthful,-that it be on
the right side of all public questions,
and how carefully should parents and
instructors select those which are fit to
be read and regarded.
A suggestion might be of service in
this connection. Reading aloud is a val
liable exercise, especially in the family.
One member can read while others are
engaged in the more quiet domestic or
industrial employments, giving the ben
eft to all; and still more, it tends to
better pronunciation and delivery, and
provokes conversation by which their
memories are strengthened. Incident
ally, in this way, geography, history,
biography, science, and art are brought
into the mental %storehouse, in a time
and a m to be permanently retain
ed. The mother of the household is
perhaps the fttest to guide this exer-
else. While she may be knitting or
doing other quiet work, she can listen
and participate with much pleasure and
profit to all. IF the mother lack the
patience and the tact, other members of
the family can fill the place. We COM
mend this exercise to every family,