San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-05-18
The Newspaper,

The following which we clip from
the editorial department of the Mon-
treal Witnesss, we commend to the at.
tentiou of our readers. Few persons
have any idea OF the amount OF labor
which is involved in the preparation OF
the paper which they discuss with SO
much comfort, or how far they are in
debted to this weekly visitor for the
information which they possess, and
the privileges which they enjoy:
slave you ever thought, reader,
what wonderful thing newspaper
lis? The art of printing from movable
ty pc, the art of preparing paper from
old, and but for this art, useless rags,
the wonderful effects of steam and the
still more wonderful electric telegraph,
the railway train and the ocean steam
ship, have all contributed to the pre-
paration of the sheet before you. Nor
is this all. Many hands, and eyes, and
minds have been occupied in preparing
the matter you read SO eagerly. Hun
dreds of papers from all parts OF the
world are looked over, and the most
interesting and important culled out.
News has to be condensed, editorial
articles prepared, paragraphs written
and books reviewed. All that has
been written o. copied from other pa
pers, has to be carefully read and cor
rected after being set up in the print
ing office. There many busy fingers
are constantly employed in picking up
and placing together small pieces OF
metal, or in technical phraseology, set
ting up The number Of pieces OF
metal used in each number of the
Witness is about two hundred and fit-
ty thousand. The design of all these
appliances and labor is to place before
the people all the important thoughts
and doings of the times; to make peo-
pie acquainted with the facts daily oc'
curing in all parts OF the world; to
bring men into acquaintance with their
fellow men to enlist their sympathles
in behalf of right, and truth, and free
dom, and to unite men in opposition to
all that is evil.
"The newspaper is wonderful in the
influence it exerts. Like the light OF
day, of whose influence, great as 1t Is,
men are unconscious, good paper
makes an impression on the minds, and
moulds the character of its constant
readers. On the other hand, those pa
pers are mighty for evil which oppose
good principles, which encourage
amusements unfavorable to morality,
or supply reading matter to crafty the
EVIL passions of men. Like the nox-
ious malaria, which men cannot see,
but which nevertheless saps health
and leads TO death, so such papers are
destructive to moral principle. They
tend to strengthen men in habits, and
perpetuate customs over which the
good mourn, and TO remove which
some of the holiest men have spent
their lives.
The newspaper IS teacher and
perhaps one from which men learn
most of mankind and the world as 1t
lis. In its recital of passing events, In
its discussion Of principles, in Its
thrilling narratives, in its biographical
and historical sketches, in its advocacy
of important subjects aud questions
and in its lighter department OF poetry
and tales, the paper meets the wants oil
the ever-inquiring minds OF mep. 1t
gives the latest discoveries 10 science
and art, and Of travel in foreign CLUES.
The intelligent reader Is quiekened
and refreshed in mini By reading it.