Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-09-10
AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS.
Glowing Tribute to Their Influence
Educators OF the Masses.

AMEklCAN NEWSPAPERS.
Glowing Tribute to Their Influence as
Educators OF the Masses.
SARATOGA, Sept. Sat the social science as.
ISOLATION. j. NJ. Gregory, president of the Hi
nois State university, read q paper on Ameri-
can newspapers and American education. The
American newspaper is the best index of Amer
lean life and the fairest representation of the
people. Whoever would form a correct esti-
mate Of the spirit, genius and life of Ameri-
cans must stndy the newspapers. Oar virtues,
our vices, our thoughts and opinions, our pol
itics, our trade, our push and pride, our weak
ness, strength, creeds, customs and civiliza-
ton all are imsged in our memorable period
ical publications. The American newspaper
has no rival on earth in the volume and variety
of its issues. More than 10, 600 papers appear
each week from our newspaper press; more
than a thousand million copies are
circulated annually. They cover the whole
field of human thought and interests. Every
department OF business, manufacture, and
trade, has its advertiser. Social, scientific,
moral, educational, religious, political, and
charitable societies, publish newspapers de-
voted to their interests, and filed with their
ideas.
Oub StdlluS Lue uumD6r OF newspapers OOeb
not tell the whole story. One must note well
the great army of writer's who help to fill their
columns. The editors, assistants, reporters,
correspondents, critics, aud contributors of all
kinds, which, paid and unpaid, includes a large
proportion of the talent of the country. The
best brain of the nation speaks through the
newspapers. The latest and freshest
thought of the people ia to be sought in
the last paper issued. Malice, meanness, fana-
tsnsor f,,ll fala -
with our daily life. cannot be shut out from
the paper. But truth, wisdom, practical sense
and love of public good, solid learning and
courageous criticism are also in force in the
newspapers, SO that we may easily forget the
bad elements which mingle with them.
1t is the business Of social science to take &C.
count of all great public forces, to mark their
exact character and tendencies, and to learn
their amount and direction of power for good
or evil. The newspaper is at once the product
aud exponent of the American mind, no better,
no worse. The good probably exceeds the bad
in the newspaper in larger proportion than
among the people, for vices seek seclusion, not
publicity.
In no other country does the newspaper exer.
else such power as in America. Americans live,
work and think through the newspaper. Act
ing as public conscience it places its seal OF
shame or honor on each chapter of our history
as it transpires. No American forgets it. Il
watches to reward good and punish bad. Good
men trust it and bad men fear it.
The power of the newspaper is not the mere
force of printed thought. 1t is the embodied
power of the public life of the day. Each reader
feels that he is surrounded by an unseen
multitude who are reading the same lines, and
he grows excited with imagined responses. All
the forces of current history prove themselves
through the press. Force never remains idle
It is impossible that so gigantic force as the
American newspaper should exist without ex.
erting a corresponding influence upon the char
acter, affairs and destinies of the entire peo
pie. All things educate US, the country, eli
mate, scenery and society. The business ano
pleasures exert power on our minds and char
acter.
While few have deeply considered the depth
and extent of the influence of the newspaper
few will deny that free press is a necessary
complement of free schools. Without schools
the press would lack readers. Without thu
press scholarship would fail of half its uses
The newspaper is public agent. 1t offers t.
the people for pay certain services, and in thi.
work as an advertising agent and public heralc
it depends for its support.
But to reckon it only as public enterprise
would insult the public intelligence as muct
as it would trife with public interests ane
rights. In its public character the paper en-
tiers into the rank of the world
teachers. Education has two chief factors
culture or discipline and knowledge. The on,
comes by fit exercise or training. the other by
whatever furnishes information, by observ
ance, by reflection, and most of all by read
ing. e-
With all our schools, we could never be az
Intelligent people without newspapers. They
are the peoples library, the cyclopedia of mil
lions. Scholars and professional men mus
read books, but woe, woe to them if they reac
not the newspapers. Even the fragmeR tary
and ephenJeral character of its articles lenc
additional charms, if not additional utility tx
it. The freshness and variety of the articles
lure the reader on. 1t talks to men of thei
business, their political party, their church
themselves. The men it desc RIDES are thei
contemporaries, their neighbors. It,thus add
something of dignity to their daily lives. Thu
newspapers of to-day chronicle the movement
of thought SO we'll as those of men and nations
all find place in these perpetual schools ane
text books of popular learning.
Facts will sustain this estimate of the edu
eating power of the newspaper. Other thing
being equal. the man or family who take ano
read good newspaper will be more Intelligent
than their neighbors who do not. Sift from
the American people the foreign importation
of non reading masses and the remainder will
be found the best read and most intelligent
population of the globe.
The newspaper is not advocated as substi
tute for schools, but as complement to the
American press. Let the gigantic force of the
newspaper be turned upon the work of the
scholar. Let schools introduce this new tex
book and we have at work an agency never
surpassed to make an enlightened and fret
people.
At the close, Mr.. Higginson, who presided
made few remarks of advice to criticism, anc
called upon Moncure D. Conway to tell some
thing of the English newspapers. Mr.. Con
way said English newspapers are better print
ed than American ones, also on better paper
American papers use too fine type. DR.. Greg
DRY defended the American papers, and said b.
could buy more good reading for cents il
a Chicago newspaper, than was contained il