The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-10-14
American Newspapers and American
Education.

Education.
This is the title of paper read be-
fore the recent Social Science Associa-
ton at Saratoga, N. Y, by Prof. j. M.
Gregory, President of the Illinois State
University. The Associated Press fur
nishes the following abstract of the
paper:
The American newspaper IS the best
index of American life and the fairest
representative of the people. Who
ever would form correct estimate of
the spirit, genius and life of Americans
must study the newspapers. Our vir-
tues, our vices, our thoughts and opin-
ions, our politics, our trade, our push
creeds, customs and civilization are all
imaged in our memorable periodical
publications. The American news
paper has no rival ON earth in the vol.
ume and variety of it's issues. More
than 5000 papers appear each week
from our newspaperpress more than
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 and Or
CARNATIONS publish newspapers devoted
to their interests and filled with their
ideas. But stating the number of news
papers does not tell the whole story.
One must note well the great army
of writer's who help to fill their columns
ahIfnrS ST. 70 ,.t
correspondents, critics. and con-
tributors 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 newspapers. The latest and
freshest thought of the people is to be
sought in the last paper issued. Malice,
meanness, fanaticism, folly, falsehood,
and fraud which mix with our daily life
cannot be shut out from the paper. But
truth, wisdom, practical sense and love
OF public good, solid learning and cour-
ageous criticism are also in force in the
newspapers, so that we may easily for
get the bad elements which minele with
them.
1t is the business of social science to
take account of all great public forces,
to mark their exact character and ten
denotes, and to learn their amount and
direction of power for good orevil. The
newspaper is at once the product and
exponent of the American mind. No
better. no worse, the good probably ex-
ceeds the bad in the newspaper in
larger proportion than among the peo-
pie, for vices seek seclusion, not pub
hcity. In no other country does the
newspaper exercise such power as in
America. Americans live, work and
think through the newspaper. Acting
as public conscience, it places its seal
OF shame or honor upon each chapter of
our history as it transpires. No Ameri-
can forgets it. 1t watches to reward
the good and punish the bad. Good
men trust it, and bad men fear it. The
power OF the newspaper is not the mere
force of printed thought; it is the en-
bodied power of the public life of the
day. Each reader feels that he is sur
rounded 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. 1t is impossible
that so gigantic a force as the American
newspaper should exist without exert
ing corresponding influence upon the
character, affairs and destinies of the
entire people. All things educate us.
Country, climate. scenery and society,
business and pleasure. and environ
ments erect power on our minds and
characters. While few have deeply
considered the depth and extent of the
influence OF the newspaper, few will de-
ny It,. A free press is necessary to the
complement of free schools. Without
schools. the press would lack readers.
Without the press scholarship would
fail of half its uses. The newspaper is
public agent. 1t offers to the people
for pay certain services and on this
work as advertising agent and public
herald it depends for its support. But
to reckon it only as public enterprise
would insult public intelligence as much
as it would tri1e with public interests
and rights. In its public character the
paper enters into the ranks of the
worlds teachers. Education has two
chief factions; culture, or discipline,
and knowledge, The one comes by fit
exercise or training; the other by what
ever furnishes information, by obserya-
ton, by reflection, and most of all, by
reading. With all our schools we could
never be an intelligent people without
newspapers. They are the peoples L.
braries, the cyclopedia of the millions.
Schools and professional men must read |
books, but wo. wo to them if they read |
not the newspapers. Even the frag-
mentary and ephemeral character of it's
lends additional charm, if not |
additional utility, to it. The freshness
and variety of the articles lure the read |
er on. 1t talks to men of their busi- |
ness, their political party, their church, |
themselves. The men it describes are
their contemporaries, their neighbors.
1t thus adds something of dignity to
their daily lives.
The newspaper of to-day chronicles
movements of thought as well as those
Of men and nations. All find place in
these perpetual schools and textbooks
IT popular learning. Facts will sustain
his estimate of the educating power of
The newspaper. Other things beino