The Phoenix herald., 1880-10-15
American Newspapers.


can Education" The American
newspaper is the best index of Anne
rican life aud the fairest representa-
tive of the people. Whoever would
| form q correct estimate of the spirit,
genius, and life of Americans must
! study the newspapers. Our virtues,
| our vices, our thoughts and opinions
| our politics, our trade, our push and
pride, our, weakness, strength
creeds, customs, and civilization are
all imagined in our memorable peri
odical publications. The American
newspaper has no rival on earth in
the volume and and variety of its IS
sues. More than 5000 papers appear
each week from our newspaper press;
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, politi-
cal, and charitable societies and or
gdnizations publish newspaper de
voted to their interests and filled
with their ideas. But stating the
number of newspapers docs not tell
the whCle story. One must note well
the great army of writer's who help
10 fill their cOlum ns-the editors, as
sistants, reporters, spOndents,
critics and contributors eff all kinds,
which, paid and unpaid, includes
large proportion of the talent of the
country. The best brain of the Ma
tion speaks through newspapers.
The latest and freshest thought of
r1an,,1a 10 ha r-lat IN flsn laGf
paper issued. Malice. meanness, fan
aticism, folly, falsehood and fraud
which mix with our daily life cannot
truth, wisdom, practical sense, and
love of public good, solid learning
and courageous criticism are also in !
may easily forgot the bad elemcn Is |
which mingle with them.
L IS the business of social science |
to take accent 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 and exponent of the !
American mind. No better, no worse
the good probably exceeds the bad |
in the newspaper in larger proper
tion than among the people, for vices
seek seclusion, not publicity. In no
other country does the newspaper
exercise such q power as in America.
live, work and think
the newspaper. Acting as
public conscience, it places its seal
Of shame or honor upon each chapter
Of our history rs it traEspires. No
American forgcts it. It watches to
reward the good ard punish the bad.
Cool men trust it and bad men fear
it. The power of the newspaper is
not the mere force of printed
thought; it is embodied power OF the
public life of the day. Each reader
feels that he is surrounded by an I'M
seen multitude who are reading the
same lines, and he grows excited
with imagined rcspon ses. All the
'Orces of current history prove them
selves through The press Force never
emalns Idle. 1t is impossible that so
Il saEtic i force as the American
iewspapcr should exist without ex-
.r;ing Il corresponding influence
l7on the character, affairs and dcs-
ms OF the entire people. All things
-,luca;e us. Country, c innate, scenery
nd society, business and pleasure
.ni environments erect power on
,ur minds While few have
,cepiy considered tie depth and eX-
eut Of the influence of the ncwspa- !
,er, few will deny it. \ free press
: ne ecessagy 10 the complement of
rec schoois. Without schools the
,re>s would lack readers. Without
he press scholarship would fail Of (
Ialf It's scs. The newspaper is a
'ublic agent. 1t offers to the people 7
Or pay certain services, and on this 9
york as advertising agent and public
erald it depends for its support.
Iut TO reckon it only rs a public
nterprise would inl ult pUblic iGtelii-
ence as much as it would trife
18th public interests and rights. In
s public character the papers enters
no the ranks Ofthe worlds teachers.
,ducaticn h two chief factors: cul Z
are, or discipline, and knowledge. :
he one comes by tit exercise or
aiming; the other by whatever fur \
ishes Information, by observation,
Y reflection, and most Of all, by
eadino. With all our schools we
ould never be an intelligent people
-ifhout newspapers. They are the
copies libraries, tho cyclopedia of
le millions. Schools and profes-
Onal men must read books, but
-oe, woe to them if they read not the
ewspapers. Even the fragmentary
nd ephemeral character Of its artic-
= lends additional charms. if not
dditiOnal utility, tn it. The fresh
ess and variety of the articles lure
le reader en-. 1t talks TO men OF
leir business, their political party,
heir church, themselves, The men it
escribes are their contemporaries,
heir neighbors. 1t thus adds some !
hing of dignity to their daily lives
The newspaper of today chroni-
les movements of thought as well
S those of men and nations. All
nd a place in these perpetual school
nd textbooks of popular learning.
acts will sustain tins estimate Of the
power of the newspaper.
)ther things being equal, the man
T family who take and read good
ewspaper will be more intelligent {
nan neighbors who do not Lift
rom the American people the for
On impOrtatiOns of the nOn-reading
lasses, and the remainder VIII be
ound the best read and most intel |
gent population of the globe.
The newspaper is not advocated as
substitute for schools. but as
to them. The Ame1i-
an press, directed by men of cdu-
ated minds, Will find their ways in
} the schoolrooms Tie scholars
ill be taught their use, and furnish
lem more interested and intelligent
eaders. Let the gigantic force of
ne newspaper be turned upon schools
ltrOduce this new textbook, and we
ave at work an agency never sur
assed to make an intelligent and
zee people,
At the close Mr.. Higgin-on, who
resided, made a few remarks of
Diverse criticism, and called upon
Ioncurc d. Conway to tell some
,;...- ,f 1La L-....I;-I, !.