Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-05-29

take. Col. Switzler can recollect it, q
nd SO can others of you; l don't be-
leve my own parents have quite for {
,iven me to this day for choosing to 6
,e an editor when it seemed so much r.
'stter for me to be preacher or
Those were the days OF
he poetry of eur profession, which
Col. Child is going to tell ysu about
"A sort of poetry that made man
want to break all the commandments,i
ust to see if there really was God.
But the time is past. 1t is no longer
The custom to sneer at newspapers,
aud cemmisserate those who conduct
Them. The press has not only vindi-
Gated its right to exist, but made it.
self indispensable; from weak, un-
certain and dependant thing, it. has
aud government, the mistress of in
the autocrat of public sen-
timent. els not
EvRRY EDITOR A RULER
of the world" says Carlyle, "being
q persuader of it ?" An editorial in
enc of the St. Louis dailies has more |
influence than a message from the
governor of the state. A six-line
local in a country weekly often does
more service for truth and virtue
than sermon from the pulpit. No
longer is the editor snubbed aud left
to the casual Sanaritans, no longer
ascends his mendicant whine for cord
wood and water melons he is court
ed now, and feared, and his power
invoked to further all good works
and he gets his pay like other folks,
and can afford a wife and children
and when he dies, they put him away
with flowers and music, as they did
poor, tired, worn out Mugtord the
other day here in Sedalia, rest his
soul!
And 80, l say, newspapers are to
increase, aud not diminish, because
intelligence is to advance and the
country ls to expand and prosper.
Especially is this true of this nation
within a nation, which has the Mis-
souri, fol its sign of natural unity,
and its argument for peace, concord,
and fraternity. In these central and
striding states, the newspaper is en-
phatically
IaE S1SN Ok hlSh " r CoN0oEn'
The press is our advocate and defen-
dor Of the faith. A town without a
newspaper is q town ready to fence
in and whitewash a settlement that
lacks q printing office must get one
or be sold for taxes. This charac-
teristic, believe me, is the touchstone
of our future progress. Marshal wha,
other appliances you will i'll our be-
half, and still the press must be de-
pended upon above them all. And
what q field it has to work in and
glorify. Think for moment that
Missouri aud Kansas are alone one
fourth larger than Great Britain and
Ireland, with almost enough uncultl
waited and fertile land in them te
make two Englands-lhat Missouri
Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska a-e larg
er than France or Germany, will
Belgium aud Switzerland thrown in
Missouri itself is almost as large al
New England; Kansas lacks only ,
few counties of New Mexico to max
her as large as both New York anc
and New Mexico weuic
then still be larger than all the Mid
die States. Think Of these facts-a
| fear few of us ever dO-and tell me
if you can, by what arithmetic w
are to estimate the capabilities ant
ultimate possible greatness of sucl
an empire as this which we are con
sidering. Aud here lies the mission
of Missouri Valley journalism
THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE PRES
which Charless founded scventy-tw
years ago. These vast unpeOpled ant
; undeveloped areas are to be redeem
, ed aud made fruitful and powerful
The millions OF untitled acres in Mis-
, souri,, Kansas, Nebraska and the res
, are to be advertised and develope,
and changed into homes and farms
towns and cities. There are railroad
} to be constructed, manufactures t
be set in motion, mines to be opened
schools and churches to be organized
thousand things to be done that 6
l to the production OF wealth, the dill
fusion of happiness and tho promo
ton Of the good, the true and tn
: beautiful. The interests Of thes
/, states are identical and indivlsible
} the people of these states are on
people. Every step of progress in an
. part of this great basin OF the Mis-
3 souri, contributes to the advantage
of all the other parts. The country
: too big fer jealousy, too closely col
8 joined for any rivalry but that whic
: justifies its triumphs by maxim
: them q common benefit. Every cabi
= built in Nebraska, every ranch starte
: in Kansas, every orchard planted l
3 Missouri, is worth something to tn
!, whole valley-and when we kansal
t come over here after fruit to win OF
!, premiums with Gas you say we ont
y did). you should give it to US, All
: keep still about it until you eau g
: even with us by borrowing some {
8 our unexampled stalks of corn to g.
: hibit as Missouri production.
e This is the chance, then, and thei
9 are the auspices that beckon aud el
! courage the newspapers OF which tt
l. old Missouri Gazette was the augul
@ and the forerunnsr. There al
already over = thousand of these p
pers, have said, and there are 500
:, to be thousand more-all wOrkn
u to the same general end, III spite
o politics or state lines and all sure
j. ample reward if they do their wol
. diligently and we'll. Our papers a
to become
!; BETTER AND BRIGHTER PAPERS,
j. | am sure, though not larger paper
u [ think. The tendency of thoug
e and speech ia towards concentrate
II and quickuess. 1t is the short, shal
II and decisive tnat arrests attentit
j. and conpels q hearing i'll these cage
It ARIEL days. The railroad aud IL
g. elegraph have shortened life by e
e larglng its scope and value, and me
10 have no leisure left for more than I'll
o sap and core of things. Even OF
t news reports will have to be Gu
q tailed, rather than extended-not t
Is oInit:ing or neglecting matters
1t real moment, but by judicious sy
g. TEN Of boiling down. There are son
Il kinds of news, SO called, that mig
j. better be cast out entirely, to
l. whether the papers diminish in spa
J. or not the nasty scum OF the diver
If courts, for instance; the petty sea-
Y dals that stab family peace and bres
If family hearts and provoke raucor al
q violence; the shocking details Of eX
}. cutious, murders and suicides; al
le various other unsavory, shameful Ill
% wretched things which we nan
is sensational" 1t is not enough
say that the public like to read til