The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-09-12

Ar the session of the American Social
Science Association at Saratoga on Wednesday Dr.
!. VI. Gregory, President Of the Illinois Industrial
University. read paper on 'The American News
paper-Its Relation to American Education" lie
said in substance:
The American newspaper is the best index Of
American life 1t Is the iairest representative OF the
American people. Whoever would form correct es-
innate of the spirit genius, and life OF Americans
must study carefully the various newspapers of our
country. our virtues and our Vices, our tioughisand
opinions our politics and our trade. our push and nnr
pride, weakness and our strength our crceds cus
TOMS and civilization are all imagcd In or hnuiucr-
able periodicals. The American newspaper press has
no rival On earth in the volume and variety of Its
issues. II Is asserted by good authority that the
United States publish more newspapers than all other
nations taken together. Were now describing to .
body of foeignes the exten of Our newspaper issues
should awaken profound attention, IL not also pro-
found increduiity. Counting dailies. weekles. semi
wecklies, and ti wceklies, more than 900 different
newspapers appear each week from our newspaper
press. More Than Thousand millions OF copies Of
these papers are circulated annually.
with the miserable exception ui some bitter nation
tents here and there, the writer's OF the pres have
given hearty aud Intelligent support to our insit-
tiuns of learning, high AMI low. The papers have
also freely published educational and ESSAYS.
But they can do more. They ought 10 do more They
occupy II vantage ground from whence they ctu lend
to the American school system force which these
systems hope to attain without such aid. In
an important degree the newspapers of America hold
Its school interests In their hands. Let them treat
public education as they do every other great public
enterprise aud concernment. Each great pulic in
tcrest has Its representative In the corps of editors In
| our great metropolitan papers. These papers have
their political editor, their commercial editor, their
literary editor, their agricultural editor, their law
porter, aud through every lire of public move
| ncnt Let them add now competent educational
editor or reporter. whose thorough and practical
knowledge Of his field shall enable him la gather and
sift educational news I" explain and critlcise c'uca-
ional facts and theories Ia answer wisely educational
| questions, from whatever source, and To put into
common and public speech the educational feeling
and thought Of his age. Such writer will call forth
other writers and observers. The smaller papers will
follow the lead of the great metropolitan sheets. and
there will he poured into the schools Of the country
| the spirit ofenergy and of Improvement which
the press has awakened In other public interests. Let
the sharp but intelligent criticisms al these c,luca-
| tional editors lie cxerted upon our schools, and VT
shall longer need fear the occasional assaults
which have Of late half alarmed and half abused MS 10y
their half truths and half faschoods. with such aid
| fiom the American newspapers the American schoO'
conld I've made To render double for the Immense out
lays of time, money, and talent expended upon them