The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1880-10-27
1HE DOMAIN OF NEWS.
EXTRACT FROM AN ELoQuEaT ADrR Ess
BY MRS. NJ. A. FIELD TO THE
PRESS CONVENTION.

BY MRS. NJ. A. FIELD TO EHE
PRESS CONVENTION.
Mrs. NJ. 4. Field. Of the New o.;
leans Times. better known as Gath
crime Cole, delivered an address be
tore the late Press Conventions al
Baton Rouge, from which we take
the following extract. 1t is vel.
we'll worthy Of perasas in its entiret,.
ny writers for the press. and for it,
thoughtful sentiments, clothed III
language most chaste, we commence
it tn all our readers:
t.
My practical experience as jour.
nalist has chiefly heen that Of a news
editor, and # wcreTaskedsto state as
the result of Observance what l con
silered the deficiency of the Southern
press, should sar that not enough
lime or SPACE Is devoted to the hom'
interests, and to the encouragement
and development Of the mechanical,
industrial and intellectual pursuits of
the home people. '@'i ~.
Beyond a doubt, Ethe first great pur-
pose of the newspaper is the "news."
The news! How seldom do we stop
to think hoV much is implied in that
one word. 1t means Livingstone scar
ching for the sources of the Nile in the
heart Of Acknowledgements dying
and Stanley in a brave expedition for
his relief. 1t means Sir John Frank
lin, the Englishman, amid the eternal
SHOWS of the North, barred only by
mountains of ice from the open sea
beyond. 1t means Kane, the Ameri.
can. Oh a like expedition, and in the
name of humanity searching for the
lost nobieman. 1t means tlieigreed OF
the United Kingdom for dominion in
India, its slow but sure processes Of
conquests, and the equally slow but
sure establishment Of Western ideas in
the Orient. It means the. chaos of the
Southern Republics-tIe incidents OF
superstition and religious bigotry
which marks them as less peaceful,
less prosperous, and therefore, less
happy than the Aztec powers they
supplanted.
1t means the steady drive of the rail.
road spike on the longitudinal line
towards Mexico and soon to drive out
the modern types of ancient cruelty
and establish agriculture, commerce,
laws and peace. 1t means Professor
Clookes estimating the motive powe,
| of ray of light. 1t means the. tpley;
themograph measuring thought witt!
the same accuracy that the sensation
Of pain is measured. It means Oar.
| win. with his philosophy of evolution
which, has startled the intellectual
! world. It means the Nihilists Of Rus
ain aud Communists everywhete-cfu,
ell and indefensible, but who attest the
instructive revolt of the human mind
at tyranny and oppression. 1t means
the suicide. whose violent ending
brings into view sometimes the follie.
of a misspent life and sometimes
"man's inbumanity to man." Il
means the robbery and plumber O.
public officials which warn US Of thu
decay of private conscience, Of public
morals and of public law.
| 1t means all these and other events
az endless as human actions and thu
physical changes of the earth, al
showing the progress man is making
towards tho still unseen pinnacle o
excellence. The greatest mistake tina
an editor can make is that of running
his paper in mere partisan groove
No man that talks at the end of hi
pen can afford to have this label o.
even suspicion of it attached to hi
name, He must be free and unbiased
in his convictions or the power of hi
|utterances, even with those whom h
has to serve, will be greatly diminish
ed. The enthusiasm of a partisan i
practically worth very little, for parti
sanship is always blind, and argument
that are stultified by prejudice cal
carry very little weight to the mind 0
|any man who is independent enougl
to think.
! The strongest fight an editor has t
make is against popular prejndices
The greatest victory that he has t.
win ia to induce bis readers to tn
adoption of liberal opinion and tn
progressive modes of thought.
II the world does move in cycles
las thew say--this splendid, fallo,
State of ours has made the turn, an
ia slowly but surely on the move ia
wards better era and climax Of peace
culture and prosperity. At presen
while the railroads and telegrap
wires that will some day lock her i
frequent towns and villages in a Ion
. . and friendly chain are mostly only i
the minds eye of the capitalist, I'll
editors of the State have it all the
own way with a responsibility resti,,
> upon them that can hardly lie overe!
;. tinated in its importance.
The Louisiana editor has no mel
partisan mission to perform. His d,
;, ties take a higher range. He shoul
!. Aert.his influence against the sectinl
preju,ilres that unfortunately, III
measure, still exist in the minds Of O,
> people. The triumph Of freeing II
q popular MUD from prejudice is with;
his grasp, and the editor who ris
above the influences of partizanshi
whether in politics or in morals. wi
ees things az they are, and tries
u make them what they. ought to b
\ who adopts for his motto that graz
:" old watchword, "Principles-n
nen." Is bound to acquire the leade
) ship of the people abont him, and
& carly them with him into the real,
ID Il more exalted tllaughts aud nobl
J ctions. There, is IN enthusiasm
he Right, al ,eloquence in the Gu
Re that all the unfortunate victories