The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-09-30
American Newspapers and American
Education.


fore the recent Social Science Associa-
ton at Saratoga, n. Y, by Prof. j. Nj.
Gregory, President of the Illinois State
University. The Associated Press fur
nishes the following abstract ofthe paper:
The American newspaper is the best
index of American life and the fairest
representative of the people. Who
ever would form a 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
and pride, our weakness, strength,
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 its 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 writers who help to fill their columns
the editors, assistants, reporters,
correspondents, critics, and con-
tributors of all kinds, which,
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 mingle 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 a
larger proportion than among the peo-
pie, for vices seek seclusion, not pub
licitv. 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 fearit. 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 force as the American
newspaper should exist without exert
ing a 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 a 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
a 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 a public enterprise
would insult public intelligence as much
as it would trihe 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 observa-
/ ton. by reelection, and most OF all, by
reading. With all our schools we could
never be an intelligent people without
newspapers. They are the peoples Ii
| 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 its
articles 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 bust
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
of popular learning. Facts will sustain
this estimate of the educating power OF
the newspaper. Other things being
equal the man or family who take and
read good newspaper will be more in
telligent than neighbors who do not
Lift from the American people the for
eign importations of the non-reading
masses a nd the remainder will be found
the best read and most intelligent pop
ulation of the globe.
The newspaper is not advocated as s
substitute for Schools, but as compile
ment to them. The American press,
directed by men of educational minds,
will find their ways into the school
rooms. The scholars will be taught
their use and furnish them more inter
ested and intelligent readers. Let the
GIGANTIC force of the newspaper be