Richland beacon., 1881-03-26

fully instruct. however sincere ito pur-
pose, if this need be not borne in mind;
and many journals remind one of a hoy
attempting to make Ineligible speech
with his mouth full. Language is "A
precious Gift and the experienced Jour
nalist is II miscr in lis use. nor smOtheis
his valuable thought in needless words.
But we may congratulate ourselves
that SO many noble men and wOneH
have been mustered in the service OF the
American press. whose earnest purpose
and resources. patriotism. learning aud
wit have made the newspaper the most
formidable moral and intellectual engine
on earth. 1t breaches thousands IL
daily sermons; it dissects public policies
In thousands of terse daily speeches is
is daily compend of theses within
every department of knowledge, and is
forever intoxicating them into the minds
of men and women.
1t is the action of the cabinet tbs
belief Of the church. the thought OF tho
college, the purpose of the world COM
pressed for daily use even in ~ lowlicss
cabin. 1t is the paramount cham
plon OF law and its opinion is often
more effectual than the statute. for thai
may be forgotten until the re-echo o.
the press reminds the people who made
it of its authority.
| believe in the future of American
Journalism. The misses whom it cdu-
| Gates become thereby Scvercr critics I'D
exact a continual intellectual and moral
| Progress III the teacher To whose level
they daily strive to lift themselves.
| With the historyOfits achieyementsb b.
fore u5,with satisfactory results in nearly
every printed sheet that comes befor
our eyes, who can limit the confines OF
| It's progress? In the dark of the night
| tlrplpSS ha 1T p
Ike some tabled genius with electricity
Tor Its lamp; returns laden from erIand.
| throbS with engine ut its labor to
record adays events the wide world
over, and in the new crisp print tbat
grcets our waking declares. as did King
Hal, though i'll better mood:
'Raad Ger this:
| AVID after. this; and then to break fast with
"het appetite Xou have.
On molten of Mr.. Bentley, Mrs Fields
address, which was reccivcd with much
applause, was ordered to be spread upoc
the minutes, and tho thanks Of tho
Association. We're rendered her for the
graceful manner in which she had To
isponded to the request made OF her.
LETTRR FROM HON. E. Z. KIDD.
The following letter from Hon. f. X
Kidd. Of Jackson parish was read 10y
the Secretary:
VERNON, La, February II, 1881
Hon. q. ". McCranie. Presidcnt Press Assoais.
tiOn Of Louisiana:
My Dear Sir you are already aware
of the imperative reason which prevents
my compliance with your very compli-
mentary request to deliver the Grafton
on the occasion Of the annual meeting
of Your Association. need not reiterate
what | have informed you personally,
how much | regret my inability to &c
cept your invitation. This regret is not
, founded entirely upon selfish cOnsidcra-
: tons. although the occasion | have lost
is well suited for the exhibition, before
an apprcciativc audience, of all tho
powers | have ever had the slightest
, right to lay claim 10. Outside of tho
qualification Of any mere personal desire
. mo matter before how splendid an au-
, dicnce) | had other objects dcarer to
, myself and of more interest to my fell
bowman. My subject would have
naturally been the duty and resposi-
bility of the Press Among other things
/ would have urged upon the press its
: duty to encourage and foster THE future
: for q great Southern literature are at
, hand. A peculiarly Southern institu.
,, ton, long interviewer with our very OK.
: istencc is extinct. Its memories can be
revived, not as in Uncle Toms Cabin,
!. but truthfullyin history, in romance and
TN song The shadows of our great
: riyII var are sufficiently heightened 10
softrn down it's severer presentations
and its Legends: romance and histories
can be exhibited with something like
the quiet halo tEda..' SuIIou.ns mo tales
OF a grandfather. tnc historic,
romantic or poetic raSs.s'n.a'IHIn "
these two subjects: Southern Sia'eiJ
and the war for the rights OF the Sta,
! see Il wider field for the exercise OF
literary talent than has been RESENTED
to the world since those days which af.
fOrded the genius Of Walter Scottathe
opportunity OF giving to us his impcrish-
able characters-'Ivanhoe and Rich.
ard, the Lion Heart"
And who shall say that literature Of
this kind should not be encouraged? Ii
elevates, it humanizes, it softens, it ex-
ats mankind. And who can better en-
courage it than the press of the country?
Again, l should have urged the estab-
lishmcnt in our schools Of an editorial
professorship. The productions of the
editor have become so interviewer with
, our every day life, he appears with us 80
continuously around our firesidcs, in the
) shops, on the streets, on the hustings,
} by the side OF old and young, that most
} assuredly he ought to be superior
being. Let him be particularly educa-
ted for his calling. | know that u splen-
did journalist could no more be turned
out by the schools than can q splendid
lawyer or physician, but he could DO
materially assisted.
|; Again, would have urged moro
distinct or better defined perSOnalism in
the journalism OF our State. This in
my opinion would elevate the profession.
) 1t would give it more character, strip it
OF all stabs in the dark, abolish those
abusive epithets and slang denuncia-
tons so abhorent to the cultivated
reader, and place it upon the high scale
OF personal responsibility, which has
so much to do in elevating or depressing
the character OF any profession.
l write in the midst Of term Of our
District Court, and am therefore hug
ried
l wish your Association the greatdss
success. IL in my capacity as lcgisia-