Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-21

nalists-The south Carolina Assem.
bly, Expected To-day.
ATLANTA, December 20.-This has been
one of the biggest days of the Exposition.
A large crowd was present. It was cloudy
until the afternoon, when there was a rain
The Judges Hall was filed at noon. Al
the public reception of the Kentucky Legis
lature and distinguished officials Director
General Kimball presided.
Hon. j. G. G.. Black, of Augusta, deliv-
cred a mastery and eloquent address Of
welcome, which was handsomely responded
to by the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
and Speaker Owens of the House. whose
address was remarkably eloquent and
forcible.
The press of Kentucky and the whole
country, this being editors Day." were
welcomed by Col. j. II. Estill in speech
that was heartily applauded, and produced
decidedly good impression. He spoke al
| follows:
Gentlemen: The managers of this Interna
| tiopal Cotton Exposition have assigned tC
me the pleasant duty of bidding you well
| come to this grand exhibition of the agri
cultural and mechanical industries of this
| and other countries, and also to the hospi-
tslities of the people of the South, the land
of the fieecy staple, at whose shrine all ma
| tions of the earth pay tribute and sing
praises-the one in gold and silver of the
realm, the other 10 the tuueful hum of the
machinery of countless looms and spindles.
It is not because of my fitness for this hon
orable task that am selected to address you
on this occasion. | am not an orator, but
an humble follower Of Faust and Franklin.
| AS such, l have been honored with the
Presidency of the Georgia Press Association,
and its more prett ntious, though no more
| effective, sister organization, the Southern
| Press Association and to this most proba-
blv owe the honor of addressing you to day.
| Occupied as am from day to day with
the cares of business, was at first disposed
| to decline this distinguished privilege, when
| 1t occurred to meas 1t is said to have Oc-
Cured to President Arthur when he was
nominated at Chicago for Vice President
and It was intimated to him that he should
| decline-that such an opportunity as this
| would not probably present itself again in
nv lifetime, and | therefore accepted the
| invitation.
1 recognize the fact that it is proud
| privilege to address the members of the
/
who have done and are still doing so much
for the advancement of civilization; who
are sowing broadcast over the world the
seeds of freedom and progress, to spring
| forth and bear fruit not only in this great
republic, but in every land, teaching the
! lessons of self-government; telling the Op-
pressed of the earth that man is competent
to govern himself without the aid of those
who proclaim the sacrilegious dogma OF the
divine right of kings From free press
goes forth the inspiration which quickens
the pulse Of mankind, gives freedom
of thought, freedom of speech, and freedom
| of action. A country without newspapers
| is one without civilization; country where
the press is not free to speak the truth
free, but not licentious-is a country of
slaves. The press is not only the palladium
of liberty, but It is also the help-meet Of
! the arts, sciences and mechanics, From an
upper ledge of the mountain of progress =
extends helping hand to 81 who are
ascending: The faith displayed by the
editor In Things thaS are new is simply in
credlole, and he is not true to his pro-
fession who doubts even that which Others
may regard as bordering on the impossible.
IL 1t be In the arts, sciences or
mechanics. The genius who has taxed his
brain with the solution of theory, dis
covery or an invention, finds in the Jour
| story, sympathiZes In his hopes, and stimu-
lates his enterprise. The Journalist pre-
sents to the world, through the medium of
his paper, the fruits of his clients long
hours of thought and labor. The ideas thus
presented, which would only have received
the cold attention Of courtesy II advanced in
private interview, attracts, through the
press, the thoughtful attention of the capi-
tslist, the philanthropist, or the political
nQOnnmiaf- II OF ba
breakfast table, on the streets, on 'clange,
in the cars, and wherever "men most do
| congregate.n In that concourse Of readers,
to whom the type with the quickness Of
electricity tells the story, will be found
those who are to develop the ideas thus set
forth In print into asomethiDg for the bene-
fit of mankind.
We are here to-day in recognition of the
power OF the press, and the aid extended bV
our modern Colossus in promoting this In
ternational Cotton Exposition. The mana
gers are sbTewd men, and fully realized-as
they have utilized-the value of the news
paper in commanding the attention aud en-
listing the interest Of the people in their great
enterprise. Without the press what could
this exposition have accomplished To
have heralded It from place to place would
have required years; and even ''ludicious
Advertising" costing fabulous sums of
money, could not have accomplished 1.-THE
of what has been done by the voluntary and
gratuitOus aid of the editorial fraternity Of
the Union.
The power OF the newspaper press is COM
paratively OF but recent growth. 1t has
developed it's latent force since Arkwright
invented the spinning frame and Whitney
the cotton gin. In 1775, the year of the
first battles of the American Revolution,
there were thirtY-four newspapers, so. called,
in the Colonies At the close of that strug-
gle that Insignificant number had decreased
to dozen. Now, according to the current
volume of Rowell's Newspaper Direc
tory" there are 10,267 newspapers and pc
riodicals in the United States and Territo-
ries, or one publication to 1. .sS3 inhabitants.
In the first quarter of this century the
printing business-as publishing neWspa-
per was then called-was deemed of minor
importance, as it afforded little or no oppor-
tunity for pecuniary success. Few papers
were known beyond the limits of the towns
in which they were printed. The unreoui-
ted trials aud tribulations Of the poor printer
OF those good old times made such an I'M
preston upon the people that even in this
remote generation 9 well-to-do newspaper
man IS regarded as an anomaly. His
prosperity is looked upon as the
the legitimate result of enterprise.
energy and tact in the management of
remunerative business. TIE printer of the
olden time, at the close of each political
campaign, "passed round the hat" and IL
the contributions were not equal to his ne
cesstttes, be fell into the inhospitable hands
OF the Sheriff. After that came a more
prosperous period-the era of long edito-
rials and fighting editors. A few specimens
OF these ancients still survive, but thew can
De only found on she outer edge Of civiliza-
ton,
The press of the country has not only kept
step with the progress Of the times, but it
has led the advance. To-day 1t is the edu-
Gator of the people. AS such it's power for
good or evil is incalculable, and upon him
who controls this powerful engine rests a
great responsibility. He should see TO 1t
that his paper is always on the side of
truth, virtue and morality. The editor should
have years Of careful training; he should
ever remember the newspaper axiom that
mot what to put in, but what to keep out, -
is the secret Of the art The theories of
government, the revelations of science, the
discoveries IN mechanics and physics. the
doctrines of the religious world (which
form a part of our social system)
the problems of finance, the facts of
history (not only of his own times, but that
of former days and other lsnds), all these
should be familiar to the editor. He must
be true, not to party, but to the principles
OF our system OF government, and be ready
to immediate upon the altar Of the public veal
lifelong friendships when duty requires it.
His paper, In every department, should be
the reflex OF the highest-toned American
respectability, not its shoddy aristocracy,
but OF honor, virtue and patriotism, which