The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-09-17
Tur .wrerc.rvrw ~.
Address by MIR. Charles Dndlty war
ner Before tho American Ssociai
Science Association, Saratoga.

hcicnco AssOctntioht HhrhtoS"'
Mr.. Charles Dudley Warner delivered an
address recently on "rho Ameeieaa Naws-
paper before the Social Science Association
OF Saratoga Springs, N. Y. Mr.. Warner
has hsd practical acquaintance VITA his
subject, having been both editor and special
correspondent, was editor Of the Hartford
Press and Ooursn,, and has travelled cons
sidersbly in Europe and the cast rs cor
respondent OF sew raj American newspapers.
Mr.. Warners address opsns with the
declaration that "the newspaper Ia private
enterprise" and he continued by saying that
expectation OF prof. is the motive OF Ne
being, and that this motive is not lower
than that which leads people lnso any other
occupation or profession. II the sfcellonco
of a Newspaper is not m9isured by va peous"
sbeness, IL il generally true thaL II IS does
not psy lis owner it IL valueoSs TO tho pub.
lie, and as rule tho successful Journal
peculiarly /. tho best ipurnsL Cno recog>
milton Of tho fac. tina. tho newspaper is a
PURELY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE
will help 70 deano the muius relations of
tho editor and tho public. lils claim upon
tho public is eSsGtly THAT of any manutsc-
tur1r or dealer. On tho other hand tho pub
lie has no rights 10 tho newspaper except
what II pays for; even tho old subscribsr'
has none except TO drop the paper il ii ceases
10 please him. Whether communications
shall DO printed or not rests with tho diaore-
ton Of .hs editor, having reference 10 his own
private interest aud tho spprehen.i M OF the
public good Tho advertiser acquires no
more rigata ia the newspaper than the sub,
acrbar. He 10 entitled 10 tho space for
which he pays, by the insertion of Such
mat ri AZ 10 approved by the editor, but
gains no interest III any other part OF the
paser. The newspaper being stri city bus
mess enterprise, dopends TOR auGcess upon II
quid pro quo between al parties connected
with II, aud upon Integrity in it's manage
ment.
The newspaper, which lie tho
PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE PERs N
as much "a drug shop Is, il expected to
perform for nothing services which would DO
asked OF no other person. There IL Ia scarcely
q charitable enterprise to which is not asked
TO contribute Of its space, which Is money
ton tunes mora than other persons in the
community, who are ion times as ablo Us tue
owner Of the Newspaper, contribute. Tho
journal 10 considered mean II Il will not sur-
render its columns freely TO notices and an.
Annucements OF this sorI. II manager has
new hen coop or new singer no Wlshea 10
introduce TO the publ,c,he comes to she news-
paper. expecting 80 have his enterprise OK
toled for nothing, and probably never thinks
that ii would DO Just as proper for him TO 20
TO one Of tho regular advertisers la tho news.
paper aad ask him to give him his space,
Anything from church picnic TO brass
band concert for the benefit Of tho widow OF
the triapglos asks the newspaper ~ e0ntri-
butte. The prrtY in politics, whose princi,
Piles tue editor advocates has no
doubt Of It's righlful claim upon
him, not only upon the editorial
columns but upon the whole newspaper. l,
asks without hesitation tina! tho newspaper
should take up its valusble space by print.
Ing hundreds and often thousands Of dollar.
worth Of political announcements ia She
course Of protrActed campaign, when il
never would think of getting ia halls, its
speakers and its brass bands, free of expense
Churches as we'll as parties expect this sort
Of charity. have known rich churches, ia
whose members il was a convenience TO have
is Sunday and other services announced
declined any longer 10 contribute a weekly
ATTY ceats worth of space. No private per,
son contributes go much TO charity, in pro
portion to ability, a. tho newspaper. Per
haps II will get crsdi. for this In the noxI
world; II certainly never does in this. The
CHIEF FUNCTION
OF the newspaper Ia 10 collect and print the
news; the second is to eluoidato the news and
comment on it and show lis relations; ard
the third Ia 10 furnish reading matter to the
general public. That news must be given
which the people will DO most Interested In
and the epccess Of the news printed depends
upon o plsapprehension OF lboss topics
which the world will BIO talking about when
the paper appears. Some papers, which
nevertheless print all the nows, arc always a
day behind, do not appreciate tho popular
drift till II has gone 10 something else, and
err az much by clinging TO . subject after II
10 dead, ~ by not taking II up b,fors i. visa
fairly born. The public Graves eagerly for
only one thing at time, and aoon wearies
Of that, and u 10 to the newspapers profit TO
seize the exact point of debate, the thrills
lug moment Of an accident, the pith of an
important discourse, TO throw itself into It a.
iflite depended upon Il, and for tho hour 10
food the popelar curiosity with It, ~ au en-
CINE delusss are. and tho news must DO
presented In an arrangement which will DO
At once attractive TO the eye.
Our newspapers are overwhelmed with
material that 10 Of no Importance The
obvious remedy for this would be more
intelligent direction in the collection of
news and more careful sitting and super
vision OF u when gathered. Ii becomes
every day moro apparent to every mana
ger that such Discrimination Is more
necessary. There is no limit 10
tho various Intelligence and go,ap that our
complex life offers; no paper Is big enough
10 contain II; no reader has time enough TO
read Il. And the journal uiuat cease 70 DO
sort OF waste. basket OF the end Of a telegraph
wire, into which any reporter, telegraph
operator or gossip.monger can dump what
ever he pleases. We must got rid of the
superstition that value IL given TO an uniu-
portsnt item by sending ia thousand miles
over the wire.
Perhaps the most striking foituro of tho
American newspaper, especially Of the
country weekly, Is iis enormous development
Of local and neighborhood news. Aad this
brings me TO speak OF the mania In this age,
aud especially In America, for notorle,y 10
social life ~ we'll as Ia politics. The news.
papers are the vehicle OF II, sometimes the
occasion, but not the cause 8 Tho newspaper
may have fcstersd, they hNo not created,
this hunger for publicity, Almost every,
body talks about the violation OF decency and
-. a.. O.. II.