National Republican., 1881-11-04
The Newspaper.

ment, and power of the United States.
The Newspaper.
Very few readers of THE REPUBLICAN,
take thought when glancing each day
over the pages of the paper-reading the
news of the day before from London,
Paris, Hong Kong, st. Petersburg, or New
York, and all the political and local news
not only of this city, but from every point
in the United States-that this pleasure,
which is now n sine qua non, was denied
to the fathers of many of us now living
Had the victory at Yorktown been cele-
brated fifty years ago, our transatlantic
friends would not have heard of it for
nearly thirty days.
In fact, this important necessity-the
ewspaper-scarcely dates from yester-
day in the scroll of time. However any
of us may be devoted to pleasure, in
dolence, or luxury, it is probable that
most of us would sacrifice any one par
ticular indulgence which could be named
rather than consent to be deprived per-
manently of access to newspaper.
The newspaper has. become necessity Of
daily life-of nearly as much consequ ,nce
as the food we eat and of much more
consequence than the fashion of the
clothes we wear. In like manner with
some other artifcially created necessi-
ties, it seems to have become more essen
tial to mems comfort than some necessi-
ties pointed out by nature. Water and
bread are clearly pointed out by nature
as stafls and essentials to life, but we will
answer for 1t that many of the readers of
THE REPUBLICAN would sooner stand a
reduction in quantity or quality of their
food rather than be deprived of the
daily paper. Yet this is a blessing of our
own day and generation. How people
managed to enjoy life before the day of
newspapers is an unsolved conundrum.
The date of the first newspaper $50
called) published in England belongs to
the reign of King James the First, and its
founder was one Nathaniel Butler. This
paper was called the Weekly Ne,rs,
and appeared in May, 1862. Numerous
rivals soon appeared, but these sheets
seldom contained more matter all told
than is now contained in half column
of THE REPUBLICAN.
In the reign of Charles the First nearly
if not quite all of the papers were sup
pressed.
Under Cromwell there were publ
cations of papers, but they were mostly
under surveillance.
After the fall of the house of Stuart
newspapers began to take that active and
open part in public affairs which was
afterward to become developed in results
of so much good.
About one hundred years before the
London Times was started there appeared
a paper styled the Orange Hateliigencer,
devoted, rs the title indicates, to the
Prince of Orange. This was q sheet of
two small pages, and contained about as
much editorial matter us one-half column
ofTnE REPUBLICAN. A copy of this paper
in the British Museum contains tlro ad-
vertisements.
Passing over many ventures in the
newspaper line in the reign of Queen
Anne, we come to January, 1888, when
the London Times was established. From
this time on the growth in newspapers
has been enormous.
The power of the press is now the great
power of the civilized world. Public opin.
ion, particularly in this country and in
England, being the all potent lever, il
welded almost entirely by the press. Ir
this connection it is proper to add that
The REPUBLICAN is furnished at the low
price of six dollars per annum or fifty
cents per month.