Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-01-18
The Newspaper.

From the essay on line AmSricah
Newspaper and American Education"
read 10y Professor J. M. Gregory, OF
Chicago, before the Social Science AS
ISOLATION at its last session, we extract
the following
"But the newspaper has another ad-
vantage over the book for the masses of
men its topics are the topics of the day.
1t deals with the questions of the hour.
Il talks to men Of their business, their
political party, their church, themselves.
The men it describes are their contem-
poraries, their neighbors, perhaps. 1t
thus adds something of dignity to their
daily lives, aud turns the record of those
lives into lessons of practical wisdom, if
not of science even. Thus, men are re-
scued from their dull obscurity aud
isolation, and made to play conscious
parts in the great drama of passing his
tory. Through the newspapers, as
through living nerves, every citizen,
however huHuie, is linked to the body
of the public, and feels the thrill of ev-
cry storm iba. smiles, and every good
that smiles upon it; catches the spirit of
its power and greatness, and triumpbs
or trembles n their mightier movements
of the nation's life. Nor does the influ
enee of the paper upon its readers stop
with the limits of the national territory.
1t passes lie seas, and places its reader
in the grand parliament of the world
He sits as Il Judge over Russia and Turk;
listens to the counselings of Bismarck
and Gladstone; watches the struggles OF
France ami Italy; penetrateS the great
Asiatic en-: pires, and becomes in SYM
pa,hy a ciuzaii of the wcrld. Sitting at
his own bnnltie fireside, he takes large
account OF he common humanity. Who
can doubt that the man himself becomes
larger and sti"Hger for these ideas, this
daily outl',k Upon the grander move
mentS of the globe?
We mount higher i'll our view. The
newspaper Of to day chronicles the
movements Of thought as we'll as the
movements OF men and nations. 1t re-
cords for its readers the triumphs of art
and science 1t lectures to them upon
the new literature and learning. 1t be
comes the i)uopie's university. In its
columns, IS In lecture halls, is taught
the latest history, the newest politics
and state.craft The freshest discoveries
and theories in science, the latest tri
nmphs in toe arts, the latest decisions
in law, the problems of political econo-
NV, the iiiVes legations of medical sci
cree, the Iuost advanced thought In
sociology. philosophy and theology the
great movements in commerce, agricul
ture and manufacturing arts the move
ments of population, the growth of cities
the changes ia governments, and al
that belong 20 the progress of man or o
mind, ano find place ia these perpetual
schools ami text books of popular ant
e-long learning.
An appeal 10 facts would not discredi
this estimate ofthe educating power o
the newspaper press. Other things be-
ing equal, t:.e man of family who takes
and reads q good newspaper will be NOR
intelligent imam his neighbors who d.
not The community in which the mos
newspapers are circulated will be fount
the most e'iucated and enlightened. AL
will not learn everything that the news
paper teaches. Only a few attain tn
highest l..ak of scholarship in an.
school bil. s,.,newhere, in the great cur
reut, and roianle Of the public.mind th
manifold work OF the press will show it
fruits in each and every department o
intelligence ;Sift from the American
people the foreign importations of non
reading n.as-es, and the remainder viii
be found the best read and most intelli
gent population on the globe. AS befor
stated, the American newspapers out
number AID outrank, with few con
spIcuous exceptions, those of all othe
countries combined. Amending the oil
motto, we may read: Like papers, Xix
people"
Let us be clearly understood. We d
not advocate the newspaper as substl
tute for schools, but as complement c
the schools 1t can never supply tn
personal instruction needed by Httl
children, the thorough drill in element
needed by all, nor the complete and sys
tenatic statement and instruction il
science, literature or art, which it is tn
business Of the higher schools to give
But it Gall add power and efficiency t.
all these; and, above all, it can continu
the education of all classes, when tn
school DAVIS are done"