Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-01

whom DoueV6 luat INC uOoO VI WuaO
| II contains is true and right, even if it
gives a new twist to the political rud-
der every six months. Such is human
credulityl But the smallest sheet
may be quite a power. There may be
two or three published in one village,
and it might take that many TO make
good one they all have an influence.
How important, then, that these foun-
tains Of public intelligence, these great
factors in social, moral and political
affairs, which reach out among the
people, should be in the hands Of
thoughtful, conscientious, upright
men. The youth of the land uncon-
sciously, but gradually and surely, i'm
blbe many Of their ideas, and shape
their thoughts and actions by what
they read in the papers. The news
paper is a great educator of the masses.
Even the man who borrows his paper,
and is therefore the barshest critio. is
not beyond the reach Of such iufu'
ence. Those who never see a paper
hear of its contents, and are governed
accordingly to some extent.
CHARITY WORK.
The editors of the daily and weekly
(secular) papers, of which we speak
chiefly, are expected to do q great
amount Of charity work, to
sustain gratuitously every be
nevolent cause and public en-
terprise without compensation. The
paper is regarded by many thoughtless
people as sort of public ladder by
which men in the various walks Of
life, without a superabuudance of
brains or talent or capital, can climb
to notoriety, fame and prosperity,
after which the ladder is kicked aside
or passed around to the next intellect.
ual mendicant. Nearly allmsnner OF
people seek to turn the press to ac-
count without offering an equivalent
in return. Its conductors see so much
of the unattractive side of human
nature that it is no wonder they some
times become iconoclasts and seek TO
place themselves on the defensive. A
newspaper Office is a confessional,
where the vanity and the weaknesses
ofhuman nature are laid bare. Its
secrets are sacred. Mr.. Talmage once
said that newspaper men see SO much
of the hollowness of society, the social
and political and moral ahams and
frauds attempted often to be perpe-
trated through the press, that he al
most wondered that they had
faith in anything. The press some
times falls into INSCRIPTIONS hands,
and is run in mercenary spirit, with
out any regard for the moral results
upon society. As long as the public
tolerate or prefer sensational or pol
luted literature, such papers will flour
ish. | am proud of my profession,
Jealous of its good name and ready to
defend it, and desire to see it elevated
and welded for the good of society
and of government, but an exact and
mathematical regard for the truth
compels the admission that all editors
are notimmaculates or even reformers.
The millennium will no doubt usher
| in such a class as we'll as sanity read
ers and patrons. Deplore the fact as
we may that
FRIVOLOUS AND sCANDALoUs MATTER
will crop into our papers, we know that
the paper which establishes firm
moral style will fall behind for a time
in the race with competitor not so
particular about its tone of the locals
land selected matter. As long as the
public appetite morbidly Graves highly
seasoned journalism, so long will men
be found ready to supply the market
| The fault lies as much with
la reading public as with the
conductors of the press. We believe
howe 7er, it can be said that the pres!
all over the country has improved O
late years and that an increasing mum
| Der Of its leading minds are endeavor
ing to work out reform, to reach {
purer style, more elevated tone, and Il
exclude, as far as possible, both from
their advertising and reading columns
everything that pandOrs to vice
vitiates the minds of the young o
would be Objectionable in the famil!
circle. There is slill room for i'm
provement.
IN A LITERARY SENSE
, marked improvement is going or
Whilst some Of the ablest and mos
!. successful editors Of this country wer
educated mostly in a printing Office
} where the grammar Of the profession i
, learned, and never took an academi
, course, it is evident that moder
! journalism has enlisted in its rank
! many men of the highest literary al
and technical culture, and that ther
a are more collegians connected with tn
D daily press than ever before. Th
reason that more graduates from co
t leges and universities are not found o
}, the papers, is that most young me
t coming out OF college With a diplom
d in Latin, whether they can read it {
y not, are too much inflated at first wit
e their Importance to begin at the bo
Il tom of the ladder and werk their wa
o up by years Of drudgery. Nor is tn
It to be wondered at, when we see thi
a the average graduate can succeed pa
1t SADLY without much effort, or eve
II soiling his hands, in the SO Gale
is learned professions and specialties
IS the day. There is growing demar
N for educated young men Of talen
nerve and physical proves on Il
larger dailies, yet | conscientious
believe that the most of that ella
Re would do better in the long run
"a engage in farming, learn a trade
= engage in almost any kind Of manu-
!, labor.
he TOO MANY PAPERS.
ry We have had too many papers th
to spring up like mushrooms and
IT. after a sickly, spasmodic eXisten'