The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-26
ns Country Pres.

1EE ItaHambian. . new paper pub
lished st Fulton. Mss. attracts our At
tenfion Tor its elevated tone. Itia not
only neat and newsy, but Is more. il i
free from anything calculated 70 pander
to = deprsred taste Or afiGiated public
sentiment. t i. however, only ons Of
the county pspers throughout tho
Etate, Zach Of which l. doing it, part 70
disseminate news and to inculcato cor
rect principles and insist upon the prac-
tios Of them. The place Of such papers
cannot be supplied By the cheaper and
more neEsy metropolitan press. We
would not underrate the city papers, but
at the ssme time We would not have the
country press undervalued. Each has
its peculiar and proper sphere. For the
gathering and scattering Of news broad
cast, the mammoth dailies and weeklies
are invaluable; their editorials, too, are
often Of immense value as powerful pro-
du; tionA and OF great influence, and
often are they conspicuous for their in
dependence Of speech. But their very
power subjects them to the tempta-
ton OF bribery, snd often do they
become, not the outsp0ken express
sion of clear intellect and an I'M
biased wish for the public veal,
but the especial organ of some par
ticular interest. The very individual
insignifcance Of the country press, rem
ders it independent; its very remoteness
secures a pure atmosphere and one con-
genial to the healthy growth of opinion
and the fearless expression OF it. Its
combined influence is tremendous, and
he who leaves it out Of account,
"reckons without his host" We do not
mean to say that the editor, or his jour
nal, is always the leader in the COM
munity. By no means. But he is one of
the cooperative agencies as well as COM
ponent parts of the live community
The paper, like the pulpit, the school,
the court, the various societies, oranges
and lodges, are more or less potent
agencies for the scattering of truth and
the discussion of active social questions.
Each Northumberland the editor, is no
more--is to some extent a mirror, and
each is also live coal which sends out
a lightand fire which is largely its own,
though the spark that lit it came from
without. 1t is by the united and reci-
procal action of these upon one another,
and their incidental or Intentional effect
upon the mass that the whole is made
to glow with light and burn with zeal
and ardor. The editor whose constant
aim is to fill we'll his place, is power
for good, and it is source of pleasure
for us to see the tone of our press i'm
proving more rapidly than its financial
status. Every citizen should encourage
his county paper 1t gives a species of
news that no other can, itagitates ques-
tons or offers the medium for their dis
cussion, which other papers cannot do,
because other communities are not
The citizen may rest assured,
too, that if there is a paper in every
county, every side of every question
will have fair advocacy and exposition
On every home table should be first the
county paper, then a paper from the
State capital, then his church paper,
then his trade or profession paper, then
if possible enc of the great dailies or
weeklics, and after that, or maybe before,
a first class magazine.