The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1883-11-23
The American Newspaper.

The fact that there are published in
the United States at the present time
eleven thousand one hundred and ninety
SIX newspapers and periodicals (as au-
thenticated by the American Newspaper
Directory of George p Rowen & Co.,
gives an idea of the power they must
necessarily possess in molding and con-
trolling public opinion. OF these publ
cations one Thousand and thirty-four are
monthlies, one Thousand and sixty-two
dailies. nine Thousand one hundred or a
very large percentage thereof, weekles,
and their readers can only be estimated
by running heavily into the millions.
and this number accentuates other and
important facts. Among them Is shown
how very much the public depend on
the press, and how much Il IS the life
and success of every enterprise. To IL
all turn for encouragement, sympathy,
assisfanc and nerve to carry out grest
undertakings. In itself the press repre-
sents eli the movements of the day. and
upon its endorsements hinges, IN large
degree. their future, for it is broad in
its views. catholic IN its Judgment, has
the best possible means Of forminga cor
rect one, and owing its duty To nan,
country, progress and future great
ness, is lifted above bigotry and narrow
mindedness. And whatever IL may have
been from the necessities OF unc3ngen-
ial surroundings, no matter how narrow
its scope at first. amid the conyulsive
throes of the birth of a new country, it
has long since Overleaped any barriers
that made IT simply an appendant to the
printers art, and to-day journalism
stands a learned profession, and in its
ranks are to be found the brightest minds
of every land. And from Its number
alone j: Would DO powerful. If for no
other reason; and the more Sd az IL j.
backed by the thousands who manipu-
late type and tend presses; by their
combinations and strong = esI rit
de corlss'' that binds together and makes
the cause of ono the cause of all; by the
fraternal and beneficial organizations
that care for the living, make smooth the
pathway TO the grave, end are now as
husband and father 20 the widow and
orphan
Considered in the light of education,
the press Is greater than the schools and
colleges. Without the requirements OF
wading through pages OF irreyelant mat
ter the newspaper and magazine give the
sifted grains of thought, history, science,
gold of volume; makes every reader a
cosmopolite, and brings the entire wealth
of the world to his very door.
There Is nothing that escapes the vigi-
LIANT eve Of the press. 1t drinks from the
fountain head of inspiration; Is part
and parcel of every mans life, for it sits
with him at his own hearthstOne, and IS
everywhere his travelling companion.
Day by day, and week by week, it talks
TO him of what is going on, brushes
away the dust from the past and star
lights the coming. It forecasts the
future and foTewans against disaster. 1t
is matchless scrap-book of knowledge.
of lectures, of sermons, of medicine, of
prevention and cure, of wit and poetry,
of everything useful and beautiful, and
''these paper bullets of the brain" pierce
through all defences and penetrate be-
yond every barrier.
Somebody has said if one has the
Bible, an unabridged dictionary, and
Shakespeare, he has a library that con-
tains all the books that ever was printed
and the assertion has much of truth in it
But does not the newspaper give the best
of all that is contained IN these volumes
give il over and over many times within
even the short space of human life! True
! it NAV not have all the fleshly covering, bu
| it does the heart, the best of all lip utter
ances, of. pen-writing. And 1t reaches
thousands who have neither the time o.
! the money to purchase pOnderous tome
or costly volumes, refnes, cultivates, ele
Yates, educates and makes mankind bet
ter and truer and greater.
''This was sometimes a paradox, bu
now the time gives II proof" and tn
stability of the future newspaper is as
sured beyond question, as all the abuse
that insiduously creep into the bod,
polite; that are as serpents IN the gar
dens of domestic happiness; that swa,
the scales of party; tremble before thei
ban as they strive for their benediction
And as it Is the best medium of cultiva
ton, SO il is the strongest weapon of re
form, compelling men to think; compel
ing men TO hide their crimes. and givin
to public opinion its most cutting lash
Evils never yet inaugurated reform
against themselves. The press does.
is judge, jury, sentence and punishment
combined. LET me but write the songs
and care not who writes the laws" wa
the olden theory. 1t is changed now 70
the better, and is Tor should be- writer
Let me but control the press, and / car
not who makes the laws for the press
the most mighty of the twain, and fre
and unfettered, .-unawed by infiuenc
and unbribed by gain" Will ever renal
pledged to religion, liberty and law"