St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-30
THE MINNESOTA EDITORS.
Begin Their Journey to the Lands to
the North of us.
Proceedings Of the Annual Meeting at NAH
tomedi Yesterday.
Full Text of the Classical Address by Ex-
Governor C. X. Davis.

The train that left the depot for Mahtomedi
yesterday at IL rs p. m bore about 1870 Min
nesota editors with their wives, daughters,
sisters, cousins and aunts. This is consid-
cred respectable representation of the Min
nesota Editors and Publishers association,
as there are something less than 800 news
Journals in the state, and not all OF these
belong to the organization. Papers of all
parts Of the state, north, south, east and
west, were either represented by their editors
and proprietors or by some one or two per-
sons Herewith connected. The crowd was a
remarkably jovial and generally good
natured one. the editors apparently having
left their solemnity behind in their sanctums
with their paste pots, shears and encyclo-
pedias. Even close observer would never
have suspected this train load of being the
educators of public opinion of great state
An hours delightful ride through wheat
fields and dwarfed forests brought the ex-
cursionists to Mahtomedi station, whence
they proceeded at once to the grand amphi-
theater, where the annual meeting was held.
The meeting was called to order by Presi-
dent B. B. Herbert of the Red Wing Adgance
who introduced Rev. S. G. Smith, of St.
Paul.
DR.. Smith said: welcome you to Mahto-
medi. I consider your choice of place for
yonr annual meeting very wise one. The
church is glad to extend to you such hospi-
tally as is here offered. The press is the
wonder of modern times, and its marvellous
development is one of the most striking
things in nineteenth century civilization.
While the platform and pulpit will always
live and have hold upon peoples feelings
that cannot be reproduced in cold print the
newspaper serves purpose Of great magni-
tude in instructiDg, entertaining and pre-
serving. The newspaper is an Angle-Saxon
Development The nations of continental
Europe seem not to have comprehended as
yet in what great newspaper consists.
America is the home of the newspaper, and
while the English press has more finish and
polish and is more classical in its
language, American energy and skill has
triumphed over all countries in producing
the news crisp and fresh every morning. A
few years ago it was feared that the press
would succumb to the batteries of the gold
of INSCRIPTIONS men, but it has since devel-
oped that it is easier to purchase legislatures
than the press of the country. I have been
close reader of newspapers both here and
elsewhere, and I can say that the
Minnesota press has an unusual de-
gree of character, ability, thrift
and drive. 1t has been said editors were not
generally very religious. Perhaps they have
reasons for their course in this respect. They
have to look the world sternly in its face and
see people as they are. Again welcome
you to Mahtomedi. and I hope you will go
away and say something about us, not at ten
cents line, but something kind and gener-
Gus at simply the price of good will.
President Herbert returned thanks to DR..
Smith, saying that the spirit of the press was
on the side of morality. He then read an
able and instructive address, the length of
which precludes its publication. 1t was full
of good suggestions for the improvement of
the craft, and closed with word of favor for
industrial schools, with special plea for
type setting and proof reading institutes.
The president announced that the chair
man of the executive committee, Mr.. H. P.
Hall, was absent in the east on account of
illness in his family, and therefore that no
report would be made.
The meeting then adjourned half an hour
for dinner.
After recess T. M. Newson, chairman Of
the committee on newspaper history, sta
tistics and biography, reported as follows:
ST. PAUL, Mimi, July 26, 1SS4-GENTLE-
MEN: Your committee to whom was re-
ferred Minnesota newspaper history, statistics
and biography, would respectfully report that,
in view of the scope of the duties Of the com
mittee and the magnitude of the enterprise,
in addition to the fact that many records of
the press were burned in the old capitol
building, we have been unable to procure for
this meeting the necessary information re-
specting the history of the newspaper press
of this state. We can only remark that in
1870 there were eighty -four newspapers in
Minnesota; now there are 260, and to reach
these 260 and obtain the desired information
will take considerable time and labor. The
committe have quite full report of the press
of Ramsey county, but not in complete
form. and they would therefore ask further
time to present such report as would meet
the appreciation of critical and intelligent
body of men, such as the Minnesota editors
are. Respectfully,
T. NJ. NEwsoN, Chairman,
j. FLETCHER WILLIAMS,
n. MCAFEE.
The committee asked for further time,
which was granted.
A communication from Oliver Gibbs, Jr.,
United States com missioner and secretary,
was read urging action by Minnesota editors
in favor Of the Worlds Fair OF New Orleans.
A committee to act on the communication
was appointed as follows: Messrs. Castle,
st. Paul Dispdteh; Day, of the Farmont Sen
tinel; Davis, of Red Wing; Hall of the Glen
coe Register; Mitchell, of the Duluth Tribune.
Mr.. Herbert, chairman of the committee
on incorporation, read the articles that the
committee had prepared, but no action was
taken upon them.
Ex-Gov. Davis then delivered the annual
address, as follows:
GOV. DAVIS ADDRESS.
] shall do no more than present to you
some reflections with little sequence, which
have occurred to me at this period of rest, in
an enchanting summer resort, far away
from books and labor, where even consecu-
tive thoughts seem out Of place.
Indeed, the time has long since passed
when eulogistic descriptions of the benef-
cence of the newspaper upon all the concerns
of the government, upon social or personal
life, is in the least necessary or interesting.
Like sunlight, water, air, 1t has become such
a commonp place necessity that considerable
mental effort is required, aided by all the
powers of the imagination, to comprehend a
state Of being at the present day not influ-
enced by its functions.
1t is easy enough to understand the former
civilization and to realize how they, in their
way, achieved their results and passed away,
their missions having been all fulfilled. IL