National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-07-11

popular clamor has clearly blazed out the /
track. IL would be difficult to point TO /
single important reform that has origi- |
mated in newspapers, while 10 is notori- |
Gus fact that some Of tho most yigor- !
Gus and popular movements Of the /
present day fud in the press OF that /
country their most influential and per- |
sistent foe. All this is, of course, to BIO |
regretted. But no one will regret that |
the English press is lacking In the indie ,
pondence $50 called which parados sur
misses as facts. which Is reckless of |
private character, and which looks upon |
all public officials as legitimate subjects
for systematic and relentless defamation.
1t can truthfully be said that the English
daily press, considered as whole, never
stoops TO any form of personality that Is
othor bemeaning to the assailant or
unfair aud damaging to the individual
attack. With tho society papers, of
course, IL Is different. But even these,
with ono or two exceptions, maintain an
attitude in reference to private matters
of the gravor sort far above that Of the
majority Of the American newspapers.
In regard to moral tone, L am far from
looking upon tho English press as the
embodiment Of all the projections, or rs
being much, IL any, superior to our own.
Tho London papers have keen sense for
the Bcandalous particulars Of divorce
cases, and several of them maintain, in
its worst form, that modern abomination,
tho personal column. II II be urged in
extenuation that tho English press 10
favorable to religion, and always stands
up for the church, TO this reply that
the English people compel thoir news
papers to this course, for in their attach
ment to the forms Of religion these English
are the most devout people on earth. If
1t be further said that the English papers
aro cleaner than ours, in being so largely
FREQ from disgusting details of crime,
reply again that this Is less matter Of
conscience than Of convenience with
these papers. Their policy is to give as
fcw particulars as possible of anything
excepting tho greatest affairs Of stato--to
make news of oil kinds subservient to
opinions. Occasionally, however, they
depart from this policy, and from tho
way in which most of them dish up scan
Dial in these exceptional instances it is
clearly evident that wero their policy
similar TO that of tho American papers
their conduct and moral tono would DO
tho same.
In this connection, few facts in regard
to the circulation Of newspapers will no
doubt be interesting. Hubbard's News
paper and Bank Directory, published
some time ago, estimates the number Of
periodicals of all sorts issued throughout
tho world ut about 10000. One-half Of
these are printed in tho English language
or this 10000 the United States furnishes
| 9,100-practically one-third, the number
issued by Great Britain and Ireland being
about 5000. Germany puts out about
| 5000, and France $500, 1900 of the latter
being published in Paris. 1t is worthy of
note in passing that Paris, with less than
half the population issues as many differ
emit periodicals as London. In regard to
comparative calculations in Great Britain
and America, tho work quoted from states
that the cities of London, Liverpool,
Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and
Dublin, with an aggregate population OF
6,000, 900, and with fifty daily newspapers,
demand 1884, 600 copies day. being ut
the rate of 1903 papers per annum, esti-
mating 81 publishing days in the year,
for each individual. On tho other hand.
the cities Of New York, Brooklyn, jersey
City, Newark, Philadelphia, Boston, aud
Chicago, with an aggregate population OF
3,75O,0O0. and with "a daily newspapers,
issue an aggregate edition of 1,693,00O
copies. being ut the rate of 140 copies per
annum for Zach person in those places,
or 81 copies per annum lover three per
dividual in the British cities named.
1t will thus be seen that in the tead-
ing of the daily paper we arc ahead OF
the English, but in their moro extensive
patronage of periodicals issued less fire
quently, our British cousins so nearly
make up this deficiency that in the tota
result neither can crow over over the
other. According to the tables befor,
mo the 2,92S newspapers, magazines, anC
quarterlios of the United Kingdom hav,
an aggregate circulation per issue o
22,25S, 900, and ap average circulation pc
issue for each journal or periodical o
1909, tho total number of all classes O.
publications issued during the yea
being estimated at 1,73i, 81 1856. On th'
other hand S,2l1 newspapers and maya
zines published in the United States
and Canada, whose circulation is given
put out an aggregate per single issue Of
20,G77 1913 copies, the average circulation
of each journal being 2,04l against al
average circulation of 1902 of eacl
British publication. Thus the average
American journal has but 20 per cent
of the circulation of the average British
and tho total result is that while til,
S,2ll American presses issue annual,
1886, AIS, 500, the 1928 British presse
put forth 1,734, Sll, 956 copies. Wha
makes Great Britain, Notwithstanding
her smaller population, measure up s
well by tho side of our own country il
this matter is that the papers of tn,
mother land find large sale in he
numerous colonies. A more recent censu
would, doubtless, show some increase il
these figures, but it would scarcely
afford any better idea of the number o.
newspaper readers in Great Britain, MOI
would it change the general aspects oil
the comparison instituted between that
| country and tho United States