The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-08-16
Newspapers as Educators,

When mild Ben. Franklin printed a
few papers for IL few readers lie, perhaps,
little thought how, in the years to come,
his country would win to itself the laurel
wreath for journals and journalism. And
Milton when he sang the freedom OF the
press lirtlc hoped for an age when it
would throw its liberal opinions broad
cast through the land and come at last to
educate" the people. Eighty years ago
newspapers were only sought for the
local news they contained, which, at its
best, WAS poor stuff but at that time gath
ering biaplasm for the magnificent daily
and weekly sheets now issued through.
out the States. In considering newspa-
pers MS educators one will he confronted
by much opposition. But, with the excep-
ton of "bOarding-school" wisdom and
classical knowledge, the best news
papers are better professors, better
preachers and better philosophers than
graduated. AS the presenG is after all
but a growth out of the past newspapers
are the offspring Of modernism, and the
true IN rrors oil the New World progress.
Mr.. Gladstone has been an earnest stu
dent Of the journals. Victor Hugo found
in them more than one episode for his
Lies Miserables.". Charles Reade col
lected book OF newspaper clippings
which he called his 'brains," and the
great mass OF our laboring people are
receiving the larger part of their educa-
ton from the two-penny bulletins. They
are like the great leader of the people
who moves in natural majesty through
the halls and institutes he has founded
and in calm consciousness of power
among the people he has made happy
with an aureola around his name that
will burn as did tho wisdom of Judea's
magi. They are energetic exponents
of the age-ripened work that is waiting
for the "brain of the new world" to pro-
duce out of the ''peerless grandeur of
the modern" for the mighty living pre-
sent and can advocate the principles of
ecclesiastical polity as well as describe
railroad accident. A well edited Boston,
New York Or Philadelphia daily contains
as much practical knowledge for the
masses as any book lately written or that
any school master has lately taught.
Rich in geography, history. science, phil
osophy, religion, commerce, etc. They
comprise terse and amply sufficient
lessons for the swift students of the pres
ent day We can not go to them for
French and German, or to hear doctrines |
on the "Oyer Sour' and immortality. |
But, from "where the she-whale swims |
with her calf to where the iOhneumon
sleeps in the sun, they gather in mater
ial for their columns. The speech of the
great parlimentarian still echoes through
the House of Commons while hore in our
large cities it is being "set up" for the
morning papers side by side with ex-
tracts from Governmental Treatises and
historical "reminiscences, or line or two
from Milton and Pope. Out of the latin
alphabet patience has formed the litera-
ture of great world, and out of our
valuable journals time may produce
something better than bad school rooms
and incompetent teachers which prov
iucial custom, that destroyer of the crea-
tors intentions, has plaoarded- sacred"
If not yet educators in the deeper sense
of the word our journals are certainly
very able Constructors" and may yet
sec the trades OF the book binder and
seedy pedagoguc become Improbable.
FoLGER McKINsEY. !