The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1885-01-08
all down the line of employment and in

all down the line of employment and in
venliOn.
There is not a settled countd. I b.lieve,
in the United States that hath not its news
paper. its mOnthpiece, ills organ. They are
not SO sprinkled and disseminated that ed
itors may have an occupation. 1t Is the
that calls Them into being and upholds
them through all the vicissi tudes of hard
times, change of parties and politics.
The country newspaper thus corrObera-
ted by the sentiment and good opinion of
the entire mass OF our people is the chosen
means for untold good, for incalculable in
f1uence in the formation of manners and
the right way of thinking, feeling, speak
ing and acting. 1t is the censor Of morals
and manners. 1t is the critic OF domestic
economy. 1t is the standing committee for
the award of premiums for right doing. 1t
Is the e1ecutioner OF the outlaw and the
corrupt. In the presence and under the
lash of an honest editor the scoundrei palss
and flies: but for him there is no city of
refuge. The most distant land catches the
report and sends it back like an echo.-
There Is no canyon so deep or obscure but
that the yelp of hot pursuit will enter.
1 do not know that the superiority of our
county papers is accounted for by the bet
Wherever fund or placed are only as good
as their readers will have them. The po-
lice Gazette does not circulate in Sunday
Schools. The religious papers are not read
preparatory to a pugilistic encounter or a
horse race. That our country population
is better, more thoughtful, settled and hon
est than the population of cities, accounts,
in my opinion, for the better qualities and
character of the country newspaper. 1t
may not Hash so much wit as its urban
cousin, it may not overflow with so much |
humor, and even its wisdom may be sort
of hide bound. yet one may safely read |
through all it's columns without blushing |
and may take it home without fear of cor !
rupting unpracticed and innocent boys |
and girls. What are all our great city daily |
papers in the main but sinking record |
of incest adultery, fornication, robbery |
and murder. When tn csc themes fail, as
they hardly do, then outside of some flip !
pant political paragraph, we have IT, sati-
ETY. and disgust a catalogue of heart-rend-
ing eatastrophies by field or flood, or ex-
tending into the minute and the insignifi-
cant, we learn that Tom Jones of Chicago,
had his wrist dislocated last Saturday
morning by a false step upon the pave
ment, or that little son OF Benjamin Biz
bout had a cherry seed extracted from his
nose by DR.. Pomponius, or that Hattie
Hops was visiting her cousin Sadie Tops at |
Judsburgh.
VIII the world continue to gulp down |
such twaddle, such TO fun! If it does |
must not its head visibly diminish from |
year to year and all be turned or returned |
to apes?
If our country papers fully appreciated |
their mission and their power they could
have their own way and will. The great l
papers. as they are called, would wither
like a cabbage leaf cut from its stock in
August. They would ask counsel OF the
country instead Of sbeing its director and
Their circulation would dwind1e
into dec ency. They would not absorb the
money that ought to be kept at home to
make the home paper what 1t should and
could be. They would not mock the coun-
try rooster with its weakness and banter
the whole roost. Thew would again be-
come the opponents Of their locality and
if they ave tongue TO great thoughts and
principles it would be known and honored
Of men everywhere. But organized and
conducted for the purpose Off aking Non
ey and Incidentally for the purpose ofcon-
trolling party patronage, entrenched be-
hind millions of i'll gotten gains and forti-
led by the corrupted taste ofour times and
an endless list of subscribers IL fear me,
that the country newspapers has a fight
IN hands for which it is nOtnow prepared
If fear to undertake,