The Sunday herald., 1886-09-12
RANDOM NOTES.

RANDOM NOTES.
Those newspapers which do not boast gigantic
circulation will soon have to begin consoliug them
selves with the Idea that bcyonda certain limi, great
circulation Is not sign Of the best quality and innu.
ence in Journal on the contrary It Is apt to be-
token lowering of tone, morally and otherwise, to
meet debascd taste. The Pau Man Gazette never
hsd such a circulation as when II was publishing
under false pretcnses Of good purpose sbomin,,ons
that ough, to have secured It's suppression by the
police. This was an extreme Instance; but taking
the ordinary circulation OF Journals day by day II
VIII be found that those with the largest numerical
circulation are seldom or never the ones which conf
mand Influence and respect, which arc most widely
watched and quoted, or which, though II may seem
parsdcxical, make the most money. The last re.
mark may be explained In few Words. The hun
dred thousauders Ute sold at low price, aud the ex
rcnse OF extending the circulation by fast trains and
other sensational means eats up much OF the narrow
margin OF pront. owing to their class OF readers
aud the fact that they are cast aside qs soon as read
they do not get the beet pr,ces 10Y Advertising ana
when they rave to print an immense mum
ber OF advertising sheets the cost OF paper
aud prcsswork becomes q serious Item.
The circulation OF the London Times has been sur.
passed for years by penny or hslf-penny sheets
which are never heard OF outside London. In
Paris the PeiN Jownd, Is sad to have the largest
circulation In the world. though itisscarcely news
paper In the American sense. Sometimes the con.
trast Is visible In successive states OF the same
paper. The Boston -, while II was ably aud
cleaniy edited by band OF clever young writers,
never had moro than "success OF esteem, and was
onaly sold to Spectator. lie set about publish.
Ing oil the most ssacious AMI Improper sensations he
could gather, the paper was at once caught IN with
awhoop by the men about town, aud Is one OF those
that now brag loudcst about tast edltions though,
like the New York Herald, It has assumed n some
what better tone In It's prosperity. The Chi.
| cago Times under Storey got spurious vogue
| by descending to depths that no respectable man
would initiate, and the same may br said dt tho Gin
cinna,l -. Nshoc,d Sc remembered that there
| Is wido distinction between number OF copes
! printed aud number of readers for each. paper
that Ia taken Into households aud families goes the
| round OF the various members and perhaps OF the
neighborhood, and is often flied or preserved. The
nashy sheet, with Its scandals, canards AMI trashy
| sketchy tone, is bought by men on the cars or
streets, scanned with contempt even while It tlty.
iates or amnsce, and is then thrown under foot or
concealed as something OF which they are ashamed.
It need not be denied tnat It reaures nigh ability Of
a certain soft to conduct these Journals, and keen
on the safe side OF the law against libel, scandal
and Indecent publications. but II Is not tho Highest
nor are It's rewards the most satisfactory in the end
There Ia room for considerable discussion about
| the names ot tke new cruisers for the Navy, By
way OF convenience, II would seem, or TO avoid the
danger Of eccentric choice, the names Of leading
cities are to be adopte In slzs prop )rtloned to the
size Of the vessels. The objection to this Is that 80
many American cities named after those OF other
countries that a decided foreign toue VIII result
Thus Boston Is an old English name, aui the orIgl.
nal Baltimore Is In ireland. The only Indigenous
names here are those OF Indian origin, which have
already been freely used, sometimes without much
discretion. "Chicago" is said by some malicious
persons to be the Indian name for the polecat and
"Kearsargc' an abbrevIatlon OF "Hezekah Sargent -
There are other names, not Indian, which have
come to be recognised rs peculiarly American
What may be called the Political names Of the old
frgates were characteristic, such as the Congress,
Constitution, United States, and others. England
has largely used names calculated to strike terror
to the heart OF the nearer, provided he believes In
them, such as "Innexible," "Dreaduought, aud the
like, mingled with number Of classical coguomeus
It Is chiefly from the English navy that our ships
need to be distinguished after all. as the French
German, Russian and others, are sdticent!y denoted
by the differences Of language. The nam ,s should
be sicn II possible, that on hearing one anywhere
even for the first time the prompt comn,ut would
| he "Thats Yankee"
There ought to be no substantial difficulty In the
way Of Installing, or dedicalng, or inaugurating the
Bartholdi statue In New York Iiafbor with all the
honors necessary. 1t lis truc Congress has omitted
while making an appropriation, direct with partcu-
larity what shall be done, notably as to iuvng for
eign guests. But has Congress any m)re strict
right to do this than the Executive? The Constitu
ton Is certainly silent on the subject, and secsto
be q matter OF mere ceremony. "Strict construc-
ton" would therefore defeat itself In thI, instance
| and end In having no ceremony ut all. A sprgh,ly
evening contemporary generally correct, strangely
out OF the way when 1t says that "the Dartholdi
statue Is gift Of the French people to the
city Of New York, and in no sense gift to the pco-
plc or the Government OF tho United States." The
exact reverse Is true, and New York has simply
shown her usual aclulstveness In getting tho statue
without paying for II, she Is trying to do with the
Grant tomb. The Joint resolution of Congress, Feb.
ruary 22 1871 aces to be broad enough In lts terms
| to correct all this mslnformlilon AMI uuccrtainty !:
That the President OF the United States be- and he
Is hereby, authorized and directed to accept the
when presented by the citizens Of the French repub.
| lic, aud upon the completion thereof shall cause
the @ same to be inaugurated with such cerem Inies
as VIII serve To testify the gratitude OF our people
Tor THIS expression and fclicltOus memorial OF le
sympathy OF the citizens Of our sister republic.
That was doubtless slip In tho campilgu.book
OF the Democratic Congressional Committee which
makes 1t read "rhe Civil Service Commissioners
and all examiners and appoIntees under Republican
rule were Republicans" Otherwise, 1t Is rather
severe on Judge Thoman, who was supposed to be
n tutla and f-, nop,,
choice OF Mr. PendetOn, tho sponsor OF the prese
law. "Governor Curtain" and "Mo,reu Tarfr Act'
are of course mlsprnts. None Of the errors are or
any real consequence, and the heap OF solid fact and
truth In the book Ii, on tho other haud, something
| worth while.
There has been four hundred and seventy one
mileage ,,s claims allowed By the Fourth Auditor and
already settled by the Auditor still held up In the
warrant Division. and 10 tDLI De some IDt} beTure
| WeVdre pafd.-A Sunday paper, September o.
All Navy requlsitions on the Treasury received In
the Warrant Division from the Secretary of the
Navy and the Fourth Auditor up to Monday after-
noon, September had the warrants Issued on III Elm
by that date. 30 much for any delay OF payment In
| that once! The Sunday paper Is a. much OH In ts
facts as II Is In It's gram mar.
In North Carolina the Democrats have renOmI.
mated for term Of eight years the three Judges Of the
Supreme Court, although the Chief Justice and one
OF his associates arc now seventy years of age,
and will therefore bo expected to serve until they
are eightytwO. This will DO encouraging to our
own Supreme Court, In which the Chief Justice and
one Of the associates are over seventy, and two
others are supposed to be "bordering on.p
|
CoNANIcUT ISLAND.
Social Notes from Narragsnsett Bay.
| TINE GARDINER HOUSE,
JAMESTOWN, C0sAsIcUT, X. l., September 0.
The weather here s cool aud delightful, and this
heathful resort Is full to Ovcrnowing this season.