The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-28
THE NEWsPAPER.


This is undeniably a nation Of newspaper
readers. Social philosophers arise every now
and then to protest against the almost univer-
sal dependence upon the daily and weekly
press for information upon all subjects, moral,
political, literary or what not as subversive of
what they, the philosophers, believe to be the
true and proper way of securing education.
So much hasty and desultory reading as is in
volved in the perusal Of daily paper leads,
they argue to superficiality, and interferes
with the acquisition of "solid' wisdom. AS
proof Of their position they point to statesmen
who have become eminent in their countrys
service, and who in their youth had access to
few or no newspapers, and to whom a book of
any sort was precious rarity. These men
gained their knowledge under painful difficult
that the pathway to learning should
therefore remain rugged and unattract-
ive The same critics who are alarmed
at the supremacy of the newspaper
are usually ardent advocates of educating the
masses" and ar ready to encourage projects
for the founding of schools, the giving of
scientific lectures and all other time-honored
methods of promoting intelligence. The
newspaper as factor in popular education
they recognize reluctantly, if at all and de-
precate its influences And yet it is not too
much to say that the newspaper has done
more to mold into homogeneous whole the
diverse elements that make up the American
Nation than any one force that could be named
Schools may do much, but schools are for the
young only and are slow in producing their
effects. Books are an aid, but books even in
this age are for the few. The news
paper reaches all classes of cit
liens and disseminates knowledge
that all should have. The day may come
when there shall be no newspaper to disturb
the serenity of people with their heads in the
clouds who care nothing for current events, or
to interfere with the personal comfort of es-
teemed but irascible Presidents, but that day
seems to be far distant. For the benefit if
not, the satisfaction, of these it must be said
the statesmen of the future men who will
arise to meet the emergencies as Lincoln and
Grant did in their day, will be those who. in
youth and manhood have read the papers and
know what their country needs For their
edification is offered the common testimony of
teachers that children from family of news
paper readers are invariably Of the quickest
intelligence and have the most varied store Of
information. 1t is but poor commentary
that the censors Of the press make upon the
intelligence of ambitious youth to say that
the scraps of knowledge so secured will
not stir them to more thorough study
and research in other directions. To live
and keep up with the times in this impetuous
and rapid age requires activity of mind and
body. To attempt it without the aid of the
newspapers is simply to fail. More and more
are people coming to realize this. More and
more do the publishers and managers of pa
pcrs feel their responsibility in the matter.
The press being power, it behooves those
who have it in charge to offer that which
serves the best interests of the public. This
the Journal has conscientiously endeavored to
DO. In all of its issues the effort is constantly
may be made and failures occur in the effort,
but such faults are seen by none more clearly
than by the makers Of the paper themselves
With due allowance, however, for unavoidable
imperfections we feel what certain
ly may be considered a pardonable
pride in the degree of excellence
which this paper, and in particular the Sunday
issue, has attained. The contents of to-
days paper make a literary bill of fare to
which only the most captious critic could OBJ
ject. If any reader is injured in mind or
morals by thorough perusal Of its sixteen
pages, including the advertising columns, he
will be presented with chrome upon appi-
cation. 1t may be added, in this connection,
that to-days paper is only a sample of
what readers may expect in the weeks follow
ing, as they have received in the weeks past
We are determined that the Sunday Journal
shall not only be an exceptionally fine news
paper, but that it shall be in as many homes
as possible. Its circulation is now larger than
was ever attained by a fve-cent newspaper in
the State of Indiana, but it must have several
thousand more readers And it will have
them.
ORGANIZED CHARITY
The organization and successful operation
of South Side benevolent society, and the