Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-05-13

profession. l. used to be in the early
days of our country that newspapers
were the opponents of the views of GER
tain big men of the vicinity. Their
editorial articles were understood to be
inspired, and to be in reality the utter
ances of some Colonel Blunderbuss.
1t was a common thing in those times
for a candidate for congress to start a
newspaper to be his organ, and later
on it was not uncommon for specula-
tive gentlemen to provide themselves
with the same expensive weapon.
Thank God. the days of such subser-
vienCv for the press are over; and that
the better educated sentiment in Amer
lea has rendered such ventures impos-
sible of fruition.
Altogether aside from theology, or
controversial differences of opinion,
man is by nature a religious being.
Religion tends to morality, morality to
cleanliness and obedience to the law.
Hence every journal owes it to human
ity, to the family and the state to up
hold the dignity and the influence of
religion. The duty ofthe editor in this
direction, once much neglected, is now
more and more recognized. Only the
other day a famous pulpit orator COM
pared the newspaper of to-day to "the
flying roll" in Zachariah, and among
other things said: II declare that the
newspaper printing press is to be the
mighty agent by which the Gospel is
to be preached, crime extirpated, OPP
preston dethroned, the world raised,
heaven rojoiced, and God gloritied.'
This is a very different estimate of the
press from that which has generally
been formed by our clerical brethren.
and thatIt can be made at all from that
direction shows a healthy advance
from both sides.
The editor owes a duty to the family
the main stay of organized society. In
few instances does he fail in this re
gard. The sanctity of the marriage re
~lation, the beauty of the united home
the love of parents for children anC
children for parents are generally in
cuIcated.
As to his guardianship of the state
ifany fault exists it is, hat he devotes
too much of his time and space te
political subjects. These should MOI
be ignored. The exercise of the power
to tax is most sacredly to be scrutiniz
ed and held to accountability, and ths
execution of the laws and the expendi
ture of the public revenue is mos
jealousy to be guarded. In these Ii,
much of human happiness. Wisel,
conducted government secures a happy
people; and of the highest among hu
man aspirations is that which lead
minds like those of Jefferson and Glad
stone into craftsmanship, the grandes
ofall instrumentalities for the anchor
alton of the condition of the huma,
race. Still | cannot but feel than man,
of ourjournaIs devote too much spac'
to political questions; indeed, / have II
mind papers which come to my tabI
with little else in them but polite.
and crime, and the kind of polite
which is usually so served up is not it
self much removed from criminality
The fact that the newspaper has so ia
supplanted books makes this an evil
in that it entails upon the editor tn
duty to furnish other and more whole
some mental pabuium. He must bea
IN mind that to some homes his journa
is the only mental light. Here is a res
possibility that to be appreciated ha
but to be stated. 1t suggests as a ne
cessity an ~eclecticism which but rarelr
obtains. do notify n means lnten,
BY this statement &c convey the idel
that 70 edltor. should attempt to cove
q 1ields ri - q AsmIucia sssx.
fI84<r6f 1890