Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-04-25
MIR CHAPIN ON ssTHE NEwSPAPER.' .'' Waterbury Editors Idea of What a
 Newspaper Ought to be.

Although Editor C.. F. Chapin of the American was down to lecture in the Y. M. c. A. course May IA, to accommodate 8 member of the clergy, who was to have spoken last night, he exchanged places with him and addressed good sized audience at Y. M. c. A. hall on "The Newspaper" He characterized the newspaper as busi- ness enterprise, whose editor and publisher must cater to the tastes of it's subscribers and advertisers. Papers that were con ducted to advocate the support of can | didate or support party or uphold prin- ciple in society politics, or religion were not newspapers. A newspaper, the speaker held, might do any and all of these things and it would fall short of its duty if it neglected the unequalled opportunities it enjoys in this regard. He referred to the growth of journalism and compared the paper of years ago when it was marked by the individuality of the editor to the paper of to-day in which the newspaper is the power and the individual insignificant These editors and publishers, said MT Chapin, are not primarily engaged in de- lending morality in the community, at tacking corruption in the state, upholding social or political or religious principal. Incidentally they are probably doing one or all of these things, but their chief aim is to make paper which people will buy and read And they are doing it simply for the money it brings and the power and influence it gives. It seems hard at fist to deprive the world of the tradi- tional theory that it is under the protect ing oversight of editors who are engaged wrong, but it has the compensation of knowing that the newspaper people are becoming self-supporting and no longer depend for subsistence upon the cord wood and garden-truck of charitable sub scribers. The newspaper, not less than the church, is affected by the materialism of the age, but whatever may be said of the church, the newspaper is certainly i'm proved and the community, so far as it uses the newspaper, is benefited by it.
 The remainder of the lecture was devo- ted to the advancement made in collecting news, how it is gleaned and the many ob- stacles which publishers, editors and re- porters meet in their daily walks. The press he said is powerless to create public opinion when the public interest is not | aroused. It is powerless to arouse public | interest in lasting and effectual way in l matters to which it is not spontaneously | attracted. Without there is some signif- cant principle to stir the faith and con sciences of men, some distinguished per sonality to win their love or hate, some public or private interest to appeal to their selfshness or generosity something by
 which, unbidden, the mind and emotions
 are moved, the newspaper can excite
 but fickering interest and
 exert but Ia feeble influence. It
 cannot create an issue without it has na-
 tive vitality, it cannot make or unmake a
 man unless aided by his own acts, it can | not even start ssboom'-an ephemeral
 word of ephemeral meaning without there is something behind it. But given the
 living issue, the vital principle, the preg-
 nant personality, and no power is so per
 manent, no influence so steady to promote
 them as that of the press. For it comes
 knocking every day at the doors of human hearts, it speaks week after week in the
 ear of conscience, it argues with every issue in the forum of human intelligence, it gets nearer and oftener and more per
 sistently at the seat of conviction than any
 other mental and moral force. It's op-
 portunities are unequaled. Its use of them depends upon the ability, the energy, the discretion and the integrity of the mind that directs it.