The Washington bee., 1888-11-03

much argument to show the impor-
tance OF a vigorous, newsy, racy,
clean, progressive and ably edited
newspaper devoted exclusively to
the discussion of those questions
and interests which relate directly
and indirectly to our people. With
morality greatly in need of i'm
prOvement; with q character to be
digniied and enlightened with ma
terlal and individual and race in
terests to be extended and improv-
ed; with religious improprieties to
be modified or remedied: with huge
barriers OF prejudice to be leveled
with confidence in one another
to be inspired, 1t would seem to me
that the necessity for journal of
which we may all be proud, would
become at once apparent to us all.
And we need only to look around
us to find proofs of this. The pro.
gress of communities may be meas
ured by the number and quality of
their newspapers. Where you find
newspapers in abundance, there
you will find prosperous, intelligent
and happy people who are alive to
all that pertains to the interest of
the community in which they live
and consequently to themselves in
dividually. Where you find no
newspapers and no disposition to
foster and support them there you
find degree of ignorance which is
inexcusable, there will you find
people who are non-progressive and
who live in fear of rather than with
confidence in one and other.
A newspaper is one of the great
est educators of the age. To be
sure it's not the best educator in
the highest sense of the term, else
schools would be useless; but if it's
influence is directed towards the
upbuilding Of mankind, it gives en-
largement and Illumination to in
tellectual attainments, inspires
love for information, gives impetus
to genius and all the departments
OF human activity; begets compe-
tltiOn in all business enterprises:
encourages commerce, advocates
universal peace, inspires patriotism
and race pride and exerts d potent
influence towards destroying pre-
judice and race distinctions and in
cementing into one brotherhood
all the nations and people Of the
earth. Of course | would not have
you believe that all papers are
instrumental in subscribing this
end. Some there are which in
dulge in mean and harmful contrO-
versy, and which adopt erroneous
principles and advocate them in
m can and sullen spirit. There
are those which attack the reputa-
tion of innocent people with no
o her motive than to create mis-
chief which pander to the scanda-
lous taste of a community; which
SOW the seeds of social and dOmes-
tic discord; which dissemenates the
the product of moral ard intellec-
tual decrepetude aud which seek
to set races and people in bitter
and Oftimes deadly antagonism
against each other. But such can
hardly be charged to a colored
editor whoever or wherever he may
be. 1t is his lofty purpose to remove,
yes to wholly eradicate the social
and moral evils he may find in
society; to lift up rather than drag
down to show the vices of his race
only to point out panacea where
by the race may become relieved
of its defects to encourage enter
prise thrift, education, manliness,
true womanhood, morality, religion
and to stimulate healthy cOmpe-
tition with those around us which
shall tell in no doubtful numbers
the equality of the race and their
full adaptibility to take on all the
most advanced stages of mental,
moral, religious and material
SIOWlH, vi WulCu Jul WHO DlOCu-
ers are capable.
1t is his duty and his purpose to
mark out an honorable course and
to hew close to the line, "let the
chips fall where they may" But
as no great enterprise can be sue
cessfully carried to an issue with
out the cooperation of those who
are to be benefited, so would it be
impossible for newspaper to be a
success without support. Look if
if you will at the "Irish World," a
paper devoted to the interest of the
Irish.Americans and the Irish
everywhere? See what master
strokes it is making in the direc-
tion of relieving the Irish of this
country from the bond of supersti
tion and the Irish of Ireland from
the yoke of political thraldom?
See with what alarm its editorials
are read by the English as they