The Washington critic., 1888-01-30
WASHINGTON. JAN. 80, lssS.
NM I;NENINn rArEn.

majority Of people as sort of supple
lnent or sequel to the morning paper,
containing but the siftings of second
hand news, and intended mainly for
evanescent twilight entertainment.
1t was credited with the possession of
little influence and with occupying
subordinate place in the newspaper
world-with being, in fact, nothing
more than . side-show to the grander
displays of the morning.
1t may have been that this assign
ment of the evening paper to rank
of inferiority was more or less Just in
many cases, but such classification
is not to be made nowadays. 1t be-
longs TO by-gone period.
Within the past few years there has
been a tremendous stride in the
growth and potentiality of evening
journalism, and the old popular
prejudice in favor of morning papers
as the only newspapers is being rap
idly and permanently dissipated
Thousands Of bright and busy men
are now engaged in this field of news
paper work, and they have compelled
"A change of public sentiment equiva-
lent almost to a revolution.
They have demonstrated the fact,
ard found on every hand general
readiness to accept the demonstration,
that the afternoon paper possesses
advantages, peculiarly and exclu-
siyely its own, which people
We're once slow to appreciate, but
which they have ceased to ignore.
Given equal facilities of obtaining
news and eqdal editorial capacity,
the evepihg paper is at least
equally enabled to command popular
recognition. With better facilities
and better editorship, it must neces-
sarily attain the higher rank of
popularity.
These advantages are ready at hand
to the discerning and sagacious pub
Usher, and the great community of
readers is fast ridding itself of the
idea that, in order to get the i'm
portant news Of the day, it must wait
till the next morning for it; or that
the morning paper has any special
monopoly of editorial capacity, or
literary excellence, or news-gathering
enterprise.
Under the new order Of things, in
deed, it is the morning, rather than
the evening paper which bids fair to
become the supplement or annex in
daily journalism, il being little more
than q made-over reproduction of
Mevents that were chronicled the after
noon before, with the exception of
the casual news of the following
night, Nor is there any reason why
expressions of opinion made through
the columns of an evening paper, if
well and forcibly made, should not
carry fully as much weight and secure
az attentive and general perusal as
though published early in the day.
4 great change is certainly going
on in this matter. The domestic
household, the grand army of work
ing people whose labors cease at
nightfall, the thousands to whom an
hour Of leisure seldom comes until the
engagements Of the day are over, nat.
urally prefer the evening paper. Busi-
ness men also are becoming con-
Veited to the same preference. All
classes are making the discovery that
: the news of the day, whatever it may
be, is of more value and interest when
made accessible to them on the day
of its occurrence than it is after being
kept twelve and fifteen hours for
morning republication.
Asa consequence the outlook for the
evening newspaper was never so good
as it is now, and is all the time grow
ing better. The fact that TIE CmTlc
is winning its way so handsomely and
successfully, in the face Of its digni-
fed and able, but somewhat slow
paced morning neighbors, is the best
possible illustration Of the point we
have sought TO establish.
'
and the Governor Of Kentucky are
consulting rs TO the best means Of
civilizing their mountaineer citizens.
Why don't they build a few school
houses?
IT'S A NATTER OF SOME surprise that
the Knights Of Labor throughout the
country are memorializing Congress
at such rate in favor Of the estab-
lishment of a Government Telegraph
system. The movement is energetic
and universal, and is probably based
much more upon desire TO break up
gigantic monopoly than upon the
interest the knights of Labor have in
areduction of telegraph rates. They
look upon the Spider in his Web as a
constant menace 10 the liberties Of
the working people, and deserving Of
nothing so much as TO be swept away
by the Governments broom.
TnE SAN ANToNIo light, alluding
to the proposed Centennial and
Quadricentennial Celebrations at
Washington, is confident that Texas
will not be behind her sister States
in promptly responding to all calls
made upon her in this connection.
IL says that "our pride in all that