The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1889-08-02
The Power of the Press.
President Hopp's address at the Wa

ASoANSAV AAOPp ouuACSS StG OllC w d.
tertown editorial meeting:
There never has been, and the future
never will be able to furnish, time
more conspicuous for Offering profuse
and we'll mer1ted congratulation to the
press Of all Dakota than at this import
ant period i'll the history of the terri
tory. This empire, so long inclosed in
the buds of the territorial bondage, is
now about to burst forth into two
beautiful flowers of statehood. In this
corner of the garden of our common
wealth the seed was planted. The press
was on the ground to assist in the
sowing. The press has titled the soil;
it has horne daily and weekly the W;l-
tering pot; it has been the glad sun
shine and the light; it has never waver-
ed in its allegiance to the plant; it has
never feared a failure of the statehood
crop, and now the harvest is just in
sight. l congratulate the press of Da-
kota as the grandest instrumentality
that has contributed to this result. I
congratulate you that through their
work you have grow stronger and mob
ler, until today meet the largest and
most influential press association that
has ever assembled in the territory of
Dakota. The history Of the discovery
of movable types and of all subsequent
improvements in the art, covering
types, presses and all appliances is IA
mlllar to each of you; vet | may be
pardoned if l refer to it only to show
the important part it has borne in the
history of the improved civilization of
the past four centuries. 1t has been
the touch stone of all our betterments,
in society, in government, in morals
and in education, and without it the
world would today be just four centur-
les III arrears in its civilization. Ithas
done more for mankind than any other
agency, for it made journalism possi-
BILE, and journalism is more powerful
today than armies; more Influential
than nayies. The public journal has
been the most prominent in the devel-
opment of the new territory; it opened
the way for the people. There is no
class or profession today that can exist
without the public journal; it Is as nee
essary for the life and growth and pros
perity of a community as pure water,
or the houses in which we live. The
press may honestly be said to have
beckop"d the people into.
OUR GREAT TERRITORY,
and now its labors and II 1nence have
opened the paths; to statehood, ana
when the last blow is struck that re-
moves the territorial shackle, and the
doors Of the great Union swing upon
their golden hinges, and the two Da-
kotas go marching to take their place
among the sisterhood of states, the
press of the territory will be accorded
a place in the very front of the process
sion. There it belongs: and in allstin1ey
to come it should merit the same place
by its future good conduct. That we
may be able to accomplish in the fu-
tura no less OF good works than we
have in the past. that we may become
still stronger, more able-bodied and
influential, and at the same time bet
ter understanding ourselves, act in
conjunction for our own good and for
the benefit of the people at large, is the
purpose of this organization. This
grand rally" Of the knights of
Faber" is no uncertain indication that
you realize that our strength in the fu-
ture depends upon our union now. No
Important industry or business seems at
the present time to have escaped the
fever of combination. There seems to
NC q gluoU lOI efely Uldut, ituu ~ OUT
trade am sorry to think there is too
much trust. The great benefit to be
derived from thorough organization
cannot be over estimated. Unacquain-
ted with each other and each others
views, we are apt to work at cross pur-
poses aud without successful effect.
BY coming together as we do now we
harmonic our purposes and our plans,
and go forth better prepared to help
ourselves and serve the public. The
latter we must always be prepared to
do. While the press is our individual
property as much as another's store or
wagon shop is his property-still, the
press owes to the public service and
an allegiance that is a component part
of no other occupation or profession.
Our plants. our presses, our material
and our business belong to us individ-
ually. Our influence, which reaches
out into every quarter OF our common
country, is largely the property of the
public.
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