The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-26
ON THE VALUE OF NEWSPAPERS.

ON THE VALUE OF NEWSPAPERS.
Showing Something of Their Value
rs an Educator...Their Wonderful
Influence Among Children -. And
Their Benefit to Older People.
There are many reasons showing the "value
of properly conducted press as teacher
and exemplar;" "the moral obligation resting
their households" and that "money spent for
newspapers Is worth more TO the general well
fare of the family than any equal sum OF
money spent for any other purpose"
subject, shall present them In q plain ana
practical form, endeavoring to give more at.
tention to solid. substantial argument than TO
empty sen ntences, (not Wishing to weave
web Of Words to conceal lack Of ideas)
While fancy may please for while, recos,
niZe the truth that "facts are stubborn (anu
eterna) things" and simple orig inallty more
convincing than borrowed" eloquence, !
shall therefore attempt originality and adopt
simplicity, In figures that tell the truth.
Aside from entering this contest for the in
ducement offered, l write from pleasant
sense of duty Gas one takes his pen to tell the
delightful story of his alma mater(, to show
my appreciation Of the advantages have en-
joyed, and the benefit have received from
careful. systematic and continuously studied
reading of the press. 1t Is surprising how an
IlntelllSCuG lIlau call dllGCI W w WlLuOuI
newspaper. for good paper has become ne
cesslty. TO be without II, Is to be vastly be
hind the times In this age of enlightenment
and progress. There are SO many reasons
why the local paper should be q reg gulnr vlsi-
tor TO every home; there Is not one reason
why IL should not. For the poorest family
the subscription IL we'll invested. THINK now
different the home where the weekly visit OF
the paper is something TO which all look for
wurd-tle pleasant gathering around the tn.
BILE to "hear the news" read by some bright
member of the family for the benefit of the
others, and the frequent interruption by com
ment or criticism at mention OF familiar
name or some new proceeding.
How different, repeat, Is this bright circle,
from that to which no pleasant weekly vlsi-
there Is no running forward of childish feet TO
be "the first to get the paper no pleasant
sight OF father In his comfortable corner read,
ing to mother" All! no, 1t is all cold, ana
dull and cheerless indeed, in the home nm
frightened by the cheerful face of the Abbe-
UiUe Press and Banner!
III ventilating my ideas (?) If L add any slim
ulus TO a proper appreciation of this matter
aud arouse even the few, to sense OF their
dnty in the premises, making them feel the
need of agood newspaper, shall have aeco'h-
pllshed good purpose.
"The mission of the press"-bcsidcs being
"the nurse Of domestic purity and the guar
dian OF publ virtue; the hand maid Of reli-
gion, the hnlwalk Of liberty. and the great g ed. ,
ucatOr OF the masses opens up new llclds Tor
the development of original ideas In the men,
tai, us well ms IN the material world; In liiera-
ture as well aS in art for II Is the art Pre-
servative of all art" and ais scarcely less I'M
poriant 10 the family and the youth OF the
country than the school teacher and The pull
pit orator"
That good newspaper Is al educator, af.
firm without fear OF contradiction. 1t Is the
childs preparatory department, for 1t Is ut
once reader and speIler and grammar; IT Is
history, geography, philosophy, etc., com oln-
| ed ; ~ Is many IL mans "nlna mater" never
ending and ever-progressing; wherein his
Views are enlarged, and his ambition aroused
to do as other men have done and are doing.
It's doors are open wide and above the portals
Is written Excelsior!
The newspaper is TO day, the log-book OF the
worlds reckoning; all encyclopedia OF the
concentrated intelligence Of all tongues-a
minutes OF the whole society Of the land and
sea. 1t Is thc most perfect transcript OF the
past; the headlight OF civilization: the ad-
| vance.guard In the march OF Improvement
and the epitome or everythl AZ tEat happens
under the sun! 1t Is not only II necessity, but
Il luxury: as we'll for prince ns peasant; for II
| Is diSseminatOr or news and dispenser OIL
knowledge. 1t Is the pathfinder on the "roy-
al road to success" and the beacon light on
the Alps beyond which Lies the Italy" OF
mans immortal intellect, whose camp fires
are ever brightly burning and encrcling the
| realms Of song and story with halo whose
brlllancy ever wakes and never wanes where
| the tree Is ever green and the fountain springs
are ever fresh and pure; and where the elec-
tTie iights OF mans ingenuity anu Goo Gm
splepdor, and promise like the stars, TO shine
on forever and forever.
1.-The mission, or value, OF the press" will be
better understood. by contrasting the present
with the past. When the printing press four
hundred years ago, flashed forth Its letters OF
living light-as silvery meteor upon dark
sky, 1t sounded the death.knel OF kingcraft
aud quickened the pulses of democracy, and
lalthough the pioneer press was muzzled and
destroyed It's liberty is now firmly established.
| By comparing statistics OF the present with
those Of the past, we can see how rapid has
been the growth Of the newspaper In the
United States. Over ten thousand presses are
to-day sending out their columns OF news
Everything in general: whereas one hundred
years ago there were not fifty oil told
The great printer franklin did not foresee
the power and destiny OF the press. for when
he rldiculed the idea by telling him there was
already one paper in the United States.
SO much for "the value OF o properly con-
Quoted press as teacher asr,ns and eSempiar"
parents to furnish proper newspapers to their
households" TO say nothing OF the indispula-
| BILE fact that money spent for newspapers Is
worth more to the general welfare of the fam
| lily than any equal sum OF money spent for
any other purpose" which Is established by
the conteXD very little need be said. If the
it follows, as the night the day, that it is in
decd the ''nurse of domestic purity, and the
guardian of public virtue;" consequently
"the handmade Of religion and the bulwalk
of liberty" AS such, 1t Is our duty TO support
It, How we should cherish It! With wise
and pure Judges ON the Bench, plous minis
ters in the pulpit and true men nj the Bar and
In the sanctum, q country Is truly blessed.
Then let the people with one accord realize
that moral obligation rests upon them to
support the press. A properly conducted
newspaper Is O wonderful power for good.
| Well supported its influence Is incalculaole,
| nnn how real the eDiOyment of such a Driyi-
lege as to he in communication with the
whole world and at such tritling cost In n
nutshell, motto for oil: Sustain the pa
| pers! y. \. II.