Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-13
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE p1srA7cH.1

the lake come over for the afternoons enter
tainment, which is of the highest character.
The morning lecture entitled ''Some An
cient News Gatherers," was delivered by
Professor E. Waters. It was brimful of in
formation, classical in nature and delivered
in a pleasant, raey style. For the last few
months the country has been excited over
many great questions Of national and inter-
national Importance, no better illustratio q
Of the double power yielded by the newspa-
per press. at once as the ubiquitous instruc-
tor and the rapid interpreter of the public
mind, can be offered. In the ancient world
there were forces that exercised power
analogous, though in no comparable degree
to that of the modern press.
CONTROLLED BY THE KING.
In the Eastern Empires national opinion
meant the opinion of the King, end they
certainly will not detain ~ long. Let US
turn to Greece and Rome. The Homeric
poems are not only the earliest monument Of
Greek literature, but also the oldest docu-
ments of the Greek verse. In Homeric pol
itics public opinion has no proper place.
The framework of Greek monarchy coa-
tanned social life which was powerfully
alert. The Greek ever hastened to commu-
nicate his thoughts in poems; the spokes-
man of popular sentiment Is frequent
ly introduced at critical moments. The
public opinion was "some one" the Greek
word 'tis." In the Odyssey we catch the
character of "some one" Every closely re-
sembling Mrs. Grundy) when the maiden is
conducting the uncouth stranger Ulysses to
the city of her father. The fidelity with
which ''tis" reflects public opinion is seen
in the fact that his solicitude for thefights of
man were not strong enough to resist the
temptation to e1ult over the fallen. After
the age of the great epics an interval
elapses before we again catch the public
voice.
DRAMA lists AS NEWS DISPENSERS.
Greece reawakened at the time Of the
Persian invasions. She wished to see her
heroes moving to repel the barbarians. The
dramatists OF that time addressed the peo-
pie, and the people responded. Their out
bursts were something like the paragraph of
the "Fury," which reads as follows:
Methlnks see in my mind a noble and puis-
SAINT nation rousing herself like a strong man
after sleep and shaking her invincible LOCKS.
Methinks see her as an eagle musing in her
mighty youth and opening her undazzled eyes
at the full midday beam, purging and uHecaling
her long-abused sight at the fountain itself of
heavenly radiance.
lar assembly was the constitutional mouth
piece of the people. Every citizen was, as
such, member of this assembly. The in
fuence of the dramatist was thus in q way
analogous to the journalist of modern times
in that it was brought to bear on men who
the next day might be called upon to decide
a question of policy in the national as
sembly or to try in law court one OF those
cases in which the properly legal issues
were often involved with consideration OF a
social or moral kind.
POETS NODDED PUBLIC OPINION.
The poets of that time published verses of
social and political character which now
adays would be found in the editorial col
umns of our newspapers and articles of our
magazines. Aristophanes describes himself
as the champion Of the people; like second
Hercules fighting against inhuman mon
sters. he teaches the people to respect the
rights and redress the wrongs of their SUBJ
iects. The comedy of the time did not have
so much influence. It never originated pub
lie opinion, but was its mouthpiece and
organ. 1t perhaps strengthened opinions
by rejecting them in an exaggerated form.
The old attic comedy had many of the
characteristics Of vehement party Journal
ism, but was directed either against persons
on the one hand or against general princi-
Piles and tendencies on the other hand, but
not against measures. Its most obvious
strength lay in brilliant originality OF form,
but its effort political or social depended on
how far it had a representative character.
It was the great ancient analogy of that We
hicle of journalism which seems to lead
public opinion by skillfulIy rejecting it
unsparingIy in attack, in all the sources of
style mastery, but careful (where positive
propositions are concerned) to keep within
the limits Of safe and accepted generalities.
ROMANS AS JOURNALISTS.
Turning from Greece to Rome we find a
change. The Greek embellished action with
a running commentary of speech. The Ro-
man was usually content to feel that his
action was in conformity. The labors of the
poets and writers of Rome did much toward
crystalizing the forces and perpetuating the
union which finally made the greatest re-
public of the ancient world. Our best hope
is that the journals of to-day will ever de-
fend constitutional freedom with the same
Greece and Rome.
Five thousand people were present at the
afternoon entertainment and the EN- pity seats
were very, very few. A. P. Burbank, the
elocutionist, and the Harvard Quartet, COM
posed of alumni of that institution, kept the
audience applauding for one hour and a
half. This is the first appearance Of Har-
ward singers here and they did themselves
proud.
AT the Hall of Philosophy at 4 o'clock
DR.. Lewis Stuart, of Lake Forest Univer-
s1ty, spoke upon
THE STORY OF LATIN HYMNS.
There are some 500 Latin hymns. Hymns
have always had great influence upon the
religious life of any nation. Mr.. Stuart
spoke upon several of these and recited ex-
tracts from them. He regarded it as a
great mistake that our colleges and universe
ties did not pay more attention to this line
of Latin study. They possessed intrinsic
merit and were among the grandest OF
Latin writings. Many of the hymns that
we sing in our churches to-day were de-
rived from them. The chant and response
used at Chautauqua on Sunday came direct
from the Latin.
In the evening Chautauqua enjoyed mu-
sical treat. Three great artists were the en-
tertainers-Messrs. William Sherwood, the
great pianist; Prof. !. Y. Flagler, the Or
prano soloist. An interesting programme
was rendered, Mr.. Flagler being master of
ceremonies. If Mr.. Sherwood has not al
ready gained it, he certainly is fast proving
his claim to the title of Americas greatest
pianist He has force and Interpretation