The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-06
4 TALKED OF NEWSPAPERS.
Hon. Chauncey M. Depew Delivers
an Address Before the Chi
cago Press Club.
The Largest Public Responsibility
Rests Upon the Journal
list of To-Day.
Success and Benefits of the WORLDS Fair
Largely Depend Upon the United
Efforts of the Press

Efforts of the Press.
cucAeo. June 5.-The annual meeting of
the Chicago Press club was held here to-
NIGHT at the Auditorium. The vast hall was
9ilod m the utmost with a notable gather
mo. and all in all the occa sion was a mem
orable one. The event Of chief interest was
tbe annual address, delivered by hon.
Chauncey M. Depew, of New York. In part
Mr.. Depew said:
When I received the invitation of the
Press club. of Chicago. to deliver It's annual
address supposed that it desired free
md easy chat from lavman upon Journal
ism. It is the popularity of every individual
that he wishes to be thought distinguished
for something other than that upon winch
ne has made his reputation, and of every
organization in the professions or the
trades that on their commemorative occa-
sions they desire to be advised by some one
who knows infinitely less about their bust
ness than they do themselves. But l soon
discovered that your club wanted from me
neither criticism nor praise, but the dls-
cussion of subject common to us all.
II is however, proper for me to remark
that the rest of the world is entitled to at
least one day in the year upon the newspa-
mar men. For three hundred and sixty-fve
DAYS they oracularly direct US in our opin-
ions. walk and conversation; they. give US
our politics. our estimates or pubic men
and our views upon all current questions.
The American people are eminently practi
cal, their wits are sharpened III their own
affairs and their thoughts concentrated and
intent upon that which Immediately inter-
ests them. AS a result the larger part Of
every community have no opinions until
they have read their party and religious
naners. For man like myself who reads
them ALL the most curious Of studies is to
gather the reflex of the EDITORS views
in the confident expressions
Of my friends. Whatever re-
sponsibility-and it is great-may rest
upon the lawyer with the liberal attitude al
lowed him under his retainer, upon the
preacher with his unrestrained opportunity
to speak. upon the teacher in moulding the
minds of his students, the largest RESPONSE
bility of all rests upon the journalist.
former generation believed that liberty of
the press would lead to such license as to
endanger public morality and destroy pri-
vate character. They feared that there
could be no redress from the assaults of the
press except by personal violence or muir
der. The results of liberty far beyond
that dreamed of at any former period,
liberty which is curbed by neither the law
found in the main entirely satisfactory. In
dependence and opportunity have created a
journalistic conscience by which the COM
mon view of the press protects the individ-
ual against unjust attack of any one of its
members.
The question which has been assigned to
me by your committee is the "World's
Fair" and the success or the failure of this
great enterprise will be dependent in a
great measure4Upon the view which is taken
Fl itb9 the press Of the country. If there
: Ibe not general agreement among the
newspapers of the republic, as to the char
acter and extent of this exhibition and the
support which it should receive, it had bet
ter be abandoned at the start. The occa-
sion is at once our opportunity and our ne
cessity-our opportunity to show to the
nations of the world our marvellous growth
in population, in settlement, in cities, in
railroads, and our development in agricul-
sources; our necessity, i'll present
ing to commercial peoples of all
races and chimes view of our sur
plus in the products of mine and mill, of
farm and factory which will furnish the
incentives for barter and exchange in all
ing that which we can produce beyond oul
needs in almost infinite volume, shall bur
den the ocean with our freights, shall re
create for us a merchant marine, shall car
~ our flag once more upon every sea an!
into every harbor, ana employ ana enrlcl
our own people,.
The ail-pervadlnR press, with the com
pleteness OF It's information ana the maJes
" OF Its power, represented III part by Tn
Cnlcago association. IS unknown, as we un
derstand 1t, IN all the countries OF IN
GLOBE. IN the journals OF Great Brltaln IN
United States are dismissed daily with
paragraph as to the markets, or longe
account OF a crime, or HOOD, Q
fire. and IN the contlnenta
newspapers they are rarely mer
TONED at all. 10 the European, the Asl
attic, the African, the Australian, educatlo
as to the products and positions OF forelg
countries IS largely from the senses, tn
eye, the touch and the ear. Mr.. Depew the
sketched at length the various worlds fair
that have been held, setting forth the
shortcomings and inadequacies. He poin
ed out the great advantages. not alone IN
commercial sense, of the Columbus quadr
centennial, and urged that no effort
which the hearty co-oneration of all se
tons of the United States must be CON
bined. Continuing, he said:
There has been no time since the ineug,
ration of our first president SO auspiciO1
for national and international exhibitie
in the United States. In 1876 we had onl
partially recovered from the most disa
trous financial panic of the century. III
south had not vet started upon its new d
velopment, and was still suffering from t
disorders and bitterness of reconstructio
But now we are at the very consummati,
of peace and prosperity. We are on the ri
naele of century of unexampled growt