The southern argus., 1891-11-26
LARPH.
A DISCUSSION OF RACE PAPERS.

A DISCUSSION OF RACE PAPERS.
The "Age" the Best EditoriaIIy.-Th,
Makeup of the Freeman" Consid-
/ ered.-What's In the Third
Party for the Negro?
Special TO the ARGUS.
NEWARK, N. j. Nov. IL, 1891.
LARPH: VIII you be kind enough
to express your opinion as TO which
are the leading race papers in the
country, considering those only that
have been published for two years OIL
| more, aud OOlige. ***
The above constitutes one of the
many queries / have lately received
To answer it, there are several things
to be considered, and Negro papers
must of a necessity be classified into
move than one class. There has been
| decided improvement noticeable i'm
Negro journalism i'm the past two
years, and none have marked that i'm
prOvement with greater pride than l.
There are scores of good readable
Negro papers throughout the country,
and our opinion, while especially COM
mending a few, is no disparagement
to the many. All cannot be best.
Some are greater than others, OF
course the location has as much TO do
with making great paper as the abil-
ity of the publisher. If you are not
situated in The heart of an appreciative
population, you cannot hope TO equal
the journal that is. Indianapolis could
not support paper like the New York
World, neither could town like
Memphis support a paper like the
Chicago Tribune. In considering
which are the leading race papers. the
critic must consider them FROM differ
ent standpoints.
Estimating from an editorial stand
point, in my opinion, the New York
Age ranks first, with the Cleveland
Gazette good second. No Negro
editor wields the pen with greater
brilliancy than L. Thomas Fortune.
Whether you agree with the senti-
ments he advances or not, all must
admit that his editorials possess a
brilliancy, a dash and a pOignancy
peculiar alone to Fortune, and not
equaled by any. Harry Smith also
serves his editorials in very COM
prehensive style, and he and Fortune
are more widely quoted than any of
our Afro American editors. This in
itself is pretty conclusive that their
editorials possess much merit.
As paper giving the greatest
amount OF news, and from the great
est number Of places, the Cleveland
Gazette undoubtedly ranks first. In
"makeup" the New York Age is bv
far the pretticst race paper extant,
though the Gazette is very attractive
in this respect. From an illustrative
standpoint the indianapolis Freeman
is without doubt the representative
paper, SO far as the number of cuts
used each week, and their excellence.
But in "makeup" the Freeman is
simply abominable. There seems TO
be no regard for appearance and the
matter is just literally dumped" into
the chases. It's head is the worst /
ever saw, and it, with the "makeup"
is in striking contrast with the excel
lence of its illustrations. If / were
the owner of The Freeman, there would
certainly be new man OH the "fOrms"
or very appreciative Improvement
in the present one, whoever he may
be.
The Chicago Appeal is an illustrated
paper of much merit, and while its
cuts, in workmanship or numbers, do
not equal the Freeman's, its typo
graphical appearance is SO much more
attractive and neater that their ''make-
up" is rot to be mentioned the same
day.
The Florida Sentinel Of Gainesville,
Fla, is wide awake paper, and
Lewey, its editor shows commendable
push and energy in getting out a
paper that is credit to his state.
The Richmond Planet is what its
editor, John Mitchell, is, strong pa
per, aud il eAerts great influence for
good.
As / stated i'm the onset of this
article, we mean no disparagement to
the many excellent race papers pub
lished, but careful estimate shows
that the papers we have mentioned are
undoubtedly the leading race papers
of the country, whose period of pub.
lication extends over space of two
years or more.
The improvement now going on in
race journals is destined 10 continue,
aud will eventually reach the point
where many will mirror the happen
ings aud events of the times, and edi-
torally discuss the issues before The
country, without regard 10 color,
creed or politics. In other words they
will be newspapers in the broadest
acceptance of the term.
-
Is there anything in the Peoples
party for the Negro? | don't think
there is. The makeup OF that party is
TOO inharmonious TO be fraught with
good for anyone, and hardly for our
people. Likewise the Farmers AL
lance. It's meeting at indianapolis
developed itself in very natural
way. No one could suppose that
harmony could ever prevail in an as
sembly made up of honest men and
r0gues, refOrmers and hypOcrites,
sincere but mistaken theorists and
political bummers. The same crowd
that made an exhibition of itself in
Ohio swept upon Indianapolis and the
inevitable result followed. The noise
necessary to make the public and the
Alliance believe that third party still
- L.. Il l. Il