Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-02-12

and ous-spoksnlv revealed to thinking peo-
pie the horors Of the slave sysssm. Tne
nams Of WuiiAm L9sd G ,rri.oa leads all
others ia the noble hiss Of The bsave men
and w,men who fought this great bat Il for
human rights, snd achieved vetory that
aided rev insgre to the proud lille Of
Amenein eiGz .n.hip. Ner .h.ald is be
toszo.ls that through the columns of an
American newspaper Mia. Stoves Unels
Tens CABIN" va. tssE sent forth Oh It's
mission OF light Who can measure, who
c4n A3, qlsiely r.tlm sic TIE tremendous
.cope of It's influence for freedom. and for
God: Ths enlightened conscience Of to-
esy Is smszsd that 3 people subscribing to
the pslief that "all men are created free
Ard equal and have lhsrsfure an Inxlien, =
Bile right IN life. liberty ard the pu,suit of
happiness should have SO long tolerated \
system fundamentally And yiisiiy opposed
10 il.
But cot alone as regards slavery have
| mighty fesuHs been achieved By vigorous
and plain spoken presentation Of truth On
the part Of the newspapers. The pubic
whipping post is f1usd today 10 bu. one
STATE Of the American U1ion-the state Of
Delaware, Snd, evan here. iss uss has be-
Coma an exceedingly rare occurrence.
I IL faded assay with the growth Of 4
newspaper press that did 4oi hesits's to pic
,ure us workings, with 4 hislIty that
doomed it so popular condemnation. Duel
ing was, Id q like N amer, ds4ven from our
land. though not till snms If the best blood
IA ih4 coGHtry had be sacrificed TO lis
bMbArities. In more recent times We fl nd
tnsi gress social octopus, me Lluisiaas lot
terry, 1rVugn. to bay by ths exposures o (
90 oUt-sp0ken press. C1t OF BY federsi
law from the use Of ihe Uai.sd States mails,
il is but question of - shert time before
is will become thing Of the past.
Many and vigorous protests have been
made agait st the publication Of the details
Of pgize fights, and yet il has bs en- the pub
LEGATION of these details this. has secured
the passage of stringent laws prohi biting
such exhibitions in nearly every slate Of
the Union, and has aroused public senii-
ment certainly destined to bring about 10
course Of time the total suppression Of this
sport" IIdesd il can scarcely have
escaped the attention CT careful newspaper
readers. in these later days. that most bat
ties of this kind, like the cele orated one Of
sncient Samson, are now waged with sw
bones.
And while l sm s9eskiag of this mstter,
| recall . friends descii ptioB Of = halt hour
passed by him at ness stand the day sue
cseding the SuliivaL-kJrsin tight. Il was
jast after the metropolitan Newspapers had
arrived. The continuous line of citizens
that came and went reminded him Of 4
Fourth Of July procession. All classes.
oil vocAtons, both secular and religious,
we're represented there, aud tiie great, the
small, the good, the bad, the wise, the
otherwise, trod in promiscuoIs confusion
| upon one anothers' heels IN a frantic eager
ness to secure the full ast returns from .he
seat Of var. Most Of them denounced the
whole Air in unmessured terms. The
secular press, while devoiigg q large part
OF its space on the telegrsphic pages 20 de-
tailed accounts of the various rounds, va
slmos. as liberal on the edltotial pages win
articles vigorously condemning such 8 airs
and demanding their suppression. Even
our friends Of the religious press were care
full to emoalm in the flow Of their denur-
| cistory rhetoric the important fact that Sui
iivan knocked out Kiliain in forty-.so
terrific rounds.
| An! brethren, how strong we are in the
| spirit; how weak in the flesh, 1t is not
| probs BILE, though that many Of u, il brough!
| to tack in this particular connection, would
y CT any bpDiDklcb-huu why huUu u We
he editors place is to record public events
He is in no way responsible for the nature
| Of them. The good, the bad, the ipdItf.r
ens, all figure in his social photograph, Hv
cannot, like certsin so.oailed realistic
| writer's, make tiresome collection Of CON-
| monplaces and name it Life" His critics
demn such carrie iture. Ii editors could
control events there can be little doubt but
what they would skip the slow processes Of
the ages and have the Millennium at once.
But having no such power they are
obliged, like other mortals, to accept the
situstion Just about as they fad it and do,
| 10 their own way, what little they can to
hasten the chariot Of progress.
Editors do . great deal to limit the &C
tivities of the criminal world. The fear Of
pub icity has more terrofs for many people,
thsa the fear Of the law. Itis one Of the
greatest moral restraints on would-be Of
fenders, and therefore one of the greatest
safe guards Of society. Newspapers play
most important part in bringing criminals to
justice. They put the public on its guard
snd make detectives Of the masses. The
Stain Cromwell case in our own State 10 an
excellent illustration Of this fact. The
gre estest medicines in the world are sir and
sunlight. Ooce open up the fostering Ut
GERS on the body polite to these grea.
remedial agents, and the patient is already
on his way to recovery. mawkish pfu-
derry that insists on covering up the sore
spois in the community is hostile to its
highest interests. The mould that. decay |
ing in the dark corners Of the cellar, is Q |
breeder of pestiience, ard a menace to |
the health Of the household, if carried into |
the light and air of the outer world, loses |
its poisonous character and mingles with |
the earth to add to its productveness. Cor |
rup!ion thfives on darkness; exposed to |
the searching light Of day it vithers and |
dies. Looking back over the pages Of his |
tory We End that Mrs. Grundy has always |
been one of the most inveterate and |
determined opponents Of human progress.
In this age OF reason her inf Ience should |
be smsll. Let there De light" There is |
just as much need Of it today as there was |
IN the Ats. dawn Of creation.
Every editor must decide for himself the |
manner and the form in which he shall |
chronicle the current events Of the day, |
Upon this decision depends the tone Of his |
paper; and the tone Of q paper determines |
IFS constituency. The true journalist will |
always have for his aim the highest welfare |
of the community, and to this end will exert |
bis most nntIring efforts. The community |
will never be found unresponsive to honest, |
earnest work in Iss behalf
The editor is usually called upon to give |
more for charity than almost any man in |
the commuuity-and generally gives is. Ii |
is rare indeed that merchant who has con- |
tributed literally from his stock in trade is
asked for subscription in cash; but this is |
By no means an uncommon experience with |
3 newspaper publisher. An EDITORS space |
is Just as much stock in trade IS 4 mer.
chants dry goods or groceries 1t costs
him money, and it must be paid for. IL be |
makes practice Of giving 1t away he will |
meet with about ss much business success |
IS q merchant would who followed simi- |
lar policy. Publishers who succeed are |
thoss who insist on receiving 4 fair equiv |
aient for what they have to sell. They |
cannot afford to make exceptions to this |
rule.
The modern press 10 the greatest power in |
the world. 1, is the strongest safe guard |
against corruption and fraud To its
gigantic labors is largely due the marvellous |
Advancement OF the age. In the language |
OF an exchange: "The newspaper is the |
helper of the church and the school, Of
religion, science, art, industry, agriculture,
OF everything which concerns the good Of
the State. II 10 the verJ prop and stay Of
public spirit, the most potent enemy Of
public wrong or mi astice" The editor who |
applies himself to his work with . true con-
esption Of IFS responsibilities, and who has
a sui spinal column in dealing With the
matters that come before him, will never i
lack ciientage. Opposition or com petition
cannot overcome him. Ga the other hand
the chsnces slways are that. keeping couf-
sgeously and teDaciously to bis work, he