The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-02-03
TIE NEWSPAPER TODAY.

IhE NEWSPAPER TuDiN
y series of articles has been running
for several months in Lippincott's mag
azine on the personalities and character
istics of the American newspaper press.
In the February number of this inter
esting monthly John Russell Young
writes on Men Who Rcigned" as editors.
anC he treats Of Horace Greeley, the
elder Bennett, Henry J. Raymond.
founder of the New York Times. George
d. Prentice and John w. Forney. These
are the great names of the last genera
ton OF American editors, and the news
paper men of the new era are as different
from them as the papers of today are
from those of the earlier period.
Mr.. loung's sketches of these men are
decidedly bright and attractive. He
knew them all personally and writes with
deep sympathy. and a full understanding
of his theme. His concluding paragraph
is as follows:
1.-The press is no longer the expression of
personal power as it was when these H.
lus.rious men were reignIng. 1t has
grown with a pace startling ever to
those who dwell upon the pace of the
century. Then the newspaper was a
teacher the voice of one thinker. one
leader. Now it is a university. As
much intellect is needed to disseminate
a journal as to govern Harvard or Yale.
The fly sheets of the earlier day, with
their thin, himsy happenings of news,
have given place to the daily volume
which embodies the genius of the artist,
the writer, the artificer, and the states
man. Then there was no journal great
enough for Greeleyor F'orney: now there
could be no Forney or Greeley great
enough for the journal. In their day
Plato walked in the groves of the acad-
envy, and Abelard lccturad on the banks
of the Seine. In time their influence
was to develop into the schools which
have nourished the genius of civiliza-
ton. So with journalism. The men
who reigned have gone; but behind
them remains an empire, which would
have taxed, if not exhausted. the resour-
ces Of their sovereignty
This is a just and comprehensive sum
ming up. The form and general char
acter Of the newspaper may undergo
many changes, but its mission will al
ways be precisely what it is today--the
chronicling of passing events, the dis
semination of information. and the de
Tense of truth. IL the future it is likely
to do more to protect the helpless and to
defend the oppressed than it has yet at
tempted, and it is likely also to recog-
nize as the oppressed who merit its in
reference classes Of human beings who
are now regarded as beyond the pale of
public consideration or ever reference.
In a recent editorial in the Christian
Union. for instance, the Rev. DR.. Lyman
Abbott, the great successor of Beechcr
as pastor Of Plymouth church, takes up
a theme which has received altogether
too little attention from the public press
the terrible theme Of fallen women.
He justly says that human sacrifices as
practIced by various religions were aud
are Of infinitely less a~trOcity in character
and in effects than the shameful degra
dalton Of prostituted women which is
openly allowed in all our communities,
both large and small.
This thought, based as it is on the
most damning fact Of the age, should be
burnt into the brain Of every citizen Of
this republic. Is there a human being
FL much IA wretch, 10 lost to every sense
~ pity and Eprrow IA not to
the horrors Of this social evil! Trace it
~ It's source. Each one Of these lost
women, these EDulg in an earthly purpn-
tpry, MAO rhCn an innDccnt child, and
now she IL nothing but II poor D%utcaAt,
cursirg her existence, and yet making
that rziHtrLcr II curse 10 others.
and no city ~ tpwn Is free from this
awfuI CurhA tins crime against humnu
~ bHJ against Cpd. tfGbt Fails, the
yrpEg bnJ beautiful city ~ tho west
pefmiis hen skirts 81 bohi ihe spil ~ This
'ppl stbir hlfesIy n srcilpn ~ ,ha
tynE IN Ike rne II thH buTied Jpniteis ~
frTuDeI, Me qpbfirt ~ yI"o, nn1 10
styLgsJ w he ilmlJ hH u IL uetp a pesl