The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-05-10

will seldom act ~ middlemsn between
them and the public.
The word "journal" Mr.. TRAILL accepts
in the genealogical sense Of i" daily paper"
This he defines, Of course, as at once q
recorder OF current facts and an interpret
or Of them. AZ regards the interpreting
or commenting function. It is pointed out
that. II the daily preacher breaches sound
and liberal doctrine, and II his hearers are
capable Of receiving IL, the debt Of hteta-
ture to journalism must be considerable
and even immense. What Is more often
overlooked Is the service now done to liter
ature by journalism considered simply as
a circulator OF news. We refer to the dis
semination Of facts connected with litera-
ture. recognized and treated as news. Fifty
years ago Information In regard TO litera-
ture was not considered by the con-
ductors OF English newspapers-and In
q minor degree this was true OF American
newspapers also-as likely to interest
their public. Even In reference to
famous men Of letters information was
doled out solely with relation to past. pres
ent. or projected literary productions. The
discovery Of a new plant would be noticed.
but the discovery Of a new poet was not
considered any item Of news at all. Now.
on the other hand, even In England which
In this respect has been laggard, as COM
pared with the United States. no important
addition can be made 10 human thought or
knowledge by the man OF letters, but the
newspaper. not merely In its literary col
umns but in its news columns also, seizes
upon It and carries It from the narrow cir
Gle Of perhaps only few hundred readers
addressed by the printed book to the ears
Of hundreds Of thousands.
Ithas. to be sure. been questioned whether
this process OF widespread dissemination
is really beneficial. whether thought itself
Is really served by being boiled down and
dished up daily to every applicant who pre-
sents himself. Mr.. TBA1LL Is disposed to
admit that one outcome is sham culture
and the little learning which has been pro-
nounced dangerous thing. Precisely the
same objection may be made to our whole
system OF popular education. No man OF
common sense pretcnds that our common
schools. or our newspapers. will make every
pupil. or every reader. q scholar and a
thinker. But what Is true Of the one agency
10 true OF the other. 1t assists every one
to take the preliminary steps; 1t gives to
everybody prospect into the right path.
and the fault is his IL he does not pursue It.
Yet. although primarily the newspaper like
the common school. Is an educator of the
people. no careful observer will deny that
secondary result OF the enlarged field and
elevated aim OF modern Journalism has
been an enormous increase In the number
Of persons qualified to appreciate literary
works OF high quality.
What is the ideal method OF publica-
ton but that which most quickly brings an
author into contact with the largest num-
Der OF appreciative readers The evolu-
tionarv process by which the patron was
supplanted by the publisher Of books.
and by which the book publisher has for
some time been tending to give way before
the magazine. seems likely to eliminate in
both books and magazines being superseded
by the daily newspaper.