The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1894-11-24
THE pRESS.
"One drop Of ink
Makes millions think ,

7 Makes millions think
-. When the immortal statesman and
character Of journalism, Horace
Greeley, gave birth to the foregoing
quotation, he exampliiied nothing
more true and noble than the inhu-
ence and power Of the newspaper,
the-professlon to which he was an
ardent co-worker and his intellect an
ornament of the higher type. The
newspaper furnishes the ink drops OF
distinctive characters and these influ.
ence the millions to think, producing
the exercising of thoughts power.
The destines of the word are mani.
pulated by the gifts OF thcu ght
hence the progressivoncss which sc
notably marks the present era. and
thus the good work proceeds.
| When the first American newspa.
paper, the Boston Newsletter, saw
the dawn of its existence, little was
the usefulness to ensue and so rapid.
ly to develop was ever dreamed Of
to influence, mould and guide the
ideas of civilization to elevate mar
In all his spheres. This now ancient
Journalistic venture not only proved
renumerative, but its usefulness in.
vited and successfully induced other
similar bulwarks to stay the ravages
OF degradation, illteracy and retro
gression and soon the field of use
fulness broadened to such an extent
that the American newspapers of to-
day number by the thousands. This
alone is murder to all doubts and
silences the heaviest argument If any
argument at all can be constructed
in disfavor of the press.
The big city papers are regarded
in wonder and no one fails to recog-
nize the imposing monument of time,
pralns and money--a monument as
lofty as the pinnacle Of its grandeur.
But why neglect to regard the coun-
try press, the paper that never tires
to assist its locality, with the same
sense of dignity and business consld-
Grafton the city press receivcs2 Did
any one, comparatively reasoning,
ever discover that the newspaper
that tells of your relatives death, of
S-''- 80" 10'n arrival, Of your new
wife your WIZ wife &ni5fafsaiadifsg u whose
your mother-in-law visits you, that
sympathizes with you in time Of sor-
row, is equally deserving Of as much
credit as that of larger and more pre-
tentious dimensions Consider the
slender support the average Country
newspaper receives from the public
and the numerous and varied Difficult
ties it has to contend with. and than
weigh their respective merits in the
balance CT your opinion and just con-
sideration will steady both evenly.
There are country newspapers and
country newspapars-some truly un-
deserving, but those depicted here are
the average ones. The good country
newspaper has made gentlemen of
coarse men, educated ignoranuses,
elevated morals, effaced evil blots,
purified adulterated politics, secured
legislation to purge the corrupted
ballot box, made republics Of dy mas
ties, traced the origin of criminal
proceedings, unrested rascals from
their resting places, from high life
to the gallows led cheaters, and
| let the writer for a moment ask in
the words of Helen II. Gardner
"what wrong doer fears the pulpit
All wrong doers fears a fearless
pressl" 1t must be admitted that the
source of the highest influence lies
in the consolidated power of the
press. The pen is mighty.