The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-04-13
POVERTY AND TIE PRESS.
THE RELATIONS OF THE NEWS
PAPERS 10 THE POOR.
MR. HARRIS DISCUSSES THE GREAT
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDi-
TONS BEFORE THE STATE
PRESS ASSOCIATION.

of time, when the world had no writ
ten language. The gradual develop
ment of its inhabitants through this
long dismal night of intellectual dark
ness is only matter of conjecture
and speculation.
There was also long gap between the
invention of the alphabet and the art
of printing, and yet another long gap
between the invention of printing and
the appearance of the newspaper.
Newspapers were preceded in an
tiquity by the Roman Acta Diurlad, a
written official account of public oc-
currences; and in modern Europe by
periodical publications in manuscript.
Like every other greatand aerviceable
invention the newspaper did not
make its appearance fully perfected.
We first had the written news letter,
furnished only the wealthy aristocracy ;
then, as the craving for information
became more general, the ballad of
news, sung or recited then the news
pamphlet; then the periodical sheet of
news, and lastly-the newspaper.
When this period was reached,
Qess than three centuries ago, its
power was at once recognized, and
those in authority, who then, as now,
fear the intelligence Of the masses,
sought to impose restrictions upon it.
Press censors were appointed and
rigid measures adopted to weaken its
growing influence. But eventually it
broke all bounds and is now, as it has
been for the longer part of its exist
ence, the greatest factor in human af-
fairs.
Wendell Phillips said Of it:
ut is parent school, college, pulpit, theatre,
example, counselor, all in QUE Every drop of
our blood is colored by it. Let me make the
newspapers and care not who makes the reli
gion or the laws
Said Sheridan, EngIand's great ora
tor:
Give me but the liberty Of the press, and ]
will give to the minister a venai House of Peers
I will give him corrupt and servle House OF
Commons Il will give him the full sway Of the
patronage of ofice-I will give him the whole
host Of ministerial inAuence-I viii give him all
the power that place can confer upon him tc
purchase up submissions and overawe resis
tance-and yet, armed with the liberty of the
press, will go forth to meet him undisinayed--l
will attack the mighty fabric he has reared with
that mightier engine win choke down from
its height corruption, and bury it amidst the
ruins of the abuses it was meant to shelter
In different strain, but with the
same idea in view, Thackeray wrote
There she is she never sleeps She has hei
ambassadors in every quarter Of the world-hei
couriers upon every road Her officers march
along with armies, and her ENJOYS walk into
statesmen's cabinets. They are ubiquitous
Yonder journal has an agent at this momen
giving brides at Madrid, and another inspecting
the price of potatoes at covent Garden
And in sublime measure Cowpel
sung:
What is it but map OF busy life,
Its fluctuations and its vast concerns.
If thus its potency was recognized
when it was yet in its cradle and
dressed in its swaddling clothes, what
must be thought of it now, when will
argus eyes and hundred outstretched
arms, it holds the world in the hollow
of its hand?
And it is not yet full grown. 1t Ii
every day covering still larger field
We are all witnesses of its growth
Since entered printing Office as 1
printers devil its growth has been al
most infinite. There were then M
perfecting presses, and the idea Of
printing, FASTING, folding and deliver
ing fiftN thousand eight-page paper;
in single hour, would have been re
garded as an idle dream. If til,
statement had been made then thai
before the century was completed, an,
newspaper in the United States woule
have reached a daily circulation of Owe
100000, or even 100000, and would
send out as single edition, thirty anG
forty, and even sixty-four pages, anc
all for the marvelously low sum o
five cents, the statement would hav,
been rejected as the widest romance
/ am several winters under fifty
and yet when began my career as
member Of the fraternity in the offic'
of the Quincy Republic in 1860, ther,
were only two newspapers printed II
West Florida; only two in South Flor
ida, and perhaps less than dozen il
East and Middle Florida. There wer
as / remember one at Quincy; two a
Tallahassee; one at Monticello; one a
Madison; one at Lake City; one a
Fernandina; one at Jacksonville; on
at st. Augustine; one at Palatka; on
at Micanopy, and one at Ocala.
Wildwood, Leesburg, Tavares, San
ford, Orlando, Kissimmee, and man,
of the growing cities of South Florid
had not yet been born.
Editorial associations and the bless
ings of free passesn were boons de
MED the ante-bellum editors.
The idea of running daily news
paper in any city in Florida was no
thought of. Now there are one hun
bred and twenty newspapers printed
in the state, q dozen Of which ar
dailies, and perhaps the average dali,
circulation of the Times Union
greater than was the combined circu
lation Of all the papers printed in th
state prior to 1860.
This is brief history OF the growtl
OF journalism in Florida. and it
| growth in other states, where the in
crease in population has been greater
has been still more marvellous.
| With this great and growing powe
in its hands welding seepte
mightier than the kings of earth
what is to be its destiny-what is il
present missiong
e public Office is public trust,