The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-06-13
THE PRINTED PAGE.

open question:, WHICH cdHuOC NC
argued to conclusion, for there is
SO much to be said on both sides
that the weight of evidence must
nearly, if not wholly, balance.
Yet few brief observations may
beproftable. even though we cannot
at last accord supremacy to either
the book or the newspaper. Both
are governed very much by indi-
vidual conditions, and ones ideas
upon the subject must be largely
influenced by "envircnment." AT
times the newspapers seem to
usurp the whole situation, in SO far
as influence on opinion and con-
duct may be concerned; and there
are times when its amazing size,
it's machinery for gathering intelli-
gence from every part Of the world,
its deliverances upon all subjects
that most engage the minds ofmen,
its omnipresence and its assumed
omniscience, SO completely occupy
ones field of view as to leave room
for scarcely anything beside.
On the other hand, there are
times and situations when the book
asserts its claim to the peculiar
phenomenon of the age, and in
some degree to Justify this claim.
Indeed, the book has, in sense,
occupied this position since that
age of the world, when the appear
ance of any single printed book
was a thing to be wondered at;
when even the single letter, in form
of print, was a phenomenon. One
scarcely wonders that when whole
volums began to appear, and
what had been locked up in manu-
scripts and monasteries became
possible possession for all men,
there should have seemed some
thing magical in such perform
ance. Nor is it surprising that
some whose foresight made them
anticipate the mischievous as well
as the valuable uses to which such
an invention might be applied, in
ferred a Satanic agency In it that
ought to make it distrusted, end
perhaps denounced. Could they
have fully anticipated what has
indeed actually occurred in this re-
gard, they might have felt that
there could be 10 room for doubt
in the matter, for surely the book
is often almost wizard-like in its
power If it is one which appeals
to the imagination. one is carried
by it, for the time. quite out of
ones own life and into another
world. affected by motives. perhaps
good, perhaps bad with ileas pos
sibly high and noble. possibly ig-
noble and base. and in any case
with impressions as to what life is
or ought to be, which may always
remain influential If it is a book
dealing with questions within the
domain of knowledge and reason.
what we see is a mind seized. for
the time, in the grasp Of another
mind, while all the power Of the
one is employed to mould and
shape opinion, perhaps conviction,
in the other. 1t is an exercise of
power, in this regard. more subtle
and more cOnstraining, in some re-
spects. than where such a subject
is dealt with simply as a topic of
conversation.
The first impulse of the man of
bold or original ideas is to write
book which shall give his pet
scheme or theory proper exposi-
ton. The question of publication
is to him a secondary considera-
ton; if his work has real merit he
feels sure that IN some way he will
succeed i'll getting himself into
print-with some danger, he might
we'll reflect, OF getting himself into
the poor house at the same time.
Friends and enemies of vital truth
have equal opportunity in this re-
gard. with perhaps special chance
III LaFOf OF Jn6 latCef, cue TO The
fact that the question whether d
book shall be accepted for publ
cation turns 50 much upon the
other question, whether or not it
will pay" 1t often happens that
adroit attack pleases where the
most rational and conclusive de-
Tense is voted dull Error has an
immense advantage in this world,
because so many people either
wish to be deceived, or else con-
firmed in what they have an uneasy
feeling may be perilously wrong.
So it comes about that one of the
most busy agents of mischief in a
hook-ma lSinn ACE and more as.