The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-10
DINNER IN HONOR
OF COL. MCCLURE
IConcluded from Page IL

concluded from Page IL
tended its new influences until 1t reached
the remotest ends of the little COUNT
and with this beneticent progress OF CIVIL
ization came also the vices whlch ever az.
company 1t, but against which the cNiKha- s
tion itself is ever fortified by the new iac-
tors called into requisition to strengthen
is restraining power. While advahcl,is
the better attributes OF mankind IL mas
left unrest in the shop, the Held, the ioI.
est and the mine, where there was content
in other days. but that unrest is the il-
evitable attendant of our matchiess stsi.es .
in the most enlightened civilization OF tne
age, and it will ever present new prooiei'iS
for our craftsmanship. ,,,
II should be remembered that while
Philadelphia had then two Journals ut
national fame under the direction OF sucn
accomplished editorial writer's as Joseph
r. Chandler and Morton McMichaei, there
was not a daily newspaper IN tnis cry 'oon o'
in the state, that had a circulation OF o.ooo.
excepting only the Ledger, then a penny
journal almost unknown outside OF the
city Even the New York Tribune and New
York Herald. then relatively quite as dis-
tinguished as national papers as they are
today, did not have a daily clfcuiatloh ot
over 1900. There are several daily Jour-
nails now published in philadelphia each
of which circulates more newspapers every
day than did all the great dailles OF New
York and Pennsylvania combined htty
years ago. There Were then successlui
as we'll as Philadelphia, but the penny
Journal of that day was only a local news
paper in its way, and was unfelt as u po-
litical factor.
CONTRAST OF CONDITIONS.
Contrast the business, political. moral
ana social conditions us they confronted
the local journalism of that day WIN the
business, political moral ana social voI..
ditions which confront the Journalism OF
this great city today, and none can iail TO
appreciate the greatly maSnihed duties
and responsibilities of the journalist OF
this age. In this City of Brotheriy Love,
with the highest standard of average IN
tellgence in any community OF like NUM-
bers of the world and the only great c,ty
q 10 be found on the continent that Is ms
tinctivcly American in its policy, now
sharp Is the contrast between the clHlllIa-
tion met by the Juniata Sentinel hfty
years ago and the civilization that Is met
by the Philadelphia journalist OF today!
Public wrongs ever appear like huge can
GERS ON the body polite, ana tie swar!nS
of the idle and vicious, with the studied
crimes of those who would acquire wealth.
without earning it, are Il constant menace
to the social order and the safety OF per-
son and property, and demand the utmost
vigilance on the part of the faithful pubic
Journal Continued political power uhdcr
all parties becomes corrupt and demoral-
lied, and it Is not uncommon for appar-
emily reputable political leaders of all par
ties and organized crime to make COM
mon cause for public plunder. The busi-
ness and social conditions are also radi-
cally changed, and with these the fearless
journalist of today must deal with courage
and fidelity. From what was many years
ago regarded and with some reason. as
the license of the public press, has grown
up the well-detined duty of reputable jour
nalism to maintain with dignity and iirm-
ness its mission as public censor and to-
day in Philadelphia. as in all the leading
centers of the country, American Journal
ism Is not only the great educator OF the
IL. l,t Il, h.. fatf Ia ~ In nf
law and order and of public and private
morals Like all great callings, from
which even the sacredness OF the pulpit
is not exempt there are those who bring
persistent dishonor upon journalism, and
pervert its powers to ambition and greed;
but discounted by all its imperIections, l.
Is today the greatest of our great factors
in maintaining the best attributes OF our
civilization and preserving social order
and the majesty of law; and the duties of
the journalist today in our great cities
have reached a standard of dignity and
magnitude of which even the widest en-
thuSiaSts of fifty years ago could not
have dreamed.
Such is the revolution wrought in jour-
nalism within a single active life time.
The newspaper Is no longer luxury. From
being confined to the few, as it was half
a century ago, the daily newspaper Is now
in almost every home in the great states
of the Union. and the grave responsibility
of Journalism may be appreciated when
it is remembered that the newspaper today
IS the great educator of the people who are
20 maintain our free institutions. Wide
1y as our schools have extended until
they are accessible to the humblest of the
land. the newspaper as an educator reach
es vastly more people than all the colleges
and schools of the nation. 1t Is read not
only by the men and women OF mature
years. but it begins its offices as teacher
In the home circle as soon as the child be-
comes a pupil In the schools. and 1t IS
constantly although imperceptibly mould
ing the minds of the millions of our youths
of all classes and all conditions, ana II
has no vacations in its great work. 1t not
only aids the more intelligent to a sound
exercise of judgment on questions of pub
lie interest, but 1t is ever quickening the
Impulses and shaping the aims of those
who are most easily impressed and during
the important period of life when the
character of men and women Is formed.
TRUST OF A NEWSPAPER.
have long held that the responsible di-
rection OF widely read and respected
daily newspaper Is the highest trust under
our free government l do not thus speak
of 1t to claim for 1t hOnors which may be
questioned. but | speak of 1t to present
the oppressive responsibilities which rest
upon those who are today educating a ma
tion of IO,oocW of people. under gov
eminent where every citizen is a sover-
eign, and whore the people hold in their
own hands the destiny of the greatest re-
public of the world Presidents, cabinets.
senators and representatives come and
play their parts on the public stage and
pass away-the few to be remembered. the
many to be forgotten-and political parties
are created and perish as new necessities
and new conditions arise in the progress
of our free institutions. In my own day
there have been created -four new political
organizations which attained national i'm
pOrtance, all of which have elected gov
ernors in Pennsylvania, and two of which
have elected presidents of the United
States, but three of them exist today only
in history. They are the Anti Masonic,
$hn hio fh.. 4 ,Arf., l. al
can parties. Thus while rulers. and the
DartipS which call them to nnWnr- cnm..