Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-16

(All Items Of social interest VIII pc Snaiiy noted in these columns if sent to Mrs. George c. Ball. Nineteenth street between Tenth and Eleventh avenues. South High lands Telephone 9SS)
 The unprecedented reduction of the price of the New York World to cent per copy for weekday Issues puts us all again to thinking of the power weldcd by a great daily newspaper This metro- politan paper, one of the best edited and equipped in the entire field of modern journalism, seems to have reached the smallest possible cost, and the insignih- cant sum of l cent will place this in the hands of nearly every man who can read in the great teeming city of New fork. Unconsclousiy the principles advocated by the editors of this fearless Journal will be absorbed by the mass Of voters. At one, bound it has become the most nm portant factor in the politics Of New York and it's influence penetrates every section of the union It is democratic Tn sentiment, but independent ana coura- geous in the condemnatio ton OF ofilclals when neglectful of duty. whether nation al or municipal, regardless Of party ai1lll- ations. It espouses the cause of the weak against the encroachments or the ricn and grasping, and every position IS taken and held with q keen intelligence and tenacity that denotes the robust mental qualifications of the editors in charge. There Is an alertness, a restless energy, as il were, about the conduct of the New York World which permeates every page of the various departments. While Tn every sense political journal. it is above everything a great newspaper. No ques- tion of vital concern to humanity is over looked; every discovery in modern scl- ence, all art and literature are exhaust lively treated by the savants and critics in its pages. The news of the world is given in it's pristine freshness-somewha sensa tional at times, to be sure-but 1t IS given and read by Voracious pupilc, and the peoples of the globe Ire brought into closer contact through the pages Of this paper. The success of the New York World is lesson to all other journals, and proves that Americans arc the great est newspaper readers on earth, ana that ii paper is conducted along certain lines fearless, honest. progressive and in measure aggressive-by editors with brains and an aptitude for their work, the people can be trusted to sustain ana encourage 1t. The art of journalism means very much more than the capacity to write a grammatical sentence. state proposition. draw logical differences or express an original thought. It is God given talent as distinct and positive as that of the poet and painter, and the men who do the bidding of MT. Pulitzer are evidently endowed with this gift There is always danger that any tremendous power may become despotic ana oifeh- sive, but a man with the newspaper ge- nius of MT. Pulitzer is apt to aVoid the sins of lesser minds.
 There is no daily journal in the United States which has done more for the ad- yancement of women than the New York World along intellectual and progressive lines. Some of the most brilliant edito- rials in behalf of women have appeared in its columns and there are always tai ented women holding conspicuous posi- lions on the staff of the paper. The work of these women is given as much prom thence as that of men, and It is to be hoped that MT. Pulitzer pays them as well as he does the men. He Is too ad- vanced to make a difference In the re- munera ton of genius because Of sex NO man could reach the point of success that he has attained and hold the old time idea of women's brains and that of the inequality of rewards That theory belongs to the past century. The New York World is essentially human, crit icise it as we may, and deals with every day questions affecting humanity; and the success of it signifies more than bus mess judgment and acumen. It means that the man or men controlling the vast enterprise are in touch with the great mass of men and women of today and are in sympathy with their hopes and aspira tions.
 Speaking of the recognition by the New York World of the mental attainmcnts of women one is reminded that Nellie Bly, is once more writing columns of stuff of a very wearing and wearying nature in that paper. When Nellie mar ried sometime ago a rich old man she retired from the journalistic field and it was supposed that she. unlike other newspaper women, would live in afllu- ence the remainder of her days. It now transpIes that she has caught the con- tagion raging in New York and has cured divorce from her wealthy spouse. very short-sighted policy on her part, - as there are no Methuselahs in this nine teenth century and the antiqua ted hus- band had already lived the time allotted by the Psalmist for mortal man. In consequence of the divorce she has re- turned to her er~newspaper work with re- newed energy and has begun afresh. pen etra ting the lowest slums of New York and giving the readers of the World the result of her observations. As the ma jority of Nellie Bly's penetrations and explora tions cannot accomplish good in any way it seems pity that her talents should be so misappled. A woman's ambition in any and all fields of en- deavor should be for the elevation of our race the bringing up to the higher plane all who come within her influence. Telling of the hopeless irredeemable depravity of the lowest types of men and women is more than waste of time; it tends to debase the taste of the reading public.
 But as Nellie Bly appears to have oc- casional sentimental inclinations she will probably marry again after she has explored few more slums.
 Now that we are so close upon the Lenten period, when nearly all social di- versions whether for religious purposes or purely for enjoyment, will cease for season, it is not Inappropriate or ungen- erous to refer just now to an editorial which recently appeared in ore of our best southern newspa pers, and which, am confident, was written by a man who has suffered long for the sake of his wires church. This editor. in soreness of spirt--which can be appreciated by many a man not an editor-suggest that 1t would be eminently the correct thing for us to syndicate our church interests according to the ideas expressed lately in an interesting magazine article. Both writers-magazine and newspaper-urge that if there were fewer separate and distinct religious organizations there would be far less difficulty in supporting