The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-06


tion OF IDEAS, why, you have brains as
we'll as no. and Independence enough to |
differ from MIN. The same rule applies
to editors.
The organ Is Invariably suspicious con-
Germ and you must have q grain of salt
ready for it's statements. II refiects and
the interests Of Q party or an
and does II for the same rea-
son that lawyer defends his elisnts--bs-
cause 1t is paid for its services.
The man who makes a special plea, or
who stands for special plea, always
overstates his case, and, therefore, always
misleads. He Ia looking after the welfare
of e corporation, or OF political party.
Editors who do that can write very plaus-
ibly and ridicule very effectively, but they
never tell "tne truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth"
II you believe all you find In tho edi-
torial columns you will make mistake.
Therefore, use your own mind. and never
substitute for 1t the MIND of any other
living person. Be simple yourself, open
to conviction, willing to be instructed,
all sides of the issue in dispute, but In
the end accepting only what seems to you
TO be com mends BILE and strong. In Civ
ing this advice am only asking you to
be a whole man and not marionette.
But must not forget to war; you that
a great many things in a daily paper are
demoralizing. and should be passed over
with mere glance. What good can come
from reading the mass of items concern
ing crime with which many papers are
tiled? "A morbid curiosity may be gratl-
fed by the prurient details of q court
scene, and there 10 lurid interest Ia the
murders and suicides and divorces and
executions which are.to the community
about wuat slush and mud are to the
streets. You are obliged to. walk through
the mad, perhaps, because there is no
other way of getting to your office or
warehouse, but you would be curious
sort of creature IL you were TO stop at
every mud hole and paddle around 1t. IL
you are sensible you,take as little filth
on your person as possible. and regret that
you must take even that. DO not forget
that a newspaper is conducted on busi-
ness principles, for business purposes. IL
you GO into dry goods store you don't
buy everything you see, nor do you care
to look at everything on the counters.
When q woman goes through the store in
the hope that some clerk will tell her
what she ought to purchase, because she
hasn't any mind Of thsr own, she is to be
pitied, is q very "foolish virgin" who
| can afford to buy O dress but can't afford
| TO have an opinion. That isn't the way
for man to "shop" when he 10 going
| to invest in ideas.
| q large variety store. Ii must furnish the
people what they will :most readily pur-
/ chase. 1t does not make public opinion,
| but public opinion makes the paper. II
the people did not care for such details
az / have mentioned and refused to buy
| the sheet that printed them, they would
no longer be printed. The demand calls
for the supply. and the supply, OF course,
| is forth coming.
That kind of reading matter, however,
is on par with ordinary covered iitera-
ture, and is just as harmful. 1t stimulates
tue wrong side Of human nature, and as
consequences the right size lies Dormant
| II you care for murders, you will very
soon cease to care for anything more In
| structive.
There 10 the daily paper; you can MAKE
a various use of it according to your tenn
perament, your ambition. or your pro
clivities. My advice TO o young mar
would be merely to glance at three-quar
ters OF 1t, and to read the other quartz
carefully. There are many things which
you don't care to Know, and sensations
stories of family discord, and suiphurou
accounts of crime and criminals, are 4
he placed in that category. Make tn
paper an educator, Gull out the msterisl
that are worth possessing and ignore th
rest. You will lind enough every day &
stimulate the mind, aud give you bette
idea of human nature. IL you can tall
with a pickpocket or a PHILOSOPHERS, choos
the philosopher and let the pickpocke
90. Both may he fonnd in your paps
every day in the year, and 1t depends OF
you whose company you SHALL keeps
There ore not many blessings In thi
world which equal that of well con
Quoted newspaper, for 1t makes you &C
auainted with every incident Of impol
tance happening in any part of the globe
aud furnishes you with fresh food fo
thought with each recurring day; nu
you must use 1t properly, and 90 ~ doc
the bee, that will not take from ever
flower. but chooses those which contai
what 1T likes best. In word. read wit
a keen relish, but read about the thing
tnat will nourish, not the things tha
will lower your moral or intellectual tone
IL you have Q cocoanut some OF 1t wi
be pleasant to the taste, but " 10 NJ
necessary to eat the she'll.