The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-17

minded and prejudiced tools and fools
| The people, however, are learning
| over and anon we hear them say al
this is nothing but newspaper talk.
! The newspapers are, indeed, educa
| tors. They can do great deal in en-
! tightening the public on any and a VA
riety Of subjects. They should be YER,
careful, therefore, how they undertake.
TO do this work. We should have som,
conscience in the work. Oar column,
are the vehicles Of good news and bad
news. We should conscientiously M
them with reading that will help, en-.
lShtcn, lit up and broaden our read.
ers: We should not pander to the
viI'Iiatcd tastes Of the people. Some
iolks nave dcpravcd taste. They wish
TO read OF bad things, and they will
nave that kind Of reading. But the
ajoritv Of the people are not bad, and
they regret that the papers are so full
OF the worst news that can be gathered
from every section of .hc country.
Many OF the parents hate to sec their
cnlidrcn reading much that is publish
cd IN some Of the daily aud weekly pa
pcr3. 1T Is suggestive Of evil: il is
corrnpting: it is dcmoraizing, and
this reading matter is sowing evil
seeds, which will bring forth a bounh-
ful harvest Of crime long after the cdi-
tor has ceased from his labors.
1t is not necessary to fiji the columns
OF our papers with all sorts of crime,
giving TO Il disgusting degree the de-
tails, and adding to the description
hideOus pictures, sometimes even more
suggestive than what is written. There
is great danger Of educating the young
in the wrong direction.
f,ln
a proper estimate upon persons and
things. Papers can do great harm in
creating fictitious values. This is frc-
quently the case in political discus
Sions. For Instance, the evils Of slavery
were greatly exaggerated by many Of
the leading papers Of the day: other
papers undcreStimatcd the abuses of
the same system, and, so, many of the
people who did not know The facts,
were mislcd. VINO believes that the
papers properly and fairly estimated
the advantages to the country of Il par-
ticular financial policy? The people
were over educated, and many Of them
were bcwildered by what they read in
the party papers.
The papers frequently overcstimate
persons as they do policies. Many Il
man OF very ordinary attachments has
been written up, and placed in posi-
t'ons too large for him, by the newspa-
per writer's. The people get wrong
IDEAS OF Il man from what they sec in
the papers, frequently they arc pre- ju-
diced against him, all because ncwspa.
per writer's have not been careful to
property estimate him. am conscious
that this is only another way OF aging
that newspapers in order to be fair
educators should tell the truth abou,
men and things. That is true, but the
nc %SpapCrs do not intend so deceive
the people and to wrong anyonc-thcS
believe certain things, they wish t,
accomplish certain ends, and to serve
certain persons or parties, or Interests
and in doing this they forget that the,
are creators of public sentiment, anc
the educators Of the people. !, there
fore, come back to q former PROPOSE
tlOn, VIZ. newspaper men ought tC
have conscience in their work and be
thing, and to help educate and lift up
dll the people.
If the newspapers arc to be the cdu-
Gators of the people the editors, report
ers and other writer's should try to in
form themselves on general topics, cur
rent events and public policy. How
can they teach if they have not learned?
HOW title of the history OF our own
and OF the other countries does the av.
cragc newspaper man have? How ]it.
tie does he know Of literature, science,
commerce, agriculture, sociological,
chronological, geographical, cthnolog
ical and Theological sub bjects. He knows
these things only as he reads Of them
in the headlines Of some unread paper,
and the headlines are wrong as often
as they are right. These public teach
crs ought to study and learn some
things. The young lawyer, the young
doctor, the school teacher must under
go an examination before he can enter
upon the work of his profession ; the
law requires it. But anybody can run
newspaper and write for it, there is
no law against it, the great reading
public is exposed and unprotected. The
editors OF our papers have just "grown
up" and many Of them had no previ-
ious preparation, but they are not
afraid to tackle anybody or anything
or course there are noble and notable
exceptions.
Thore is much work for the ncwspa-
pcrs in South Carolina. Our people
are newspaper readers. In almost cv-
cry home some newspaper Is found,
and 1T is read by all-parents and chill
drcn-and then handed out ana cX-
changed for some other paper. Many
OF our people do not read anything else,
and it is sad to contemplate how little
some OF them get for their money.
Cooks are plentiful, but the newspa-
per, the county paper and the weekly
ediIion Of tho great daily, and tho
mammoth Sunday edition have largely
taken the piace Of books. All the pco-
pie learn on many subjects and Of pass
ing events is what they get from the
papers. 1t becomes us, therefore, to
give them something worth reading.
1t should DO the ambition Of every
newspaper man to help his readers,
and not simply entertain them. TO
make the people better and better in
formed is our high mission. Our peo-
pie arc easily inllucnccd and we should
try to influence them FOR good. They
love each other, and are really one in
aim and interest, and We should try to
help on this good feeling and unite this
mass OF humanity, and have them all
to stand for things true and pure and
honest and noble.
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