The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-06
How to Read ii Shown
by Editor HepWOrth.
Discretion Must Be Used to
Get the Real Value.
Dangers of Reckless Reading
Explained-SOme Illustrations.


written a very interesting and valuable
newspaper man himself, as he IL editor OF
the New York Evening Telegram, his
statements are especially worthy OF con-
sideration. Nothing Is more profitable
than to read q daily paper with diserimi-
nation, and nothing will pront man less
than to read IL recklessly. He who reads
thew mole, or even the major part, of any :
single issue wastes his time. and mental
Iy swallows q mass of material which
no human power OF digestion can assimi-
late. tits jast as easy to overload the in
tellectuai as the physical man and when
this crime is committed the guilty party
is in danger Of so clogging bis functions
that some kind of paralysis is sure to su-
pervene.
Food is necessary, bot there must be a
proper relation between the amount con-
samed and the needs Of the consumer.
IL one is a gormandizer he very naturally
goes to an early grave. In like manner
facts ara useful, but q man must read
wisely In order to read well. There are
many things which it is folly to eat aud
In equal mum Der which it is folly to read.
The irst rule lay down, therefore,
is this: Don't read everything, but on
the contrary, be a bit dainty and reject q
great deal more than you accspt
IN grand and broad sense the daily
paper Is prophet, teacher and adviser.
l. ife would be worth little without 1T,
unless, indeei, one Is a cave dweller
whose blood is sluggish, whose eyes are
dim aud whose heart beats on only half
time. Show me a man who does not keep
himself acqu,inted with the events which
are constantly occurring and which are
literally so many notes in the great smy-
phony of human progress, and i Will
show you O man whose conversation 10
not worth listsen ing to, because instead of
opinions he has prejudices. 1t is impos-
sible 10 know what the world is driving
at, or to see the goal toward which 1t Is
making rapid strides, unless you stucy
| the new factors W hich every day produces.
History is being made every here; the
| best part of the worlds history is now In
progress of making. There never was
time wnen so many important scientific
| principles were enunciated as in this age
of magic; never a time blessed with so
many discoveries, mot only in physics,
but in metaphysics. 1t seems as though
we were getting down to the bedrock OF
natural law and there Is something that
! fills Us with awe In the fact that the
world has never looked on such q large
group of really great men in all depart
ments as now.
| The magazines discuss at length there
| inventions and discoveries, but the daily
paper gives q passing notice OF them all,
with such amount of detail as Is neces-
sary 10 a proper understanding OF their
Importance. II ii be true, then, that
history is a mosaic these events of which
/ speak are the many colored PARTICLES
which are being put into positions ny
scientists, philosophers, armies, navies
and politicians.
say, therefore, in the second place.
Keep up a lively interest in current events
and when you read your paper do 1t with
your brains as well as your eyes and your
curiosity Read for profit and you will
find much that Is profitabls. II you read
for mere qualification IL Is good deal
like taking an ice ole
enough at the time, but of no earthly
value. II you read because you want to
know how governments stand, how the
people stand, what elements of weakne's
and strength exist In one and the other,
then you are at school, learning something
every day, and the newspaper is the roast
beef which gives you nourishment, health
and vigor.
Take anv scene in the universal drams
| the insurrection in Cuba will serve oul
purposes an illustration. Merely Il
read what is called the news Is stimulat'
ing, possibly, and certainly very interest
ing, but you miss the highest use Il
which a daily paper can be put IL you d.
no more than that. Every event con
tains within itself an indication of the
general drift of tbings, not only In Cuba
but throue bout Christendom. What
then, does the insurrection mean? Thi
that there is an irrepresible conflict go
Jug on between government by class
and government by the peoples" tina
Spain wants to rule, and the Cubans wan
autonomy; that freedom is the ultimat
end TO which all things are tending, an
tbst, thereore, Cuba will engage j
another rebellion II this one is pct down
aud by and by will build republic o
tho ruins OF monarchy. Reid the new
in the light OF there great principles. an
every fact becomes q lantern to guide 70
on your way. l say, then in tho thir
place: Read with purpose, rurpos
worthy of yourself as citizen and
thiaker; not to wbi the time away, bu
TO make yours llf more intelligent.
In order to be perfectly frank, ousf
to advise you not 10 regard the sditori'
assertions OF any papsr as infslli5le.
good many people follow an editor bline
liz, on the superstition hat he will slwa,
be Impartial and fair. but that Is py n
means the case. Many papers are wh'
are called "organs;v and when that Is ~