The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-06-15
THE NEWSPAPER AS AN EDUCATOR.
AN EDITORS OPINION OF IT.

AhN HbfL VI tNtoN 'h ~
The Address of Rev. A. j S. Thomas
DID,, Editor Of the Baptist Courier
Before the state Press Association
at Ncwbcrry, s. O., May 20, 1897.
TO be fairly treated this subject
ought to be given to one who is not 1
newspaper man. Some OF those people
who read newspapers and study their
contents could much better tell us how
the newspaper is an educating force
Newspaper editors do not Rad news.
papers they skim, they go through
the exchanges, glapcing at the head.
lines and reading few sentences OF
the editorials, most generally reading
between the lines and reading into the
lines. The editor is not after learning
anything, except to see what the other
fellow IS after and to get something
for his own columns.
There are some people who read and
study the newspapers, and in doing this
they have within easy reach a great
library provided they get the right
kind OF papers.
Let sprightly boy read constantly
good paper and see what he would
learn
There is geography. La one copy Of
daily | found these countries and
places prominently brought before the
readers eye: Countries and places out
side the United States Havana, Greece,
Athens, Constantinople, Cauea, Lon
don, Berlin, Rome, Toulon, Madrid,
Vienna; places in the United States
Washington, ST Louis, Cairo, Mem.
phis, Holena, Ark, Nicksburg, New
Orleans, Frank fort, New York, New.
X prnuilnnnn
vannah, Watertown, n. Y, Chicago,
Boston, Columbus, o., jacksonville,
Chattanooga, Atlanta; places in our
own State-Spartan Sumter, An
derson, st. Georges, Barnwell, Saluda
Greenville. Charleston, Columbia, Lau.
rens, BAN berg. What "a sweep this
would be If one should follow ali the
places and locate them on the map?
In addition to the news direct from
these places and countries, the same
daily had articles from papers publish.
ed in other SLatcs-BostOn, New York,
Hartford, Louisville, Baltimore. Wash
tngton, indianapolis, Chicago besides
Il large number published in this STATE.
Now, if II boy had before him the map
of the world and would look up these,
or some OF these places, he would soon
get very good course in geography.
Here is mentioned rivers, lakes, guifs,
oceans, seas, mountairs, plains, cities,
villages, in this and in other countries,
a birdseye view Of the world.
There is history in the newspaper.
From these columns the bright boy will
hear Of nations, iilerent people, what
they are doing, what they have done
ry Pi"o""'y w herc
aIsei. ou. i4s tory TOT Une past ni'il
oenCurS Yrs 10 W oe 'ounu Ia Ihe ne"spa-
pels. l. uo iuturc historian VIII go 10
] oue new 'Paipors, Oo@n'y ana otaCe' lor
Soii.f ntSCo' ls' Slo'ns' laon,ohS,
,o,n,,o,, oone,a ,"D "tI pass "may ai'u Uue
Thaspp " 80 o % on,S GU nioiiiolers.
ahiIl' iiI1o ID" l'oii n'SLorlG 'utho l0r our
~ tho a"u w, 'tit'u'o" H,n ~ oit,uIen
,ra,otin =" on" ntiIi Sp1pIt n'o9. huo 'u'uro
T,.n.l,, t.n,, ,hoso iS ~ m' CIV " 1u
"anars ''''" Vi" 'u''S' '"ue"
p"Po'''
Inc sprlghtly BOY VIII learn much OF
science IRON the newspapers. Ihey
are constantly bringing to the atten.
tlon OF the "orld new discoveries ana
inventions. Inc people learned OF the
Wohuerlui achieVements OF the sclen-
tists IN inc realm OF electricity through
the papers. Inc newspapers first told
ci those wonders the telephone aud
the photograph, etc. About year ago
va P..PN ''" "'Sh 10y u'9-
coVeries, ana the people knew all that
could DC known wltmin short time al
ter the discovery. The newspaper files
VIII record ana preserve all these adj
Vahces ln science.
From the newspapers the bright boy
will learn about political parties. This
Is, perhaps, too much the great field
for the papers. The fear is they will
contine themselves to this. Here is the
history of the rise and growth and de-
feat and fall of political parties. The
newspaper is an educator in the science
and art Of politics, but as general
thing they teach only one side Of the
subject. For instance, you read Re-
publican paper, and everything said is
in favor OF that party; you read a Dem
ocratic paper, and you will learn that
the Democrats are always right and
the Republicans wrong. You read
silver paper, and you learn that the
hope OF the country depends upon the
success OF that policy; but read gold
paper, and you learn that the silver
craze will ruin the country. The
newspaper is great educator In poll
tics, but you must read several papers
in order to be well educated, an all