The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-12

ers had prepared themselves with the
facts rather than hearsay evidence. Bish-
op Whipple presided, and there was the
| usual exercises preceding and following
the discussion. Rev. Cameron Mann, d.
D., Of Kansas City, who opened the dis
| cussion, suggested that there should be
| an endowed newspaper, and in time this
might come. AS 1t was now the readers
were given what they asked for, and I'M
| til the endowed paper came the intellec-
| tual and moral life of the public would
| be profted by leaving nine-tenths of the
newspapers unread He said in part:
The thing to be remembered at the
| outset Is that newspaper is not a char
| ity, reform organiza ton, society for
the diffusion OF useful knowledge. but
railroad or dry goods store 1t is pub
lished to make money. The managers
eye is ever upon the subscription list and
policy of the PAPER Is controlled There
| Is indeed usually a political cast to a
newspaper; 1t Is expected to support a
party, whether that party be successful
at the polls or not, But in this it stands
! for about one-half the community, and
has a rival standing for the other half,
so that Its partisanship does not cost 1t
much. Yet even In this matter, there has
been considerable change, and many
| great dailies hold themselves free from
party ties, espousing now one side, now
1.-The work done BY the newspaper In
civic life is more extended and effective.
In Enabling ai.,, us to express ourselves, to-
tident and aggressive; it stimulates,
draws and drives us on. In such work I
| believe the bearing of the newspaper on
| strong. L behave there is more of intel
lect, more Of morality, : in our present
general politics than there was hundred
or fifty years ago; and that this is due to
| q press which does make existing con-
ditions clear, and does mean to insist
| upon justice and mercy.
1t would be an immense loss were we
never to take square look at this world.
Never to pursue newspaper would be
| to inpoverish the brain and to narrow
| the heart and to chill the conscience We
ought to know that outside the steady
business routines and the quiet, comforta-
bic homes prowl the tramps and toughs
and criminals. We ought to know how
greed and envy and lust are seething and
po soning in every community. We ought
to know that men do some times shoot
their wives and children and that women
husbands. We ought to observe how ON
ployers Cypress and clerks steal and
laborers form clustering mobs 1t is well
to observe somewhat even of the fashion
able sports and quarrels and intrigues,
and somewhat of the pathetic pomp Of
the myriad organizations whose members
tack the alphabet to their names. For all
| these tn ngs are; we are on earth with
and amongst them. But let them be dis
played in their true proportions and re-
latlons.
paper Is we'll worth trying. 1t seems to
me no more absurd than an endowed
university. If such paper does arise
and is successful, it will have a host
OF followers. The present great journals
Will in some way endoW themselves, and
| rivalr.es will not show in sensational
headlines or swarming columns, but in
accuracy, cleanliness and briliancy.
IN ,rTCu M
Rev Mackay-Smith, D. D., of Washing
ton, took the position that the news "a
pers were as high as the readers de-
served. 1t was an old question whether
the papers should lead or follow the
people The newspapers by constantly
saying that the people of the nation
were the greatest and the best tended
to discourage the Intelligence of the ma
ton. The newspaper stood for moral
ity, but the readers generally found four
columns for murder and four lines
for philanthropist. If the papers would
trust the people and take them up in
stead of descending into the mire, pic
ture of what a man might do for men
would be secured.
MODERATION IN USE.
David H Greer, D. D., of New York,
advised that only the best newspapers
be taken, and that these be taken in
moderation He said in part:
OTHER FLAWS FOUND
Prof. Charles H. Gregory, of the Uni
versity of Wisconsin, said the newspa-
pers were every where. Over $4,000 were
published, and half of that number in
the United States. They reflected the
sentiments of the. public. They were
born of the public taste, supported by
the public money and sentiment. The
American press was not as good as that
of other countries. 1t was lacking in
dignity and moderation. The remedy
for a better press was to have each ar
ticle signed by some one responsible for
It, He suggested that as doctors, law
yers and even BARRIERS had to pass an
examination, why not journalists. An
other suggestion was that after an editor
had sold his voice or editorial Column
he should be disbarred.
PRESS DOES MUCH GOOD.
Rev. Flavel S. Luther, Phi. D., of Hart
ford Conn, argued that the press and
especially the country press did great
amount of good. That the people wh)
read the papers were.not a literary C ass
and literary press would not suit them.
He said in part:
There some paper that is thoroughly
good. 1t is the one which expresses your
views. But after these, good and bad,
have been marked eff: we have still De
fore us the great mass of American jour
nalism This must not be confounded
with socalled metropolitan Journalism.
The American people are not yet all hived
in the great cities. There are all the pa
pers published in our thriving towns of
less than 100000 inhabitants. Their inf1u-
ence is more potent and more helpful
than that of their larger contemporaries,
because the editors are personally known
to the subscribers and are made to feel
a genuine personal responsibility. 1t Is
man speaking, not disembodied voice.
The small paper is closer to it's public,
expresses more freely the best thoughts
of it's own constituency Then there is
the little country paper that circulates
among the villagers, copies of which fol-
low the country boys to their various
homes in the great cities These papers
always stand for the best things; for
good schools. for the public library, for
temperance, for improved roads, for all
those things that make for the higher life
Of the community. Do not forget them,
in estimating their influence of the news
paper.
Recently foreign investigators have be-
come interested to learn the cause of the
acknowledged superiority of the Ameri-
can Workmen. At least one distinguished
observer was impressed by the, to nim
surprising fact that they all read the pa
pers. 1t is fair, is it not, to judge the
paper as we Judge schools and churches;
by the character of those who patronize
them most extensively!
l. hot H.