The record-union., 1899-03-27
fed to serve the State effectively in
the capacity of Paris Commissioners.


fed to serve the State effectively in
the capacity of Paris Commissioners.
MOLDERS OF OPINION
Los Angeles Express: The term
"molder of public opinion" as applied
to newspapers and their editors, has
come to be misnomer. In the old
days Of personal journalism and the
real one-man power, the newspapers did
mold public opinion. Horace Greeley,
as editorsof the Tribune, possessed an
influence that has never since been
equaled; but if Mr.. Greeley We're alive
and writing to-day, a very large share
of that influence would be gone.
The reputable newspaper of the pres
ent seeks to lead rather than to make
the best public opinion. 1t points out
the way for an intelligent constituency
to follow, but it does not attempt TO
compel support, or to tell the reader
what he must do or believe. Two pr1n-
clpal causes have contributed to ihs
condition of things-the fact that the
public has come to think for itself, and
the development of the newspaper as
business enterprise.
Half a century ago, if Horace Gree
ley said so-and-so, or advised thus,
hundreds of thousands of men thought
or acted accordingly. To-day the same
persons would be governed by their own
information and reasoning powers. At
the same time, a newspaper gains the
confidence and respect of the people in
the measure that it is honest and fair
and reliable. If there appears to be
slight Inconsistency here, it should be
remembered that the newspaper must
| be considered as a whole, as an institu-
ton that is subject to many varying
and sometimes conflicting influences.
This is the day of the business Office
in the newspaper business. So much is
demanded of the daily paper, and so
heavy are its expenses. that purely in
dependent personal journalism and
leadership are, to "a large extent, wiped
out But very few Journalists nova
days are possessed Of means that en-
able them to conduct newspapers COM
pletely in accordance with their per-
sonal views. Such a newspaper would
be apt to fail as a business enterprise,
because people have got in the habit of
| thinking for themselves.
THE "ENTREPRENEUR."
Portland Oregonian: We hear notes
OF alarm from various quarters based
on reports of the consolidation of busi-
ness interests and especially of manu-
featuring concerns, into trusts. The
| movement, as it is reflected in the news
papers, is unparalleled in the history of
| this or of any other country; and it
would seem that almost no department
| of business activity is to be left free
| under the old rule of initiative and gen
| eral competition. If all the trusts pres
emily coming into existence were gen.
uine in the sense of being planned to do
what they are nominally organized to
do, the movement would be serious in
deed, for it would revolutioniZe the
business of the country, and do for
manufacture precisely what department
stores in the great cities are doing for
the retail trade. There are, however,
evidences that the consolidation move
ment is largely artificial, and that it is
due to promotion" schemes, rather
than to any natural impulse toward or
ganized business effort.
The very ease with which combina-
tions apparently large, are brought
about indicates that it is the non-pay-
ing, rather than the prosperous and
profit yielding establishments that are
being organized into trusts; and it is
significant, too, that the greater num-
ber of the new organizations are will
ing to let in outsiders ION the ground
fioor.' 1t will be found later on, we
suspect that the promoter is at the bot
tom of the present extraordinary move
ment, and that his profits will be sought
| in the stock market-in speculation
rather than in legitimate industrial and
business aspirations.
| The French have a special name
"entrepreneur'-for the type Of man
who neither labors himself nor risks his
| own capital, but who finds profit as
scheming middle man. We lack the
English equivalent as yet, but there is,
nevertheless, now and again an ''entre-
preneur' among us, and just now he
seems to be diligently working the trust
scheme. s74l 81
WE DO NOT DISCUSS 1T NOW.
Humboldt Standard: Besides what
President Mckinley said in his address
to the Home Market Club of Boston
on February 18th, in regard to the
Spanish war, Cuba, Porto Rico and our
possession of the Philippines, he touch