The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-21

Kansas City star. ftk
While history may not havs preserved any-
where the name Of the man who nrst wrets
the definition OF daily papsf-'sThs history
OF the world for dsy'--to him muat be glvsn
tho credit OF having driven = neil In sure
place and Of having summed up the truth in
the fewcst words. Tho statement may ba
qnsllaed by saying that no spse issue Of any
daily paper tells the whole story Of the vhois
world. but taking the daily papers Of the
whole world together Il may DO said that 4
col ection OF them OF the sams date gives
every important event. and thousands OF un-
important events that had happened in the
world for tho twenty -four hours preceding.
No other form Of history could be 30 conn
plete."
Tho history OF the world fer day WAS
nsver told until the invsntiep OF the modern
daily newspaper, In thu earliest time the his
tory of the world was preserved in mems
memories and later committed to marble and
brass. both of which pass away. After thie
the recent events were committed 10 roll anti
scroll. to parchment and pspyri, and to tsrdy
chronicles and printed books. Hence the story
wAs an old one by tho time It could be told.
thing must happen ana then months and
years must elnpse before tho record OF u
could be published. But with the daily news
paper came the immediate and contsmporane.
Gus historian,
To illustrate. take the story OF a murder anl
what follows. In tho old time the nrst full
story Of the crlfno might be the last dying
speech and confession of tho murderer, printed
months after the commission OF tho deed.
Now the reporter Is at his desk by the time
the criminal has reached tho Jail, and the
pfima nd al tip 10 10
10 the morning or evening newspaper. The
record. II should be Understood. will never
wax less The story will grow larger, 1t Will
include the trial OF tho case. the arguments
of counsel. the testimony OF the witnesses,
the rndings of the jury and the sentence OF
, the court. Il one Is pronounced. There will
never he another such history of the afair.
a After the trial there may be an account oe
O the case in pamphlet form. principally made
T., M from the newspaper. or, years after. .
brief account In some book. hut never again
4 lwill there be so full, so complete and well
written an account OF the crime and the effort
to bring the criminal to justice as that writ
a ten by the newspaper, Often has It happened
that tho newspaper record has been the only
h one made, and In vast majority of instances
Il Il is the best one.
II is. OF course, raid that newspapers are
I transitory ephemerai made for day. par
r t'ssn' sensational But. admitting all this,
. tho newspaper must. from It's own nature and
| circumstances. tell the true story that did,
0 on certain day. at an hour ntven. kill b.
, This central fact may DO surrounded by a
great deal OF comment, discussion, conjecture
4 and space writing, but It is in tho newspaper
O that twenty years after YOU will npd the
Q facts set down, and perhaps in no other place
Il in the world. You will hnd It II you look
!. twenty years after lust as you will nnd the
- time table OF tho railroad that ran into that
y town in that day-hnd II there and nowhere
else.
n