The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-01-27
THE CHARACTER0F PAPERS
Like the Character of
Men
Should be of the Highest Con-
sideratiOn,
From the Troy Buckeye.

rIOm Ine Troy buckeye.
In paragraph sometime ego we IN
quired what had become of our friend,
b. r Snyder, of the Urbana Ci 'ze
and Gi zstte, as We missed s'his breezy,
readable editorials. G)" He replies in
he ssue of lis paper of a later in his
usual style, but promulgstes his ideas of
a model newspaper go different from our
ideas, and so far from his former editor
tal pr. cedents, that we fear he has been
baptized in the new, modern newspaper
idea that has grown on the sterile coil of
q lack of ability, to-wi': That a news
paper should be modelled after gossipy
cd woman, whose mission in life is to
gather and retail all the news of the
country, good, bad and Indifferent. and
publish it in the circle of her scqusint-
ance. We believe q newspaper hss
higher and nobler mission, and vet We
grant that it must be q newsnst berer
and news-disee minatol; but useful,
husntial Newspaper must have 81 ire
helm man who thinks as well as reads,
"a man who can educate, as well as col
late. 1t is the editorial writer that gives
prestige, character and Influence TO
newspaper. A newspaper should form
and lead public opinion, and not fo low
after it like time. serving politician.
We freely admit that the Urbana Citizan
ana d site is splendid county news
paper, giving the news of the county and
atates besides euling here and there
tom the fields of literature and science;
but it's individuality and its il luence
c me from the editorial chair. There
doubtless is in U bana, as in every other
city, circle of self constituted critics
ready and willing to crIticise and con-
iemn, but the very fact that they are
snarling and barking is the very best
evidence that the editorials are reaching
he mark. -Four column" and "eix
column editorials are things Of the past,
out puDgent paragraphs, we'll written
opinion and comments of third, half or
eull column attract attention and are
read and dieested, and they educate,
form, direct and lead public opinion. 1t
is singular fact that the capable few do
The thinking for the many. In this busy
world the multitude do not take timetore-
fleet but they graep the thoughts of those
gho think and express their Thoughts
clearly and make them their own. and
hus is formed public opinion. Wher
Murat Hslstead retired from the Com
mercial G zstte it lost prestige, and it's
feeble successor cuts poor figure in
political influence. The Cincinnati En-
quirer is a great newspaper for gossip
and scandal, and yet nasty Allen o.
Myers is bigger man politically than
]. R Mclean, ard the Enquirer never
could, and never did control
county in Ohio. Thus we could
.dd to the list from the East to the
West illustrations of newsp apeEs
that are merely the sive through which
Sits the gossip and scandal of the civil
zsd countries, that make mo impress
upon the people. The Danas, Gree
leys, Watersons, McCullughs and Hal
,teads are in a class by themselves, and
are the remainder of the "old
| ;uard' that built up the
sentiment that made this country in
ruth "the land of the free and the
dome of the brave. Public opinion
is now controlled by the county newsps-
pers and we are proud to assert that
With such newspapers as the Urhs Ds
Citizen and G ,tte, B ,llefontaine e D.
publican, Sidney Journal and other
| papers scattered here and there herweer
Lake Erie and tbs OHIO river, thers v
ne maintained a standard of pupic Sec
timent that cannot be coniro "a
the gold of the rich, or the m hrs.
! t;ons Of corrupt political rings.