The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-05

on them.
THE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS.
The statement has often been heard in
recent years that the press decides the re-
suits of elections of all kinds. Since the
newspaper art has reached its present
condition of perfection, and intelligence
has come to be spread with lightning ra-
pidity to even the most remote parts Of
the country, the. newspaper has naturally
been regarded as the greatest factor in
the settlement Of political contests. In
this respect 1t is and probably will always
remain a controlling force in political life.
When the newspaper is regarded from
the standpoint OF its opinions and their
expression, the conclusion to be drawn is
somewhat different. Up to the Civil war
the political orator was the most powerful
factor in American politics. It was
through him principally that the opin-
ions OF the masses were guided and con-
trolled. He was at once the chief medium
of communication with the voter and the
policies. This was followed by period
in our political life when the orator was
wholly discarded in favor of the skilled
newspaper writer, and when men like
Horace Greeley, Charles a. Dana. Henry
Watterson, and others whose names are
now forgotten, nodded public opinion be-
You'd the interference of even the most
powerful men in active political or off,
cial life.
During that period it was that the news
paper editor reached his highest influence
The purely personal influence represented
by a flashing intellect like that Of Waiter
son, or a mastership Of transparent Eng
lish like that of Greeley, or by keen and
incisive and bitter pen like that of Dana,
had its day; and there are no more men
whose personality counts for great things
in the calling of journalism, outside the
local environment of the given newspa-
pers which they represent.
Yellow Journalism has become some
thing of force because of its sensat ton
alism. 1t rushes through space to produce
sensation after sensation. Without sensa-
ercise an influence in political life save
through it's policy of sensationaIism. Ig-
norant men yield to its power. 1t law
ishes money. recklessly in the pursuit Of
even other departments of public and pri-
vate activity 1t is having it's day. 1t
will not be a long day. Nothing which
appeals to the morbid, to the embittered,
feeling can long endure.
Tho well balanced courageous public
journal is today in politics the force of
our time. That paper which prints the
news, and all the news which is worth
printing, which does not rummage
through mems or women's private lives,
which treats political opponents with re-
spect and fairness, and whose opinions
find intelligent, educated and well inform
ed expression, counts for more in enabling
the individual citizen to reach right con-
illusions regarding the discharge of his
public duties than all other agencies COM
bined.
The American citizen who is intelligent
enough to read interestedly what pertains
to the conduct Of public affairs is hav-
ing, more and more, recourse to daily
papers Of this character. Whatever bias
they may express in a given direction
allowance is usually made for. They have
opinions, and they express them They
do not seek to utilize their advertising
columns to get paid political views before
their readers. They may remain disinter-
ested and impartial throughout the inter-
val between elections; but when the OPP
posing forces of political life range them
selves in opposition to each other they
take sides and fight for their convictions
throughout the campaign as strenuousIy
as conscientious partisans may do.
AS the outcome of the various transi-
lions which have taken place in the reIa-
ton of the daily newspaper toward the
political life of the country, it is, we be-
lieye, apparent to all thoughtful persons
that the non-sensational, fair-minded
and conservative daily newspaper was
never greater force in the direction of
public opinion than it is at this hour.
THE NIGHT SCHOOL,
rTbara &c no 1,o,,yo ,,,,. ~.