Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-04-26
WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS
TO READ.

printed pamphlet of nincty-eight
pages, containing the proceedings OF
the forty-seventh annual meeting Of
the Wisconsin Press Association,
which convened ut Green Bay, Feb.
7, 8, and o, 1900. The pamphlet was
printed by o. f. Roesslcr, secretary
of the association, and editor OF The
Jefferson Banner. We desire to call
particular attention to the admirable
address Of Prof. Andrew Alex. Bruce,
of the Wisconsin University, deliv-
cred before the association, and
printed in the proceedings. He took
for his subject "The Gospel of the
press,n and his words Of wisdom
should be read ard rercad by every
editor and publisher in Wisconsin.
| We make Il few extracts:
"rhc criticism make on the press,
and it il largely Of the metropolitan
press which speak, appy with equal
force to the members Of my own pro-
fcssiOn. We are, you know, all
teachers. You remember how the
small boy defined the term profess
sor.n " a professor is u man who
teaches with his mouth. Some pro-
fcssors teach dancing, others swim
| ing, and some go up in balloons. J"
| Well, these professors teach with
their mouths and newspaper men with
| their pens. Both professors and
newspaper men often go up in bal
| looms, and both often dwell on the
dancing, the antics of men, and not
ON the real, the genuine and the true.
| Both are often rccrcant to the highest
manlinoss and sense OF duty.
81 believe, gentlemen, THAT II great
many newspapers only exist for the
satisfaction OF ten per cent. OF the
public; that the papers could, with
profit, exist for the satisfaction of the
| ninety per cent. also. " Let me give
| YOU some illustrations. ! draw them
from the metropolitan newspapers
chiefly and direct my criticism main
ly against the city press, both be-
cause they are the greatest sinners,
and because ! happen TO know II
great deal more about the city press
thar the press of smaller towns.
Besides, it seems to me that the
standard Of the country newspaper is
infinitely higher than that of its city
cousin. Let us take the social news
Why did we have columns and col
umns on the doinga OF Miss Gould
and of the Count dc tastcllanc?
Who really cared whether that little
man gave Miss Gould dozen roses II
day or two dozen; whether they are
red or white; whether he had two
pairs of trousers, or II hundred pairs:
two Wallets or u hundred Wallets. What
had the Count de Castellanc ever done
for himself or the world? Yet, day
after day, papers were full Of these in
significant details OF this insignificant
man. Why? Simply because he WAS
to marry the daughter Of an Amcri-
can millionaire: not the daughter
even Of man whom the American
people had really loved and respect
ed. 1t was the dollar exalted over
human dignity No ono really took
pleasure In these pcrusals of toppcry
and extravaganza. They excited
jealousy. They perhaps excited Won
der, the vulgar wonder, which display
often produces. They did not excite
admiration: did not appeal to any
thing that was gunuine and true and
lofty within us. They did not en-
courage .uplitt MS. They belonged
to u sphere in which we would never
enter,
"Wo do not really understand our
selves. IT Is not OF tho 'astellanes