The Minneapolis journal., 1901-03-01
RESPECTS TO LOUD
Minnesota Editors Favor Not His
Little Postage Bill.
FAIRBANKS AMENDMENT LIKED
HaldOr BOen's Remarks-Editors Ar.
Slow In Gathering To-day
Papers Are Read.

torial Association to appear at the st
Paul Commercial Club in SUFFICIENT mum
bers to warrant opening the meeting
President Mitchell telephoned Speaker
Bowling requesting him to round up ths
members at the capitol and send then
down to the convention.
In calling for motion on special com
mittees-no one esponding-Presiden
Mitchell remarked Il suppose every ont
is afraid he will be appointed on a com
mittee if he says anything. Mr.. Leicht,
then turning to Joseph Leicht of Winona
why don't you move the appointment
Of a resolutions committee?" Before thi:
worthy gentleman cauld say a word Mr.
Mitchell blandly announced that Mr.
L4eicht made such a motion. This was
briskly passed and Messrs. Leicht, Harvey
Hawley and John E. King were named
as the committee.
The report of the stanch and venerable
treasurer, David Ramaley, showed a pait
membership during 1909 Of 239; total re-
ceipts, $S9S.42; balance. $412.S4.
The Loud Bill Again.
communication from G.. w. Neff was
read calling attention to the danger to
weekly newspapers OF the Loud bill, whlcn
has passed the house of representatives
and is now before the senote. There was
some obscurity in the minds of the mem
bers in regard to the facts, and this was
elucidated in an animated discussion be-
tween p. V. Collins, f. A. Paradis, David
| Ramaley, Joseph Leicht, Haldor Boen and
G. W. Neff. There was no difference OF
opinion on the merits of the question: only
on the best method of getting at it, The
desire OF the association was tersely
| summed up by Mr.. Paradis. What we
| want is insistence upon the continuance
of the pound rate for the weekly papers
in the free delivery cities" and a resOlu-
ton was passed calling on the Mime
sofa delegation in congress TO support the
| Fairbanks amendment to the Loud bill
| which leaves the weekly paper Just where
it now is in this respect. This resoiu-
tion was promptly wired to the delega-
| tion. In the discussion Mr.. Boen attacked
the whole Loud bill, sharply denouncing
1t as in the interest of the express COM
panies. His criticism was directed in
part against the author. His connection
| with ii gave assurance that there is in
! iquity in it, and the editorial association
should oppose it.
Henry r.. CObb's Paper.
A goodly audience having assembled by
this time, business was laid aside for the
program of papers. The first paper was
by Henry r. Cobb Of the Park Rapids En-
terprise on "The Real Thing" This real
thing was the speakers title for the
actual weekly paper in contrast with the
ideal paper which is never printed but
which is heard about more often than
any other This is exalted beyond all
reason but is equalled by the unfair de-
! basement of the actual paper. He re-
gretted that the censorious comments
were often from within the profession
He welcomed all we'll disposed criticism
but believed in demanding fair treatment
He then analyZed what he believed fair
! investigation would discover in the coun-
try weeklies. He found them free from
sensationalism and existing to promote
the best interests of their communities,
the prosperity of the paper being in di-
rect ratio to its attention to community
interests. He noted the great force in
the editorial personality which found ex-
preston in clear, outspoken and reliable
utterances upon which great weight is
laid by those seeking to get in touch with
public opinion. The greatest asset of
country journalism was pronounced the
quality Of the men who conduct them.
In minneapolis Next Year.
John Leslie Of Minneapolis was intro
duced to extend an invitation to the as
sociation from the Commercial Club to
meet next year in Minneapolis This was
promptly accepted.
The Afternoon Newspaper.
w. B. Chamberlain. managing editor of
T h ourn a l, read a paper on The
Rise of the Afternoon Newspaper" Presi-
dent Mitchell is especially happy in his
neat little Introductory speeches. Mr..
| Chamberlain was presented as the rep
resentatiye of a great newspaper of which
we are all fond and which we all read, the
man who as much as any other is re-
sponsible for its excellence.
Mr.. Chamberlain began by pointing out
that the American newspaper is a prod
uct of growth and evolution. 1t is the
highly developed modern system of an
| swering the human beings eternal
! WHAT" "How?" and 'Why?" Though
curiosity is one of mans most elemental
instincts and the thirst for news marked
through all the ages, the systematic
means of satisfying that curiosity. is a
purely modern growth. Shakspere and
Columbus, Charles Martel, Washington
and Napoleon had no eager correspond
ents to herald their doings to the world
and the destruction of Herculaneum and
Pompeii was not proclaimed by news
boys The newspaper is modern, not be-
cause the audience was lacking, but be-
cause human ingenuity had not yet made
it possible. The invention of printing
was but the beginning of the development
The railroad and the telegraph and tele-
phone, the web press, the stereotyping
process, the typewriter, the linotype ma
chine, the making of paper from wood
pulp, the pneumatic tube, the dynamo,
the mailing machine, the camera and its
| corollary, the photo engraving process,
and many minor inventions, as well as
the bicycle, the trolley car and the auto
mobile had to come before the newspaper
could come into it's own in the fullest
degree. The modern newspaper is an
epitome of the worlds doings-and expo
sition of the worlds inventive achieve
ment.
Mr.. Chamberlain said that as a mem
Der of the tribe of afternoon newspaper
men. it was with some trepidation that
he took up his subject, lest he be ac-
cused of blowing the tribes horn over
loud. He thought it was not to be dis
nuted that the most successful dailies in
America-from financial point of view,
at least-are evening papers After a
few words on this phase Mr.. Chamber
lain proceeded as follows:
News Is Essential. Z
News is after all. the alpha and the omega
of journalism Opinion is valuable, gossip is
interesting but news is essential 1t is the
foundation upon which the edifce is built,
the base whereon the pyramid OF the success
full newspaper property is erected. This
ieeems almost automatic, and yet the failure
to appreciate its verify has been responsible
for many a journalistic hasco News at
tracts readers Thus circulation is won. Ad-
vertising patronage is the easy and sure re-
ward OF circulation. And that is the whole
philosophy of newspaper success. The prob
lem, then, in its last analysis, is simply that