The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-05-23
Tepms.J Shopper year, in advanc
Six Months 80 cents.

rural news. There is a page for
social news; another for stock and
market reports and so on. Under the
old foggy style of running a paper,
everything was mixed up pellmell.
No large headings were used to dis
tinguish important news from the
common old news of every day. An
announcement of the declaration of
war between England and France
would probably be followed by market
report or an sad" sounding the praises
of some patent medicine. Consequently
the reader had to peruse the paper
from cover to cover to make sure he
had the full gist of the days news.
This may have been all right in those
days, but in these modern days, when
time is money, it is not all right, as
those who try to run paper on the
old style soon find out to their sorrow.
The modern business man or laborer
has no time to fool away looking
through twelve or sixteen pages of
hashed up "pie," trying to find some
head or tail to it. He wants his stock
reports or market reports or political
news all in one place where he can
glance over it rapidly and ascertain in
few moments the history of the
street or the market or the world for
that day.
He wants the important articles
"scare. headed" so he can read those
first, and afterwards if he can spare
the time he will read the unimportant
news.
Illustrations:-As the business man
wants his news classified, so the labor
ing classes wish theirs illustrated. In
truth, believe all classes like to have
it illustrated. But the great masses of
people, those who toll, want pictures
good ones, and plenty of them The
ordinary working man may not be an
art critic, he may not be able to tell
Titian's masterpieces from Beardsley's
daubs, but he can tell a good cartoon
or newspaper cut when he perceives
one. And he enjoys them too. This
assertion is backed by the big sub
scription lists OF the "yellow" journals.
AS to the pictures being immoral:
colored illustrations or any other kind,
1 have never seen a picture in any
"yellow" journal that could not be
tackled up on the wall of the most refined
home in America, without injuring
anyone's moral sensibilities in the
least.
The United States government has
a department employed exclusively to
track down and apprehend postal
offenders. A most serious breach of
postal law is sending immoral matter
through the mail. AS the proprietors
of the "yellow" journals have not been
arrested, I deduce that they have
not sent anything immoral through
the mails yet, unless Uncle Sam does
not know the meaning of the word
immoral. 1t seems to me that the
opponents of "yellow" journalism could
spend their time more successfully,
and, with more profit to the community
at large, if they would devote their
energies to destroying dime novels.
cigarettes, whisky and gambling dens.
These four curses are doing more to
corrupt the youth of America than all
other causes combined.
The "yellow" journal is product of
modern civilization and has come to
stay. 1t is an upbuilder, not destroyer.
Its emissaries penetrate every corner
of the globe and bring everything into
public attention. Municipal corruption,
an unjust war, bribery, or a great
crime, are all ferreted out by its un-
erring sleuths and the limelight of
publicity is turned upon them. 1t soon
detects the flaws. That "white light
that beats upon the throne" leaves no
corner hidden in which the evil-doer
may shield himself.
The "yellow" journals are doing more
to spread democracy and republican
doctrines than all other literature COM
bined. Cuba might not have been
freed for years except for the unceasiug
agitation of these papers, which finally
resulted in the war with Spain. May
these great factors in our modern
civilization never be Obliterated. NAV