New-York tribune., 1902-02-21
REED ON NEWSP APERS.
THE EX-SPEAKER. MINISTER WI AND
OTHERS AT PUBLISHERS DINNER.

Some good speeches were made last night In the
Astor Gallery Of the Waldorf-Astoria. at the six
teenth annual dinner OF the American Newspaper
Publishers Association. Ex-Speaker Thomas B.
Reed was. perhaps OF the favorites OF the
evening Wu Ting-fang, Chinese Minister at Wash
ington, told OF newspapers and newspaper men In
his country, and like Mr.. Reed. impressed on the
three hundred members Of the association before
him the fact that they should ever keep in mind
the responsibility which went hand in hand with
the power for good which they exerted. Abraham
Gruber, as usual. had difficulty in making his
hearers laugh loud and long whenever he so de-
sired His poetic again inspired him last
night to flights of fancy. He responded to the
toast of Those Who Fool Some of the People All
the Time; or, Barnum's Influence on Public Of1-
GALS
In the galleries were a hundred women. Minister
Wu was the first of the speakers TO refer pleas
antly to the fact and influence of their presence
on either side of the presiding officer. Charles n
Taylor jr of THE Boston Globe and president
of the association, sat Milton a. McRae. Frank A
Munsey. Job f. Hedges. DR.. ]. H. Canheld' a A
Mccormick. Colonel Frederick Driscon, Charles W.
Knapp and the speakers already referred to-
Answering to the toast of Journalism from the
Outside ex-Speaker Reed said in part:
1t must be confessed that 1 know very little
about newspapers. Probably good man could not
know much unless indeed he was Rupnsner OF
good men, actuated by the highest motives, nouce
not quarrel with them because they admit it-but
I wish they would not admit It every day which
and disnterestedness can be predicated of no pro-
fesson outside of the Jaw.
do not propose to tell you all the secrets Of the
great power Of newspapers. IT. would De unpec4In sf
this audience l essayed that task many wars wears
recall the chaste and simple power ana nea9y a
of those ringing editorials l am lost In wonder
ed whose unftness had been made so eloquently
manifeS All ms snOFt60gs S raaS anS %fT am ofrai9
that only he who ran did read -,
But however ignorant a man may be or, In this this
case, however modest he may be, nobody can fail
to notice the tremendous groWtn n, OF ns%spapeT,yT ,T
road has to be cleared Of thrown away newspapers
se5gers Did it ever occur to You why this is so?
Perhaps you may think this oetokens great growth
RIss am AFRAID the cause is much more simple
am afraid that il means simply that white paper
is awfully cheap. When white paper was ten cents
pen twice before ne spoiled a sheet.
Are the neTsPaPerS increasing IN In BGweTT al fb a
newspapers one side and Carter Harrison on the
peculiar. and was Harrson-and he had his own
There is one cause Of the power OF newspapers
which people little think OF. Men are the products
Ne STICK to the forms Of the fathers long after we
have lost the substance OF their thoughts. The
and oeebTate his birthGay long after they have be-
come foggy about his ideas and Republicans glorify
Iincoln's name. although Democrats seem just
eager quote his words. But, however things may
son : thoughts and Lincolns words will live long
as does this republic and be the common and noble
Give the newspapers time and they viii be all
that we hope they may be
Minister WI said that II he were not the repre-
sentative OF n foreign government he would like TO
be a journalist He said that the profession
closely allied diplomacy. While Chinese
papers did not print so much news or have such
extended circulation did American newspapers.
stfl they were in his estimation potent movers
OF public opinion the press OF this country.
He said that here the newspapers were overzeal-
ous. and possibly too much intent upon achieving
scoop" The Chinese newspapers. he said. had
real literary merit. The "Peking Gazette
journal read by government officials was. he said.
the Oldest newspaper. In closing he said that,
whole. IN spite Of the fact that reporters some
times worried him, he liked American newspapers.
Mr. Gruber began his speech by saying he would
be very glad to support Mr. Reed the
latter was nominated for the Presidency Of the
United States. Mr. Reed acknowledged the ap-
plause which followed with appreciative nod.
Mr. Gruber made plea for less show in politics
and a greater appreciation OF the fact that
campaigns won by clear presentation OF vital
facts. rather than by sensationalism in politics.