The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-07-28
THE EDITORIAL PAGE.

The editorial page IS to the newspaper
shat the heart Is to the physical body.
1t is what the rudder Is to the boat
L i what the bit l. in the horses mouth.
1t is what the soul IS TO the body. Il j.
the breath of hfe-the living. vital part.
Latterly there has teen a deal Of dis
cussion in the press as to the value OF
the editorial page IN q modern daily news
paper. Some papers, edited from the
business Office, have subordInated the edi-
torial page until they have concluded that
il might be well 10 omit it altogether.
They find that paid editorials have no
weight. and therefore they argue that the
editorial page is OF little or no utility
and it would be we'll TO save the salary Of
the writers. If the editorial page IS inspired
by some sordid or selfish motive, they
are right.
The question of the worth OF the edito-
rial page, having been raised by an Iowa
paper, the Melvin Argus thus answers:
There Is 4 class OF people that turn
to the editorial page of a paper first, and,
after perueing its columns thoroughly,
find much interest in the general news,
but without the editorial page their inter
est IN the paper would not be sufficient
to buy the paper or subscribe for it. The
editorial page IS necessary, and II should
be made the man feature Of a paper.
The class oil people that subscribe for q
daily by the year are people VINO would
miss it,"
Commenting upon the view expressed by
the Argus, the Burlington Hawkeye says:
There Is no question that The Argus
Is correct IN its opinion. y newspaper
without an editorial page is like a man
without a mind. There are some neWspa
per readers who care only for the lntor-
nation which they can CLEAN from the
telegraph and local columns. But as d
rule the man who carefully reads the new
departments turns to the editorial page
for a review of what he has been reading.
He may not always find his own ideas
among those IN the editorial columns but
he Is given interest by cleaning other
peoples ideas, and If they are not IN ac-
cordance with his own he has the salts
faction of combating them IN his mind.
1t IS usually the case, however, that the
editorial page Is a source OF suggestion
and information to the student OF politics
and world affairs, and those who read it
regularly are among the best posted per
sons
The Nashville American publishes both
the above opinions and adds its own as
follows:
In the old days when news was regard
ed as OF secondary Importance IN a news
) paper, the editorial page probably exer-
clSed q greater influence than 1t does to-
day. 1t made few converts, however, and
its influence was chiefly exerted III keep
| ing party followers IN line and melting
them to more intense partisanship and
greater political effort. The influence of
the modern newspaper is to cause more
people to think and to think without
5 clamps or letters. The editorial page is
the balance wheel of the newspaper, and
, those who read it have far more to do
: with shaping public thought than those
: who don't. The editorial page that is
( most apt to have the greatest real infu-
encc IS that which is usually somewhat in
advance Of popular thought"
[ Mr.. John Temple Graves, the eloquent
and learned editor of the Atlanta News,
contributes the following to this interest
ing symposium:
1.-The simple truth is the possibilities of
:, III CdllOlIdi pdSC VI a paper dlt Io ltSS
and no more than they always We're. In
q the old days, before the science Of gather
l. ing news had grown to its present Won
derful proportions and character, the
!, news end of a paper was necessarily a
limited sphere, and the brains OF the
y business, therefore,, turned to the editorial
TT page.
Y when, however, the gathering and dis
semination of news began to come to be
what it IS, the youth and vlgor and dar
l. ing of the profession turned to it and
1t developed it to an Importance impossible
" in the days of the great editors So
by comparison, the editorials shrurk.
$50 long, however, as reason and sen
n timent and humor are enjoyed by. men sc
IS long Will the deserving editorial page
:, flourish. It IS beside the question to say
people have come to think for themselves
e That IS true, and because it is true 9
logical presentation of any question ar
peals to the people of this broadened ant
thinking age as it never appealed before
Much depends, in estimating the valut
Of the editorial page, upon the ann of The
paper. If it is printed merely as a finan
cial venture, its editorial page Will nee,
to be bright, niquant, fresh-calculatet
Us to divert the reader from any complain
a1 that the paper is lacking in principles ant
at policy. 1t will hammer vigorously upo1
re unimportant topics and observe a discree
es silence or '.mutuality'' upon vital ques
a.. tons. For a time such a page will d.
ell ceive; it will always attract: but an ed
m torial page that does not breathe convi
tons and teach high ideals will not i,
fuence those who read it. The old n
It