Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-11-19
THE NEWSPAPERS AND
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

(Written for the Saturday Journal)
IL has been mentioned to me that
topics wherein an abstract sense may
enter is not always the most readable
for the general public. That the news
paper readers want reading matter
much like they want shows to be some
thing which can be enjoyed without
any effort on their part to understand.
While this be true, it cannot but
render the newspaper Of little import
ance to the literary world, and of pass
ing concern to the reading world
which knows nothing of the standard
literature It is said there are many
noted public men who never read a
newspaper. Many great literary men
are reputed TO have never read the
newspapers of their day. Was it be-
cause of the prevailing sentiment Of
the public against anything but light,
so-called, reading matter, which rem
dered the paper useless to the real
reader, and a financial matter to the
printer9 If the newspapers cater to
the ''lightp reading matter entirely,
IL loses its hold on large class of
readers who will be compelled to seek
other channels for what they want.
However, it appears that the newspa-
per of today realizes this great ques-
tion before it, and attempts to cater
20 both classes Of readers. We find
the light and the heavy handled in
crisp, brief and readable manner.
1t has been said quite recently that
the newspaper has passed out of its
"yellow" spell and has been ably re-
lievod by the magazine and that the
great papers in New York are discard
ing entirely its supplements and col
ored pages, which contained yellow
nonsense, and have replaced it all with
what they call good sound, reliable
reading matter.
The United States is remarkable
country any way you look at it. 1t is
n great free country, crowded with
slaves. The American people, noted
for their spendthrift habits, are in the
most abject slavery. Where, oh
where" shrieks the wild.eyed Fourth
of July orator, edo you find free
countries if not in the United States9"
Americans are slaves TO a great, big,
little bit of thing, put into English
with four letters-R-U.S-H. They are
not only slaves to this giant, but to all
its satellites, commonly known as pell-
nell, get. there, hurry-up, can 't-wait,
thoughtlessness, and numerous others
whose names are not as yet recorded
in the blue book.
Have you ever seen the American
people when they were being rushed
You must have, for they are never |
any other way. They rush in, and |
then they rush out No variety. They |
rush up and rush down. Same thing.
Eat in a rush, walk in a rush, few |
sleep in a rush, and all in the dash.
Did you ever see the crowds get on
the street ears at the fair grounds last
fart Did you ever notice that the
whole crowd, including men, women,
orphans, cripples and inva-
lids, all made bee-line for the first |
cart There were three other ears ly-
ing empty on the track behind this
one, but no one saw them. The idea of |
getting there first predominated the
crowd The men had TO get 20 town
first, after lettering about the grounds
all evening long, TO get smoke, a
lemonade, or home before the "old
lady" locked them out. The women
had 20 get home on that first ear be
cause they left Willie all alone with
the lighthurning. They had forgotten |
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