The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-03-07
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT TELL
HOW TO CONDUCT A NEWSPAPER
Numerous Educators Express Their Views in Response to Letter
of Inquiry From superintendent Thompson of Macon, Mo.

strictly nonpartisan and nonsectarisn. It
should present honestly the views of the
different political parties, religious sects
and denominations. Many papers of to-day
are too sensational. The business man
does not want sensational matter. and
it is unfit for the man of leisure and much
more is it unfit for the rising genera
ton"
]. L. WHITE
J. L.. White, superintendent Brookfeld
public schools: THE Ideal Daily News
paper of the future will not be a mere
transcript of the city's rumor, gossip and
abuse. The United States has five ner
cent of the population of the world. but
40 per cent of the newspapers. Quality,
word
with free school books, education in
this country will be as free as the air
we breathe. and all our newspaper read
ers will be intelligent. With such citi-
zeus the literary form of journalism will
he most popular. Public questions will be
discussed with a sanity and calmness
that is rare at the present time.
The editor will be as full of moral
earnestness as Greeley, and az able in.
directing public policy as Delahe. Nearly
all papers will be the voice of some party,
but they will not be its slaves"
NJ. d. BOUCHER.
NJ. ID. Boucher, superintendent. ATTAIN
ia public schools: My Ideal Newspaper
for the future will do away with its pre-
ponderance of se~nsationalism. and will
place before the people the ideals of life
"a paper that Will give more of the
worlds real progress, apd the necessity
such progress" ....,
HENRY KING.
Henry King, superintendent La Plata
public schools: THE ideal newspa Der of
the future will contain reliable news. be
printed on a good quality of white paper
and be expressed in clear, forceful Eng
nsh. To the average American his news
paper. reading has become a part both of
his business and his social life. He wants
the paper TO enter his office on a business
basis, and to enter his home characterized
by a purity that will make it wholesome
reading for his children. Scare-heads and
se~nsatioGalism cannot intel his office
through the ordinary channels. nor will
he allow that to enter his home which
Will familiarize his boys and girls with
the worst forms of brutality and crime"
NORA TREW.
Nora Trew, superintendent, Lingo pub
lie school: THE Ideal Newspaper OF the
future will have for its aim a separation
from humanity of the vitiation of the pub
lie taste. for which the modern press is
responsible. BY degrees 1t will lave elm
mated from its pages all the elements of
sensationalism. irreverence and falsehooG
which its predecessor has so long pandered
to the world.
This process will necessarily be slow
and will possibly be. a season of penance
for the feverish Journalist as well. for this
sort of pabulum has been doled out for So
many years that any sudden change might
prove fatal, especially TO the life of the
newspaper. Cleansed Of its sins, however,
the ideal paper can begin its career of use
fulneSs as a teacher of mankind with its
columns devoted to the interest of culture
for the masses, under which subject may
be classed all that tends to elevate, edu-
cate and refine"
CARTER ALEXANDER.
Carter Alexander. superintendent,
Shelbyville public schools: THE Ideal.
Newspaper of the future will tell all the
news, good or bad, strictly as it is with
out any Iurid. imaginative touches from
reporters. Brevity will b. insisted on and
truthful photographs will frequently take
the place of many of the columns of de
scriptive print now used. AZ broader
views have triumphed in religion. so they
will in politics, and newspapers Will have
to drop a good deal of their present Of
fensive p~artisanship.
"A paper will always be more success
full as it meets the needs of more classes
of people, but in the future active men
will have still less time than they do now
to AUNT through a large paper for what
they want. The Ideal Newspaper of the
future will have. apparently, a complete
alphabetical index of all its important de-
partments and items on the first page in
at least all its regular and mail editions.