The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-15


broader than the bare facts OF the case,
and may conoeivably add their mite TO
public opinion. Herewith has come In a
special newspaper style, combination
Of a geographically accurate report and
the whimsical feuilleton- Thus it happens
that the best papers editorially persuade
where they cannot dictate 10 their readers,
and 80, apart from party politics, nourish
public opinion and create sentiment for
or against persons and legislative or public
measures, while ostensibly they are merely
giving the news of the lsst twelve hours
II Ia Prof. M1nsteroerg's conviction that
taken all in all, the Ameri~ in press repre-
aents v0rtbily the energy. prosperity and
greatness OF the American nation; though
at the same time. with its superficial hnste
its occasional vulgarty and chronic e1-
oitability. with its lively patriotism and
irrepressible humor, it clearly evinoes the
influence of democracy. The better the
paper, the more conspicuous are the criti-
cal and reflective features while the wider
the circulation, the more noticeable are the
obtrlsive self-satisfaction and provincial
Ism and the characteristic disdain OF things
European 1t is not for a moment dis
puted that the best American papers attain
to a standard which in many respects a
higher than that OF tho best journals Of the
Old World. A paper like the Boston
Transcript will hardly find its counterpart
In the German newspaper domain; and much
good can be said OF the Herald In the same
city; OF THR SUN. Tribune, Times and Post
in New York: OF the Edgie In Brooklyn: OF
the Public Ledger In Philadelphia; Of the
Sun in Baltimore; the Star in Washington;
the Tribune in Chicago; the Epentnp WIS
corsin in Milwaukee,, and many others
which might be named. Even small cities
like Springfield, Mass. produce such large
and admirable papers "a tho Springfield
Republican, The assertion would be com
monplsce and modifying IL the author did
not add that TO be just, one must admit
that tho bad papers could DO condensed
into tolerably good ones by liberal use
OF the blue pencil. For their mistakes lie
not so much in their not having good con-
tributions as In their inclusion OF crude
and sensational material by way Of spice.
In another section OF his work, namely.
In a chapter headed Literature. the author
considers American newspapers from
strictly literary point Of view. He tells
his fellow Germans that apart from news
paper politics, and apart from the admirable
organization OF the journal, considered as
an industrial entity, the newspapers OF the
United States are literary product whose
high merit is too frequently undnrestimated-
ITO be sure, the style IL often Light, the
logic unsound, the information superficial.
But taken as a whole, the newspaper has
unity and character. Thousands OF loose
jointed inteIlects crowd into journalism
every year-more than in any other country;
but American journalism, like the nation
as whole, has an amazing power OF assimi-
lation. just as thousands OF Russians and
Italians land every year in the rags OF their
Indebtedness, and in few years become
earnest American citizens. so many land on
the shores of American journalism who
were not intended TO be the teachers or
entertainers OF mankind These are either
eliminated quickly, or In the course OF a
few years, quite assimilated. aThe Amer1-
can Newspapers, from Boston TO San Fran
CISCO are alikU In s,yla ard thought; ana 1t
must be said. in spite Of prejudioes,
that the American newspaper Is certainly
r.srdture From the Washington letter
TO the sporting gossip everything tres IN
d way to have artistic merit, and everything
bears the stamp Of American literature.
Prof. Mansterberg thinks that "in the
weekly papers America has achieved still
more. The light, fresh and direct Ameri-
can style there finds its most congenial
field He adds that -the leading social
and political monthlies, like the venerable
North American Rsr,eu. which errs merely
in laying too much emphasis on the names
of its well known contributors. are quite up
TO the best English periodicals.