The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-04-13
TRAGEDIES OF "THE SYSTEM
MIR. James creeIman, the Famous
Journalist, Writes Story, Which
is Released to ocaIa Banner.

the great army of American thinkers.
1t will be remembered that Mr.. Creel-
man was with Mr.. Bryan in the MEM
orable campaign that he made in 1896,
world by the richness and strength of
his eloquence as an orator but also by
his powers, of physical endurance.
Mr.. Creelman's achievements on that
occasion were but little, if any less,
than Mr.. Bryan's. He travelled the
same number of miles and reported in
a most fascinating and chorming man.
ner every speech the silver advocate
made.
Mr.. Creelman was connected with
the New York World, the New York
Herald, and the New York American,
holding responsible positions on all
these newspapers, but has left the
newspaper field and has allied him.
self with Parsons Magazine and on
April 20th a story from his pen, en-
titled the Tragedies of 1.-The System"
will appear in that magazine.
By special arrangement made with
Parsons Magazine, this story has
been released to the Ocala Banner, and
the first chapters of it will appear in
our Sunday edition of April %.
Speaking of some Of the reasons
that impelled him to leave the news
paper field that he filled so acceptably
Mr.. Creelman says:
II gave up newspaper work after
long struggle with myself, simply be-
because / saw in an unfettered Maya
zine like Parsons an opportunity
not merely only to earn. my
livelihood, for have al
ways been able to do that and have
something left over; not merely to
get out of the wild rush for increas-
ed circulation which so often sweeps
the greatest newspapers against the
saner and better convictions of their
editors; but also TO get national ut
terance for what l might have to
say
| The truth is that the average daily
American newspaper has become, in
more senses than one, desultory, pro-
yincial and a victim of mere extremeL
thought and interest. There was a
time when a newspaper like the New
Yorw World, for instance, was more of
national institution. Its circulation
not only reached the densely populat-
ed districts about New York but was
spread throughout the southern states
and penetrated into the far west. The
New York Tribue, too, was national in
in those days editors like Greeley and
Bennett could stir the whole country.
Compared with these powerful instru-
mentalities, monthly publications had
little influence outside of certain cir
cles of cultivated people. The maya
zines were for the most part. dull, alb
stract, and dry when they were not
frivolously remote from the actual life
and thought Of the nation.
"But wonderful change has TAX
en- place. The development of the
country was built up rich and power
erful newspapers east. west, north and
south, and in the center of the CONT
nent. The circulation and the infiu-
ence Of city newspaper is met blythe
energies of powerful newspapers in
other cities; so. that no one newspa-
per, however great its circulation
covers much territory in this large and
diversified country of ours.
I'm other words, the American news
paper has become practically a local
institution. And, as we are, in one
sense, a federation of peoples with
many climates, widely diversified in
dustries and sometimes conflicting
economical interests, TO say nothing
of differences in social temperament
and local tradition-with forty five
sovereign states independently work.
ing out systems Of laws through for
ty-five egislatures-the daily news
pepper, however vast its organization,
however honest and brave and intelli-
gently edited cannot speak to the
nation as a whole. The influence of the
newspaper is in this privincial. gen
orally parochial.
Driven back upon their own locali-
ties by outside competition, the daily
newspapers have been forced to build
up great calculations by adding to the
former newspaper reading public a
great body of readers who could only
be reached by sensational methods,
big headlines. vulgar and Irrelevant IL
Illustrations and a raving. ranting reck-
less appeal TO the always latent spirit
Of discomfort of the masses who find
it is so hard TO live and are only too
ready to blindly applaud attacks, just