The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-02-20

took no small part in
working up revolutionary feelings
among the people. The stamp act and
other taxes imposed without represen-
tatiOn was the cause of a great outcry
IN the papers, and many of them were
as traitOrons and several
editors imprisoned, among them Capt.
McDOugal of the New York Journal.
During his time in Jail the Captain
was visited by many Influential citi-
zens who expressed their warm ap-
proval of his utterances and tncOur-
aged his demand for the freedom of
the press. The publicity gwen in the
newspapers to unpopular government
measures, together with the vigorous
protests Of leading citizens which were
also printed, had much to do with
bringing on the Revolution. The news
papers kept the people alive to the
needs of the hour and spread broad
cast the seed of discomfort with the
conditions then existing.
After the Revolution had terminated
in favor of the colonists, the news
papers were prominent iii the con-
troversy over the adoption of the Fed.
eral Constitution. The bitterness OF
this contest led to more thar one per-
sonal encounter between editors, who
ut that time were prone to back up
their opinions with their fists. The
constitutional convention was the
scene Of the first attempt to report il,
full the proceedings Of . public meet
ing and stenographic notes were taken
for the Boston Sentinel. The final
adoption of the constitution by the
states mas celeOraiedby large parade
in New York. Ona stage drawn by
fur horses Was q complete printing
office at work, many copies OF a pa
trlot's song were struck off and dis
trlbuted eli route. The compositOrs
and pressmen wore caps on which was
printed "The Liberty of the Press.'
THIS Is not bad example of news
paper enterprise i'll 1888.
Alexander Hamilton, in the writer's
opinion the greatest mau (bar Lincoln
that America has ever known, Thoma,
Jefferson, James Madison, Washing
ton, in fact all of the founders of ouI
/ present government, had high re
spect for the power Of the press aDe
FUSED the columns of newspapers wher
occasion arose. Hamilton espaclals!
WAS frequent contributor, and hh
newspaper articles had the most pow
erful influence of Any that have beeI
written in America. From this tim
OH papers multiplied rapidly in nun
. bers and before the civil war such edi
tors az Horace Greeley, Chas. A. Dana
!. and James Gordon Bennett brough
their papers into great prominence.
i The formation of the Associate
: Press, originally partnership betwee
! the leading New York papers, ha
: much to do with the, rapid develOI
ment of the publishing business,
l greatly facilitated the gathering an
: distribution of news and caused rapi
: lincrease in the number Of ilterie
I newspapers.
From the beginning, >as has bee
). shown, the growth Of journalism hs
: kept pace with the growth of our couI
j try, and at the present time there /
J. according to the World Almanac Il
8 1908, about $1,000 newspapers pull
, hshed in the world Of which near
9 23O00 are printed in the United Stat.
a and Canada. Every county seat has ,
Q least one newspaper, and in thick
y settled communities evefy townshi
y has one. The advent Of immigratic
d brought us many papers printed
II foreign languages. Every trade h'
It it's special publication, every lodge ar
's religious body. Prison papers are n
e novelty. Colleges, Universities al
e even high schools often print their ov
d organ. p 50
Ir That the newspapers and msgazin
- Of the world WELD . powerful infiuen
cannot be denied; that this great POI
It er is sometimes misused is' q fact, b
N to the credit Of journalists ss who
IN it must. be admitted that assa geneE
9. rule they will pc found on the side
= right. This is. especially true Of &