The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-07-19
THE FOURTH ESTATE

THE FOURTH ESTATE
Prof. &c. n. Cooley has taken filler
Ct the newspaper. in book called
Social Organization. Mr.. Cooley be-
longs to the newer school of psyche
phljosor1aer1ociologists, who deal with
every thing In the 'big-we will not
say large or rough He has reduced
humanity and its operations and in
terests to the luZlp-rather than seq
regating It to the infinitesimal. Time
was when the scientist went around
with the microscope. prying into the
private life Of the microcosm and ex-
posing its frailties in good Rabelaisian
style.
In the Cooleyesque system, the fac
toring Of the universe has grown in
tolerable. He Is no longer interested
In the common Homo and his Ego but
in the collective mind of the whole.
In this 'largeness' Ito relapse into
Weber and Fieldism-'such large
nessD the newspaper plays, according
to Professor Cooley, the part of Cos
Sip" organised gossip" In this role it
hands out to the world-"a bulletin OF
important news and medium for the
Interchange 81 IDEAS plus organized
gossip
THE bulk OF It's matter. however, is
best described by the phrase organic
ed gossip. The sort OF intercourse
that people formerly carried on at
cross-road stores or over the back
fence. has now attained the dignity
Of print and an imposing system.
That the bulk of the contents of q
newspaper 10 Of the nature Of gossip
may be seen by nothing three traits
which together seem to make fair
definition Of that word. It Is copious
designed to occupy. without exertine
the mind. Il consists mostly of per
sonalities and appeals to superficial
emotion. It II Observation-Disclosures
upon 4 few matters Of moment. which
tho public are likely to follow up ant
verify. These traits any one who ii
curious may substantiate by a stud,
Of his own morning journal"
The newspaper. fortunately, can fal
back on the supply and demand basi,
for It's defense II this charge is tru,
or the indictment unbearable.
Il occurs to us however that this Il
not necessary. The reader will re
member through the same medium o
his newspaper that President Ellio
has lately launched on the tapis o
discussion his five fest long bookshelf
Of general cultivation. This suggest,
the fact that alonE with Shakespear.
and the Bible, the newspaper seems t,
be taken for granted Perhaps al
three are on the library table Will
the elect are IN the bookshelf dusty.
Lot it be true that in the process 0
leavening the mass (for surely Coole.
will not object to his Social Con
science being leayened even by organ
lied gossip there Ii modicum or
maximum Of gossip-the reader cal
skip all that. He can skip the crime
and divorces-the police court OF tn
social body-leave baseball, society.
all that does not in so many word
make history. He will still have tn
slow stream Of the fight of democracy
the occasional victory Of people owe
special interest-diplomatic eventfu
ness and all the Of cetera Of tn
mighty movements of men,.
But-will he have 1t all?
WIN not 4 Ferrero arise in the Ian
and complain that what seems boo1
less gossip u after all the real histor
Of the people on which hangs the lars
er lite! Since the Cleopatra myth ha
been manhandled and reduced to
Roman campaign story fresh from III
classified ephemerA OF Roman Co.
ley. Il not the little gossip the reall
important thing? Il may not be-
II college we were taught that til
4 French and Indian war had It's mo.
powerful effect on the English colo
lists not u the fact that the Frenc
were ultimately beaten: but IN the q,
ped Of the bringing q many men t
gsth1r from Ill Tho colonies and lot
ing them gossip together. n that vel