The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-06-08


Owing to ~ unspirituality, Mr.
Hawthorne asserts, literature Ian.
cuisines, and journalism, the lower
voice, attempts in ain to counterfeit.
1t. so long as journalism attends to
It's own (materiaD business he con-
tlnues, 1t is not only harmless, but
useful; but as 20 as it woul usurp
what is Organically above it, il be-
comes hurtful: not only because i
does not give us what it pretends tC
give, but because the plausibility Q,
tlat pretence may lead is to accept i
as genuine. and thus atrophy the fac.
ulties whereby literature, the true
voice OF the spiritual, IS apprehended.'
Yet so general and p~rofuse is the
distribution of the newspaper that a
large part of the public ead nothing
else, or what else it does read is Gas
we shall presently seq infected with
the principle. The perSlS-
ttnt reflection Of toe lower SIDE OF lie
which the newspapers mirror SHOWS.
There are a few newspapers that
endeavOr to cater for the highest IN
tetligence among Ihey pup
lish decent news and articles OF
thought. refinement and culture. /
| have known two or three great d3lleS
to publish regularly literary contrlbu-
tons of a high grade. much OF winch
equaled the best contemporary Re-
views and magazines. newspapers
are a necessity in our country, and
the better they are the more salts
factory and serviceable they VIII pc.
They will teach as Well as crafty the
usual morbid appetite Tor news ana
views. l appreciate h value of the
high toned, decent, ably conducted
and would not dlScredlt
such 81 for the public good.
You can find in them much worthy
Of attentive consideration. They teach
and bless. and are to be appreciated
and amply sustained. But there are
and newspapers. Choose
We Your own mental paper, ana see 10
it that it really instructs as well as
pleases. 1t is a food supply not to be
ignored or rejected.
Recently / was talking to some
friends of the neglect of studying the
many standard works by the great
masses of eaders. | said how 1e"
people really studied for
alike necessary ana convenient. l
pointed to reading history and impor-
tant political works. / said how
MANY people in our city, leaving out
a few we'll read lawyers, have ever
carefully read or studied the Constr
tuition of the United States, their own
country-how few knew anything OF
the great foundations upon winch
thcN I'VE. polI1NCd " N1io ~ iHA
portant, significant south IN work,
the Journal Of James Madison of the
convention tina framed the Constltu-
ton of our country under winch we
must thrive and live and be informed,
or dwell in u~nbroken, deep, unietter-
ed ignorance. How many men IN
North Carolina ever saw a copy of
the Madison PaperS?' HOW many
ever read a page in them? And vet
they are Of the utmost instructive
value. They are in fact the only com
Dlete record now in existence OF the
transactions in the constitutional con-
vention. Why this do You ask! one
Of the ~strangest freaks, Tor 50 IL Wa
that ever occurred in a deliberatlV9
assembly. happened Wncn the most
jmpOrtant of conventions ever held IL
any country or aSe met IN the Cnlle'l
states to Great a government, anu -
prepare laws for the control OF the
people. When that convention as
SEN bled, one of the first things done,
and most absurd it was ana Dhnd
was to pass a resolution that all per.
sons connected with the press Shouli
excluded. that no correspondents
should be admitted. that no member
even should be permitted TO tel pY
letter or speech or in any other way
thing of the Transactions OF tle
It was to sit strictly with clos
al doors. Fortunately there was one
able. calm. thoughtful member Who'll
~ reliable. who would obey n laws
and vet take full notes OF
proceedings for his own beneft. u
vas James Madison, an able Virgin
who afterwards became the fourth
Of the United States. He
a record of the important
transactions of h convention. and
.hev we're kept secret and never used
until he had been dead Tor
hirtv-nine wears. Then his family
,nowed 2. publication of The Journal
# the Convention Of 1877" Several
have appeared since the first
utilization. A good edition is that
# G. P. Putnam and Sons, New York.
n . volumes, price S4.57. These are
oon;aS notes and an introduce