The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-11-04
the WORLD WITH
the LID OFF
Is the Average Daily Paper, With Its Car
toons and Comic Supplement, Proper
Reading Matter for School Pupils?
The Comic Supplement Fiend Becomes
Tricky, Insincere, III.Mannered and
Careless Of the Rights Of
Grown People. Clean News
papers Should Be Read.
BY LAFAYETTE BLISS.

BY LAFAYETTE BLISS.
A great daily newspaper shows
as from mirror, the world with the
lid off. The question has come up
10 educational circles, as to the ad.
visibility of having daily papers
used in the reading classes OF our
public schools to the partial exclu-
sion at least, of the regular school
readers. l am one who heartily be.
lieves in the fullest use of the news
papers and magazines that are we'll
edited and clean, by pupils in
school, and it is a noticeable fact
that these boys and girls who read
the newspapers are better readers,
though "a rule not as bright stu
dents in some other school snb.
j'cts as those who are not. Ny re.
marks in the following paragraphs
apply rather TO the manner in
which some of the great daily
papers are thrown together, and
not to the better class of weekly
papers which uniformly are edited
with better Judgment than is the
average daily.
The modern daily newspaper is
not only convenience but an alb
so1ute necessity i'm .present-day civ
ilization. The general view, which
a great many newspapers give, of
what happened yesterday in every
part of the world, enlarges our in.
tellectual vision and trains Us to
think broadly of the world and
what is going on in it. This broad
way of looking at things stimulates
the adult mind to discriminate and
compare, and unc consciously to
search out those principles and
laws which govern the actions of
mankind. 1t furnishes an oppor.
tunity to develop tolerance for Gus
toms that differ from our own, and
charity towards the whole family
of man, in spite Of the difference of
politics. religious beliefs, conflict
ing interests and hostile passions.
The free and untrammelled news.
paper is largely an educator, and to
quite an extent controls public SEN
timent on the great, as well as the
small issues of the day. The editor
OF free paper today Yields pow
er greater than that of the pulpit
the bar and Legislative halls COM
bined. The average reader takes
his opinions ready made from his
tavorite newspaper, which right or
wrong makes war or peace, now
writing up now down the value OF
property, now destroying now de-
Tending the regulations of men who
are in the eyes of the world.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE EDITOR.
Many believe that the editor has
no control over the great agencies
of modern lite except as he skill.
fully anticipates and interprets
them. This in a measure is true,
but 1t is also true that the press can
Tinflame and arouse agencies which
only for its influence would forever
have lain dormant. and it often
gives daring and boldness to men
and causes which it were better to
the world were they suppressed al.
together.
While the daily paper is often
edited with ability, and its matter
is often distinguished by a grea,
variety of excellence; abounding az
it often does with the choicest pro.
ductions of the most gifted writer's
yet feel that it.cannot be the prin.
cipal reading TO any person, leasl
! of all school pupils, without ser.
ious evil The matter treated in the
average daily is not carefully edit.
ed, the subjects are often treated
too briefly and specifically, the
tone is too f1ippant and sensational
the judgments too uncertain and
uusound. Newspaper writer's gen.
orally value effectiveness of style
more highly than truth. 1t cannot
be denied that they are often I'm,
scrupulous in their statements al
fact, that they suppress the truth
when it counts against them and
overstate that which would be in
their favor. Many of them have
lost sight of true standards.
It has been my observation ths,
many of our, newspapers mot alt
fare animated by a spirit more OF
less insincere. Their editors aut