The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-25
THE NEWSPAPERS INFLUENCE ON
 PUBLIC OPINION
(By John sI- ComIey.l

when Laurence sCoster invented tho first printing press in 1A26s he u-tl4 fanoied that from his crude wooden device would develop the great steel machines of the twentieth century and little did he imagine that in lt4 unceasing progress the art Of pr1EltlEl5 would yield to civilization one Of tra greatest aEsets-the newspaper The prescience of such growth was noe given to him but it would be well Tor 1s~ to briefly sean the course Of this mighty evolution in order that 77e may more fully appreciate the news papers influence on public opinion
 Prior to the fifteenth century, 1oo5a were extremely scarce and corresfSo ingly valuable They were Wr1ltel at a great expenditure of time and labor by professional writers Beinsi for the most part Of a. poetic natu.ras they dwelt on such topics as reldsi rEls eternity, and phfIosophys while not a few mora1ized upon life of some mythical hero and greatly -re8eEfl lAll4 the epic poems of Greek ardd Eto1lla7l literature. Their lack of circulation combin with the genera1ities Ffl-h which they dealt rendered them o- little consequence to their own aae-
 With the advent of printing how ever this condition was altered One of the first books published was tlEe Bible. As it advanced. in circuIafio1- the ideas of mon advanced in religion in morals, and in literature. They realized the possibilities of the le1 guage; they appreciated the beautLa1 of nature; they re1Ofced in human sympathy; and in the fullness of Ehi1 realization, this appreciation -hia joy, the E1izabethan age produced Shakespeare, Johnson. Milton and many others whose influence upou their own tines and upon ours can not be overestimated. They mark the pre-eminence of poetry and tleT esta blished the foundation for the last step in the development Of Enslla1-- it's prose
 Addison spent their energies iu DOT fecting this branch of the iang1aea and their efforts met with success.
 They endowed the language with e vehicle of expression which ccmpre- hended the powers of analyszs, critic ism and narration and in so doing they uncousciouSly endowed civilization with the modern newspaper. For armed with such powers, the uews- paper has grown from @ mere pulle- of instruction. Possessed with sItE1 abilities, it has attained command ing influence on public opsniOn-au influence which is well-nigh unlimited, which extends to all classes of Bocietr and penetrates to all corners of -th1 globe. To estimate it's maguitud1 would be infinitely impossible but vg may be able in a general way to gra1p
 We have said that the newspausl was armed with the powers ol analysis, criticism and narratio's., Surely these are three mighty forces. If exerted in the right direction tnz- can accomplish great things but
 exercised with rashness and Witl imprudence they can ruin the Wlsagi plans and pervert the most ~sa gaCiolf minds. Unfortunately the 4ieWspauer does not alweys pursue the formel course. Many are the faults of mod ern journalism and many are Lhe e.-- cusations which are continually madl against it. Tn reply the journaliftl aver that they are merely saticfgl1r the desires of the people at large and are in no .yay to blame for their Cs. fleets: first, the newspaper as the pub- lic's problem; second. the public aE the newspapers problem.
 A proper consideration of the hl
 view naturally Involves an examinG. ton of the most fragrant faults Of thf mo cdern newspaper and in relation ~ influence on public opinion. three ars probably the most important. Gr-l nEationalisms second, the control os
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