The Washington herald., 1916-01-10

often wondered why
These men read the newspapers daily eagerly.
From such reading they acquire most OF their in
formation, yes. most of their opinions Fheir
minds very largely furnished by means Of
newspapers. IL they were deprived OF newspapers
for few days they would be lost greedy for news.
Yet they feel no gratitude. They are like those
people that Jane Austen, the English novelist used
to be indignant about, the people who would
read novel with delight, novel that some writer
has spent months of toll on, and perhaps enriched
with genius, and then throw it aside with express
sions of contempt or indifference.
1t is so with the attitude of the public toward
many things, particularly things related to any
form. of artistic expression.
To me the newspaper is one of the marvels of
life. 1t illustrates the magic of cooperation.
Think of getting so much for so little, at cost
slight, indeed, that most people never think any
thing about it. The daily news of the world sum-
married in few printed pages!
A few hundred years ago the fact would have
seemed impossible. Indeed, it would actually have
been impossible.
William James, with his fine insight and humor,
has depicted the astonishment that a savage would
feel at seeing "civilizce" in the heart of the will
dcrncss sitting for hours at time with his eyes
glazed on newspaper. Unaided he could not
fathom the situation.
Hours of enjoyment, of complete absorption
over newspapers! There is scarcely an adult hu-
man being in this country who docs not have
them.
And yet, no grattude
OF course know that plenty OF reasons can be
given Some newspapers are inaccurate, biased,
corrupt
There is plenty of truth in the charges. The
newspapers arc no better than the world at large.
Against the world at large the charges can just
as truthfully be made
The newspapers represent the forces Of society.
These forces make for evil as we'll good. | be-
leve that they make less for evil than for good
The same may be said of the newspapers.
public spirited man of my acquaintance has
said that it was the ambition of his life to
endowed newspaper where he should have absolute
freedom to fight for what he believed to be the
right A friend of his, something of prophet and
seer, remarked: "Who arc you that you should
ask to work under ideal conditions? Why shouldn't
you take the odds the other fellows have to take;"
This point Of view is worth pondering.
There is no such thing as ideal newspaper
There cannot be as long as the human beings that
give newspapers life remain human.
Tolstoi has pointed out that the best
do in this world is to strive for the ideal without
ever hoping to reach it. That is exactly what
increasing number of men are doing today. They
are influencing newspapers, just as they are in
flucncing life in all its expressions
Even under the most favorable conditions l
don't believe that any newspaper can be wholly
accurate. No man can. To be accurate is one of
the most difficult things in the world. The mere
repetition of remark nearly always chang
ing the remark.
Have you ever noticed how inaccurate you are
yourself? And have you ever thought Of the amaz-
ing amount Of truth that gets into the newspapers
in spite of universal inaccuracy?
As for the newspapers being biased. OF course
they Some newspapers are biased because
they narrow and partisan. They are the vast
ma jority. Others are biased because they arc run
by human beings, whose feelings affect their opin-
IONS that is, by the usual kind of human beings.
Here the consoling thought is that newspapers
are less biased than they used to be, largely for
the reason that in their social and political opin-
ions people, including newspaper owners and
newspaper writers, are growing to be less biased.
There is far more independence of thought in this
country now than there recently
FIVE years ago. No wonder the politicians are
terrified.
The corruption of newspapers is unquestionably
one Of the saddest features OF our life. A power.
full newspaper can be shocking polluter of
the stream of truth In many instances it has
stood for the powers that have exploited and de-
garded society. The powers behind some of the
great makers of public opinion are unquestionably
evil powers. 1t seems marvellous that, in spite Of
them, the truth has managed to make its way so
into the minds of men.
Here and there one newspapers that
valantly fighting for the right. The cost is often
heavy. Sometimes it means ruin. All honor to
the newspapers that have gone down in the strug
gle for justice. Who ever hears of them2 No poet
ever sings their praises. The people never stop to
mourn.
The forgotten heroism of the world includes no
nobler fighters than those who have been