Newark post., 1919-07-23
NEWSPAPER MOST
= POTENT INFLUENCE IN
MAKING DEMOCRACY
Continued from Page u

nome university VIII CouISeS III
every conceivable subject. 1t is
not a perfect substitute Tor the
literature of books, but it comes
nearer today than ever DerOre to
taking the place of them because
it borrows so freely from them and
spreads their information and in
spiration broadcast.
"Not only is the newspaper
teacher and educator, but poll
tician in the best sense of the
word, a patriot, and preacher.
The modern methods of communi-
cation" said the speaker, "enable
the newspaper to present to us the
full text of a candidates speech
the night before in Indianapolis or
Denver or San Francisco. We do
not have to go to political rallies.
The rallies are brought to u.s."
There is really no need for
President Wilson to "swing around
the circuit" in the interest Of the
League of Nations. There was no
need for Charles E. Hughes to tour
the country during his presidential
campaign. In fact he would prob
ably be president today if he had
stayed at home and let the news
papers take care of his campaign
as Wilson did.
He portrayed graphically the
teachnical details of getting news
"across' to the public. The me-
chanical side was touched upon,
the enormous amount OF paper
used and the tax thus put upon
the spruce forests of the North
and Northwest where no system
attic attempt at reforestration is
made. The process of paper max.
ing was briefly told and the ply.
steal make up of the paper with
particular reference to the Difficult
ties experienced by the head linz
writer in stating briefly and clear
ly the "meat" of the story, wer'
illustrated by humorous expert
ences. AS to the comparative in
fuence of the editorial an tn
news pages, he expressed /opin
ion that the news was most infu
ential, for the .eople could safel.
be trusted to do their own thinkin!
if the facts were presented t
them.
He outlined the agencies fo
news dissemination from the mid
die ages when the market plac
and the cathedral were the meet
ing places of the populace for ex
change Of views, until the present
The newspaper has taken the plac
of these two agencies and in Civ
ing the news of the day fairly an
impartially, has great responsi
bility in the making Of democracy
Democracy Must be Made Safe
"The Making of Democracy. tn
speaker said, "is a significan
phrase. 1t reminds us that democ
racy is not completed thing
easily defined, the same in all age
of the worlds history. The de
mocracy Of the Greeks would no
have sufficed for our democrati
Americans, who framed the Con
; stitution of 1889, nor would tn
American democracy Of 1888 sui
flee for us today. Democracy is
continuing process, forever tryin
new experiments and branchin
out in new directions. There wa
never a time when it was NOR
flexible, more inquiring, more ope
to new suggestions than it is tt
day. 1t is our business in the ger
Grafton, now beginning, to diret
its course sanely and wisely, az
cepting useful innovations and r,
iecting dangerous ones. We hay
species of State Socialism
North Dakota, social units" e.
isting side by side unofficially wit
our local governments and doir
a public work that many peop
think the government itself ougl
to do and we have radical agit
tors and newspapers urging us
adopt great variety of reform
some of which look promisir
while others deserve nothing b
immediate disapproval.
'.As democracy cannot stal
still, it lis necessary for us
take account of stock and see wi
what implements the democracy
the future is to be shaped '
must not only make the world sa
for democracy, as Mr.. Wilson's u
forgettable phrase has it, but '
must make democracy safe for t
world"