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About The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1893)
THE HESPERJ AN individual, from city to city, and from country to country, is almost nothing. There is nothing as marvelous as the organ izing skill which centralizes in a London office telegraphic communications from every important town in Europe, Asia, America and Australia. At the same time skill distributes those communications directly or indirectly to thousands of re cipients simultaneously, by day and by night throughout all Britain. The power the editors wield in this great work is as tonishing. Something happens in Europe one dav, and is known all over America the next. The price of a staple article falls in Liverpool in the morning, and the Minnesota planter sees a mention of the fact in that evening's paper. Gladstone is made prime minister of the English government and im mediately all governments hear the news. Canon Farrer is made Dean of Westminister and within twenty-four hours people in every Christian land know the fact. If it were not for the unusual mental gifts, great culture and "staying power1' in the editorial rooms, all these things that now combine to develop and guide public opinion would be nothing but a vast mechanism for making money. Fortunate is it for America; for tunate is it for England, and fortunate is it for every intellectual nation of the world, that men oftentimes take up a certain work for which they have a special aptitude and which they delight in doing, and in doing well. The mission of some newspapers is a mission born of bigotry and greed. When the editor speaks he speaks in hired tones, and the echo that comes back to him is as muuical as the jingle of the coins he receives. Such a man makes money where an honest man would starve, and he is called successful- It may be said that the press cannot mislead, that falsehood may be met by truth. The latter part of the statement is true, but falsehood appears first and the burden of proof lies with truth. Before truth will have had time to put forward its proof much harm may be done that can never be righted. "The press can, by sneering, induce skepticism in whatever is sacred and venerable it can suppress the truth and set oil error in false colors, lower education and debauch morals. In tho namo of science it can vulgarize and degrade." Fortunately, for the reputation of the press of the world, this tendency on the part of bad newspapers is counteracted by good ones. Editors are found in every depart ment who recognize the worth of their pro fession and tho responsibilities attendent upon it. To trace the history of the best journalism from beginning to end is as re freshing and instructive to the intelligent literary mind as the history of bad journal ism is contemptible and repugnant. In every country the best newspapers have had for editors some of the best men that could be produced. This was the case in Germany from the time the Frankfurter Journal was issued in 1615 until there were 5,4S0 newspapers printed in the German language. In England the same thing has been true. Charles Dickens and John Col lier contributed to the Morning Chronicle and Gladstone at one time owned the paper. Cobridge displayed his powers as a publicist in the Morning Post. The lyrics of Moore and the poetry of Wordsworth often graced the pages of the same sheet. The Times through its splendid corps of editors has always upheld with the vim, vigor and energy of a power born of ambition, every theory, principle, doctrine and creed it has seen fit to champion. Js not this a result worth working for? Is it possible to buildup such a paper without the aid of efficient and emi nent writers? Surely the Times has earned the right to be called the "leading newspa per in the world." The United States will furnish a history of journalism that will equal or excel that of any other country. From Public Occur rences in 1089 to the Daily Globe tn 1872 this history is replete with interesting facts and gratifying results. Connected with the very earliest newspapers printed in our coun try were men who live in our memory to il ; i t , i ;i ! 1 1 1 :li iM i ; : : J ill i.13 4 I i I H i V
