Show THE NEWSPAPER OF TODAY TODA 11 The marvelous growth of the American press since the da days s 's of Greeley is shown by the thc latest report re reo re- re poi port t on the newspapers newspapers of the country just issued issue by the census department at Washington In III the da this days s 's of Weed Veed Bennett Gle y Greeley lly Prentice and Kay Hay mond the we of the old school virtually echoed public opinion The editorial department of the daily was the whole thing It was intensely partisan partisan parti partie san and therefore alwa always s 's narrow and biased biase Today the great mission of the tile modern newspaper is to print all the news before the other fellow gets it The popularity of the party organ is a thing of the past The daily which is in greatest demand is the theone theone theone one that is the most enterprising and truthfully furnishes furnishes fur fur- the latest news To accomplish this absolute independence is necessary On the question of newspaper growth glOwth the St. St Louis Republic says There were only daily papers in existence in Today there are 2226 In 1850 the combined circulation of f the tIle papers was while in 1000 1900 the circulation of the 2226 was 11 1021 The aggregate ag number of copies issued during the year ear 1850 was while in iii 1000 1900 it was S i r It must be admitted that this growth in indi di circulation has followed a change in the so called so-called called mission of the newspaper A half century ago no statesman f felt feU secure unless he lie had the editorial support of the tile papers The press did not then as' as now express ind lead public opinion but hut formed it Today the highest calling of th the newspaper is isto isto isto to truthfully furnish the news No Xo daily can cnn make editorial expression the leading feature and sur sure survive e Railroad telegraph and cable have ha made communication cation so easy that the desire of the people for the news has made the circulation of the better hetter papers increase by leaps and bounds With th the betterment betterment bet bet- of transportation facilities the wc weekly press has failed to keep pace with the daily From ISSO 1880 to 1800 the increase in the daily was per cent from 1800 1890 to 1000 1900 it ws per cent while the increase in weekly circulation dropped from Pc per pel cent between 1880 and 1800 to per cent in inthe inthe inthe the last decade There was invested in newspapers in noD 1000 The They had salaried employees employees em em- who received and wage wage- earners who received Material cost and the money value alne of products was 2228 fi D. D There is no way of promoting the actual ac ae ac- ac thai tua value of the tile product in promoting advancement and sain saving the cost of mistakes which ignorance makes at every turn And po 10 one will deny that the change in the mission of the newspaper is responsible responsible sible forI forthe th enormous growth in circulation The fhe average H citizen buys his bis paper for the news it con thins |