Illinois newspaper directory. History of the Illinois press association

Illinois Newspaper Directory and Historypleted a three days' course in a kindergarten, and the clam which does duty in his breastfor a heart is too cold and slobbery to entertain even the faintest feeling of a Christiangentleman.' The place to cast such a pearl as that is before swine. An intelligent, readingpublic has no use for it; nor, indeed, is the public more than slightly concerned inpersonal quarrels of any sort that may heave the editorial bosom. One person, themother, of whose very being we are a part, will never cease to be moved by anythingthat stirs her child, but expect it of no one else. Recount a tale of woe to thine ownfamiliar friend and at the first pause, he will break in with a harrowing account of hisown grievances—having already forgotten yours. There will be no personal quarrelscarried on in the editorial columns of our ideal paper, because they are first, impracticableand second, brutal. The squib quoted concerning one Andy Anderson may have causedhim but little annoyance, while it may have made a mother, wife or daughter writhein torment. A crushed finger racks the body with pain. Our interests and our lives areso interwoven and joined with others that the result of a blow in one quarter may bekeenest pain in another. It is well to remember when the personal character of anyoneis assailed through the press, that every member of that one's home is attacked also.A brutal blow in a woman's face is preferable to the pen thrust which would pierceher heart."In brief, some of the characteristics of ideal editorial columns are, complete correspondencewith environments, a clear, clean, concise rendition of current events, amarked individuality, independence of thought and action, and freedom from bitter,vindictive, personal journalism."J. W. Bailey, Princeton Republican, had the following to say on the ideal weekly:J. W. Bailey on the Ideal Weekly in 1894"During an active newspaper life of over fifty years, forty-six of which have beenin the harness as reporter and editor, over thirty-five in the latter capacity, it hasbeen my practice to give full sweep to all home affairs of general interest; followingthis with district, state, and national topics, as they develop from time to time. All ofthese points should be carefully and thoughtfully covered, in a lively and conversationalway, and in as brief a space as possible compatible with intelligent review. Theseare the first elements of success: First, a lively local department. Second, a good editorialdepartment. Third, a selection for the youth, for the humorous, for the thoughtful,for the religious, for the Sunday school, for the farmer, for the industries, andwords of wisdom and sentiment. All of this means work, but no man who is 'constitutionallytired' should ever engage in the newspaper business, for the community canbetter afford to keep him at the county infirmary. Every well-regulated newspaper willhave not only a good local department, but a thorough system of country correspondencefrom every town or township in the county. With all of these specialties properly lookedafter, the circulation of a paper will take care of itself in a very short time."The proper conduct of the editorial department of the country newspaper is atheme concerning which men will differ as much as they do in politics, when you cometo enter the domain of details. Thirty years ago there were about 170 weekly newspaperspublished in Illinois outside of Cook county; at the beginning of this year the numberhad increased to 940. In early times but little attention was given to the editorialdepartment in a country newspaper; but with the growth in numbers, it has been takeninto consideration, and it is in no boastful spirit that we say, many such departmentsin ability, if not in quantity, will compare favorably with papers of much greaterpretensions. I am speaking now of the country newspapers, you understand, whose busi-