190 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



they achieved, upon the fame and ability of the editor. The re- 

 porting of current events without comment was a secondary fea- 

 ture of the daily papers, and in the weekly publications it was not 

 attempted. Before the days of railroads and prompt and reliable 

 mail service, communication between men in public life and, in 

 fact, all persons of education, was chiefly by letter. The custom 

 grew into a fixed habit, and to a large extent influenced the char- 

 acter of the newspapers published prior to 1850. The editor ad- 

 dressed himself directly to his readers through long editorials upon 

 topics in which he was interested, and his publication was in reality 



a mere instrument for 

 NOTICK ^^^^ expression of opin- 



To the Propn.tors of Hr,od!anc1 and B.apnen, i^^^" . . ^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ 

 nuba fend and bring WwtwooA to this (.iij for politicians were encour- 



THE Common Council, finding th« great Fr.ui ^S^^. ^« . ^"^^ l^^tcrs for 



is Jaily committed in :hr lale of Firc-^<iod in this ci- publication upon public 



'^•;.tr't'h'r!i'''''^'"rV''';'"r^f''^'''*''^r' questions, and a long 



lUreCtcd the iolJowmjj Extiad of the Law on t)i*C ^ ,' . ° 



fuSjca tobe republiihed, to thcend that ill perfon* Communication from a 

 r"ff"?;3lT"^t'Y'^'''T";'^''''^'l'^ man of national reputa- 



not afreet ignorance o\ the Law. And it w llndly . ^ 



enjoined on the //./5>rf/(,r/o/-/^,>«,4,W to caniV; the La W tiou WaS regarded bv the 



AoHi"n:xt^°;;'"rn'^j7""^ editor as matter of far 



April next, on pain (A being rtmfjciij$^,n Ojji.c. 



Extra& of the Laxv. more value to his journal 



tKLlvlr^ki^'''"''^^7^-'^^*^'nV''' 'T'"^^ ''''• than anv amount of news 



thil city tor fale as cord-w^nJ, fliall be m ]i ngth yivr 



fcrt, including half the fcarf— and that if nnv pcrfon of the CVentS of the day. 



fhull otter for fale any Fire-.vooJ ^i corJiu-:.d w.'iich -pi.p nvfrnmVqtimi nnfl 



il.-ll i:ot be of that length, fuch pcrf..,, ih.ili forfeit ^ OlganizatlOU and 



tiie fum ..fy;»f«rv-;fv, Cents for each Cart-load. development of political 



^ Pubhihed by order of the Common Council. ' parties in the early part 



ROBERT BKNSON, CArr*. of the second quarter of 



. New vofk, ;;<o» ir, 1795,. ' the century resulted in 



a rapid increase in the 



A Municipal Notice from the New York Gazette mirnbov of nPWSDTDPrs 

 AND General Advertiser of January 1, 1800. ^ ' ^ 



throughout the country. 

 Party leaders found that they could reach a greater number of 

 citizens by means of published letters and speeches than by the 

 primitive process of campaigning by easy stages from one State 

 or county to another. From writing personal letters to friends 

 in their districts, senators and representatives in Congress found 

 that they could keep their constituents better informed of the 

 progress of legislation and politics by means of signed statements 

 in the press of their res])ective States. The party organ and the 

 personal journal were the immediate natural results of this con- 

 dition of public life and polities. Every secular journal sup- 

 ported some political party or organization without qualification, 

 and there was little or no independence of the press. The editor 



