Newspaper Page Text
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The Golden Age
(SUCCESSOR TO RELIGIOUS FORUN)
Published Ebery Thursday by the Golden Hge Publishing
Company (Inc.)
OFFICES: LOWNDES 'BUILDING, ATLANTA, GA.
Price: $2.00 a Y ear
WILLIfXMD. UPSHfXW, - - - - Editor
A. E. RAMS A UR, - . . Associate Editor
Entered at the Post Office tn Ga„
as second-class matter.
To the Public: The advertising columns of The
Golden Age will have an editorial conscience. No
advertisement will be accepted which we believe
would be hurtful to either the person or the purse of
our readers.
Faithful Legislators.
The Georgia Legislature which has just adjourn
ed won that thing for itself which is rather to be
chosen than great riches—the flavor and halo of a
good name. And that is better than many legisla
tures have done.
It is not the province of this paper to discuss de
tails or review the general work of a law-making
body, except as that work affects the moral or in
tellectual life of our citizenship.
Not every legislator did his full duty in this re
spect, of course, but upon the whole an attitude of
■wholesome common sense and manly bravery char
acterized the last law-making body of Georgia.
Hon. William Stanley West, the golden-hearted
Valdosta Senator, added new laurels to his long and
distinguished legislative record, serving with con
spicuous ability as president of the Georgia Senate,
causing the prediction of higher honors yet and
Hon. John Marshall Slaton, popularly known and
loved as “Jack” Slaton, proved the wisdom of the
House that made him Speaker. Young, brilliant and
honest, Mr. Slaton’s record speaks the prophecy of
yet larger things.
More and more let the faithful citizen teach the
lawmaker that only the faithful public servant shall
receive the public’s glad “well done.”
“The Georgia Issue.”
We take pleasure in welcoming another contri
bution to prohibition literature in the first appear
. ance of “The Georgia Issue,” the official organ of
the Anti-Saloon League in Georgia.
This is a most interesting sheet, devoted to the
cause of prohibition and is most ably edited by
Rev. A. C. Ward, who is fortunate in having Dr.
J. C. Solomon and Mr. J. B. Richards as his asso
ciates.
“The Georgia Issue,” if one may judge by its
first number, promises to be a live paper full of
most pertinent points, clever editorial comment,
news items, anecdotes and stirring literature re
garding the great “issue” which the thinking world
must recognize as being now at stake
The work of the Anti-Saloon League in Georgia
is monumental and its able supporters have much
cause to be proud of what has already been accom
plished. It goes wnthout saying that the wisdom
of issuing a publication devoted exclusively to Anti-
Saloon League work, plans and possibilities can not
be questioned, and the paper as well as the cause
it represents has our most earnest support.
Now, Cool Off.
The election for Governor is over—glory be! and
dog-days will soon end, so it won’t be so hot in
this Grand Old State from now forward. There
never w r as such a mess made in the G. 0. S. over
an election before, anyway. There may be those
who revel in the abuse, mud-slinging and vitupera
tion which have filled a good two-thirds of the space
in the papers for some time, but surely they are
in the minority. In the campaign just closed two
of the leading dailies have each had a candidate
for Governor, and the seeker for the news had to
The Golden Age for August 23, 1906.
wade through page after page of charges, denials
and abuse to get at a very little bit of what he
sought. The term “newspaper,” therefore, is be
come a misnomer. The Saturday Evening Post, in
a recent editorial on the subject, “What’s the
News?” says in part:
“The alleged function of a newspaper is to print
the news. What is the news? Why, whatever is
in the papers, of course. It is made news by the
simple fact that the papers print it. Every edi
tor will tell you, with pride, that his paper daily
throws away as much matter as it publishes. Our
wonder why it doesn’t try throwing away what
it prints and printing what it throws away is pro
voked by no spirit of levity, but by an earnest
consideration of the possibility of improving one
of our greatest institutions.”
In the realm of what purports to be news, the
editor will tell you that the test of value of a
news story is that it contain human interest. This
appears to exist mainly in reports of crime. Mur
ders, embezzlements, infidelity to marriage vows
and suicides are sent forth glaringly and made
distinct in every detail. This daily panorama of
crime robs vice of the horrible mien which of right
it should wear, and makes it from very familiarity
something almost a matter of course. Perhaps
those of us who do not like this kind of reading
matter would be utterly unable to conduct a paper
that would live long. Probably from the very
love of the gods for it, its death would occur in
infancy, but we do yearn for cleaner papers and
ones less yellow and sensational. We believe, too,
that public sentiment will bring this change to
pass. May the day be hastened.
Russell Sage—An Afterthought.
A recent editorial in this paper, commenting on
the death and the character of Russell Sage, the
great New York financier, reflected the estimate
which one naturally gathers from that type of edu
cation which generally comes from the daily press.
And we are glad to have reason for believing now,
from some “newly discovered evidence” that that
estimate should be modified.
There was nothing harsh or unkind in the spirit
of that editorial—it was simply a fair weighing of
the value of a prominent human life which the gen
eral verdict of the press of the country seemed to
justify. But during his recent visit to Northfield
the editor of this paper learned something of Mr.
Sage’s life through a lifelong friend of the family
(and this testimony has been strengthened by other
evidence) proving that he was a man of many noble
traits of character. While his absolute indepen
dence of conventionalities caused him to be criti
cized often by papers that are too ready to fear or
to fawn in the presence of patronizing millionaires,
it is said by those who knew him best that Russell
Sage was pure in his life, reverential in his spirit
and devoted to the wife of his bosom with a con
stancy that was beautiful. He confessed, we are
told, that he only knew how to make money, but
did not know how to spend it wisely, so he put the
matter of dispensing of his money into the hands
of his good wife who is declared to be a very devout
Christian woman and for years in this way he was
one of the most liberal contributors to Christian
missions and other forms of benevolence in all
America.
This statement is refreshing, and we rejoice to
give it publicity here and everywhere.
Another good thing may be placed to the credit
of Russell Sage—he did not “act the fool” (no
other word will express it) as do many men, both
of acquired and inherited wealth, in the matter of
personal extravagance and constitutional idleness.
Mr. Sage provided for himself and wife a com
fortable, though not an extravagant home on Fifth
Avenue in New York, but he did not believe in
spending several hundred dollars a year unneces
sarily for clothing. It is said that he abhorred the
fop, the fool and the spendthrift so heartily that
he just loved to set the example of simple, neat,
but inexpensive dressing. Neither did he believe
in spending his life lolling and yachting around
New York or any other port; nor yet was he found
betting on races at Saratoga, gambling at Monte
Carlo, or disporting himself in extravagant exploi
tation—automobiling far and wide before the won
dering eyes of envious Europe.
He didn’t have time for that. He didn’t believe
in that. He was found either in his office at work
or in the bosom of his family. While we believe
Mr. Sage would have made the world happier and
would have been happier himself if he had linked
himself with thought, time and money to such forms
of practical benevolence as would have linked hu
manity more consciously and gratefully to him, yet
we are glad to note the wholesome lessons already
referred to, from which men of wealth and poverty
alike may gather profit, and we rejoice especially
to honor the memory of any man, the consort of
whose long and industrious life, crowns with such
loving testimony of fidelity and devotion.
The New Agricultural Schools.
Under recent legislative enactment provision is
made that the state shall have an agricultural
school in each of the congressional districts, each
being a branch of the University, the curriculum
arranged to prepare students for the Freshman
class in the Ag-ricultural College in Athens. This
will mean eleven new schools to teach farming and
additional educational advantages will be giveen
every section. This is a move in the right direc
tion and will result in much good if the people gen
erally and the farmers in particular will take hold
of these branch agricultural schools and make them
what they should be. The greater prosperity of this
state depends upon its agricultural interests and
educated and systematic farmers make the lands
most productive. The large appropriation given to
the agricultural branch of the University, if prop
erly expended, will make it the leading institution
of its class in the South.
Phonograph Selections.
The phonograph is a good institution and may,
under proper conditions, be an unmixed blessing,
even when applied to the playing of rag-time music
and operatic selections, but like all good things
there comes a time when there is too much of it.
The stroller on a city street has all kinds of tunes
dinned into his ears until his very soul, as well as
his ears, is weary. He perforce wonders at some
of the selections ahd is puzzled to know the where
fore of their being used. Mr. Thomas A. Edison is
quoted as having given expression to the following
complaint:
“A few years ago,” he said the other day, “when
the talking machine business was still a dubions
proposition, a list of the new records was often
handed me for approval. After hearing them I
would mark ‘Good,’ ‘Fair’ or ‘Rotten’ against the
compositions so as to class them for the trade.
‘rotten’ records always made a hit with the public.
Now all I have to do is to condemn a bit of music
and the factory works overtime to supply the de
mand.”
Some Little Corrections.
Editor lhe Golden Age:—Please allow me to
say to your typos that I have a sympathetic feel
ing for the guild, but if they do not “set me up”
all right, my affections will be alienated.
To begin with, they credit my article, “Higher
Criticism” in the Golden Age of August 16th, to
Mrs. “Leslie” Crossley, an individual of whom I
nave no knowledge. In the first paragraph I wrote
“true science is exact (not exactly,) like the mind
of God,” etc.; and a little further on, the divine
lips of the Son of God, instead of divine “life.”
I, also, said that the embryo sceptic was sent away
to reflect upon his philosophies in a practical, not
“positive” manner; and for “shadowy,” please
read scholarly ambition. The reader probably knew’
that it was Miss Frances, not “Florence” Willard
who was mentioned. There were, also, two or three
minor mistakes, but I will let the printers off with
this; and with love to them, the proof-reader and
the editors. Very truly yours,
Mrs. Louise Crossley.