The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-01-03
GhHG'ttelI69


"eEAPpAB 44u DAUWIGBkeHA
Mr.. W. B. NInn. Of Preston, who wa
an Independent candidate for the Sen
ate last Fail, having bsSn the target o
no little abuse by the Morgantown Post
alter as we'll a. before the election, hal
z ct length been provoked to reply. II,
pays his respects to the Post man will
good deal Of vIgor, in the last King
, ! wood Journal. The Post had publlshel
9 Mr.. ZInn as indebted 10 1t for SIG, and
as refusing to pay. Mr.. ZInn denIel
, the existence Of any such debt. Ht
says when he was candidate for Sen.
. ale In 1906, the Post demanded SIS fol
services rendered. He refused TO &C,
. cede TO the demand, and justIfles him.
self In so doing by saying that he had
never solicited any favors ut the hands
OF the Post, and that the other Repub.
l!can papers Of the district had support
ed him along with the rest OF the ticket
without preisrrIng any claim; and he
leaves II TO be inferred that he did not
consider 1t honorable to procure news
paper favor In that way.
Under n right system Of office. seek.
inG-one where the offices seek the men
and not the men the ofhces-candIda
would be under no obligation to con-
tribute to the expense OF campaign;
but under the present system they take
tho position OF the party to be benefit
ted, and 1t is no more than fair
that they pay the price Of success. Nor
Is 1t to be doubted that their success Is
on the average more largely due 10 the
support OF friendly newspapers than 10
any other Que agency. But while
newspapers have right and ought TO
demand pay for all legitimate adver.
tlsinG and printing done for a purity
or candidate, II cannot but be demoral-
lzlng and venal TO either ask or accept
money At the hands OF u candidate as
the price OF editorial support. We sup.
pose In the case under considsra
tion, the Posts claim against Mr..
NInn was for keeping the stand.
Ing announcement OF him as q
candidate at the head OF its columns,
and perhaps for nroportlonate share
OF tn expense Of printing tickets. II
80, the character OF the charge was le-
gitimate but Of course no claim agalnBt
a man can bind him unless created with
his due knowledge and concurrence.
In the present party system II Is right
and legitimate as o matter OF business,
and ought to be the InlexIble rule,
with all newspapers (as It Ia with the
leading metropolitan papers, TO put up
no announcement OF candidate OK
CepL RS Nn advertisement, paid for
assuch. A candidate has no more right
TO come to n newspaper and ask ten
dollars worth Of gratultouS advertising
than lie has to 10 to merchant and
Hsk ten dollars worth OF gratuitous
sugar, or to u lawyer and ask ten dol.
lars worth Of Rratuitous legal advice.
1t IL the business OF ono 10 sell sugar,
of another 10 sell legal advice, and Of
the other 10 sell advertising space and
just precisely rs necessary for business
success In the one case As In the others.
II newspapers would always charge for
what they ought 10 charge for, they
would be better able 10 sustain them
selves and less subject to the tempta.
lion Of selling what ought never 10 he
pnrchaseAble-their editorial opinions.
Whom Mr.. ZInn says: II am always
proud 10 have the votes Of free people
when | am candidate for Office, II l
can have them honorably, but not In
any other wRy"-meanlng that the
payment OF the Posts demand would
be obtaining support in a way that was
not honorable-hs puts too hns q point
on II, II that demand was, as we pre-
sumo, for advertising and printing,
The Post was wrong, We think, In
making claim against Mr.. ZInn for {
work done without his knowledge or
concurrence, end he ought not to be
for refusing 10 pay It. But 1t
ought not 10 soil voluntary CandI-
late's honor any more for him to pay
my proper expense Of the canvass in )
his own behalf, than 10 allow some one {
Else To pay 1t. For example, II the Post
lad notified Mr.. Xlnn In advance Tor !
I the practice had been such that he
tnew) that It would not advertise him I
,r print tickets for him except at rcgu. =
ar rates OF compensation, be, or the {
committee 10 which he had contributed b
nnda, could have paid without any
Rcrifice OF honor. n
Bot the Posts claim being tho result S
Il q one-sIded bargain, to which Mr.. n
linn was not oonsentIng parIy-and a
! not being collectable at lRw-we can. =
Lot but think that paper committed an \
rror Of judgment and violation Of d
ropriety In publishing Mr.. ZInn Y
trough the last campaign as a dsIln. =
uent debtor. n,
a.