Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1871-06-22


There is an old political lyaiiti"n If
the existence of a class of vot,gS who
had uo partisan opinions till the man
came around who was TO "tell them
how to vote" That class of va,rrs
still hive aud vote hnt the man died,
aud the local paper is his Successor in
Office.
The politics of the people are now
made by the papers of the ouun,rv, aud
INSTEAD OF the papers rcho,ug the pol
itieians. the politicians should learn Of
the newspapers, as Saul sat at the
feet of Gamalicl
The mass meeting is no longer the
school of the people, but the theatre
of the politicians. The masses learn
their politics al home, from their pa.
pera.
In republic, papers, cannot, and
onght not to, ignore pol ties, nor can
the local paper avoid being the repre-.
sentative OF party, but i, should
never slink its independence into part.
izanship, or yield its control to any
sel'cnnstituted censorship.
Natural history teaches us that all
= created beings have their enemies -
The eagle, in his lofty flight, is cir.
cled about by the Insignificant but
aonoying kingbras ",ha busy bee
improves each shining hour" in lay,
b ing ia its sweet stores t. divide them
, with the lazy drone or the thieving
, moth and papers, deserving of a
better fate, nre cruchcd daily be.
] tween the dead head advertiser and
: the dead beat politician.
, We may cnly hope for the period,
in that good time coming, when party
, tickets shall he taken from the head
of the editorial and placed in :te al.
vertlslng columns, with the other
"personaIs," and duly paid by the
. candidates who are thus kept betpro
, the people; and when politicians, like
grocery men, shall make themselves
. conspicuous in the ornamental type oi
. the displayed advertisement.
Our papers are edited to" much for
: the politicians. They ret too much
of their inspiration from the caucus OF
" corner grocery, where that small pro.
I portion Of readers whov fix political
states, most do eonqregate. The
e local paper should be home iustitp
'. ton, welcomed at every frcsiir with
!. IN its hailiwirk and with its columns
! collatcd more than thpy generally are
, for the eyes and hearts of the wone,
" aud children, who may br made 'e
. welcome il as kindly visitor aud
dear friend, instead Of the brawling
I demagogue that the old fashioned
country papers still are. A heavy
= editorial too often fills space that
. might be better occupied with an in.
p tcrcs,,ng local. A bit of ncighh"r.
; hood news is rni"ved bv scores more
Of readers, than is n crushing criti.
ci>m Of the latest speech in Congress.
Are not "ur papers too masculine
fnr circulation and readcr>hip, that
e is two thirds Of it composed oi wo,
r men aud childrrnp commend the
question to Our consideration.
One of the greatest Influences in
the Improvement Of the press, il its
growing impersonality. With the in
creased power of the paper comes a
freedom from the necessity Of Sclfas.
s"rtion, on the part OF It's editor. The
local is not nowadays simply the
organ tf him who edits il. H. is the
me aus through which the community
communicates with itself, and, If rest.
ing, as il onght 10, on n paying pecu,
mary basis, il can well afford to plac"
itself upon plane far above the pri
vatc likes or dislikes, joys or gref-
If its editor. The editor who makes
his paper the weekly Bulletin Of his
own egoiiSm. is a. waIcfnl of gr"a,
opportunities as the artist who should
spend talents and life in painting pnr,
traits Of himself. and he who makra II
the vehicle Of spite, drtractan OF
ahu-e, wrrsts the npbIrs, engines tu
! the most igDubic of nses. Snrh use oi
a newspaper is a. base pergersion
: of great or graceful means, as hack,
ing q tree with the priceless blade "t
DanaScus, or wipino ones boots with
"mv lady's kerchirf Of finest cam
: bric."
Upon yon, the members Of this ~
sociati"n, deyoIye pecnllar duties "i
c'iltpr~hip; not merely Local, bat, IN
= the best sense, also pioneer editors. --
With you rests. in no small degree,
the responsibility for much OF the in
ture of great common wealth M
: tnnnuin, Mt viii commemorate yo1r
! services the historian Of the future
: may ntd even recogniZ" yonr nflu
ence among the causes that forecasts
events; but nevertheless, it is abou,
) yonr editorial tables that the silent
forces which mould aud determine
the public and social character uf vast
communities are crystalizing. II"
you Fate has delivered her scroll en-
dnrsed in blank, and the Muse Of
History rrtires before the editor OF
the local newspaper.
), --Apropos Of the effects of diet
Of hnrseh' sh. excuse is being found
for the Paris National Guards who
ran away Mt Crcreil nn the plea thai,