Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-08-06
MarmOnt COrresrd n d euce.

EDITOR REPUBLICAN:

WAlMoNI, lDu, July ID, 1914.
EDITOR REPUBLICAN:
Agreeable To- promise that | would be-
come a correspondent for your paper,
whenever time would permit, and occ4-
sion require, | avail myself of the present
opportunity to pen few reflections by
way of an introduction. Now that no
course of reading is better calculated to
show the present state of society than
the perusal of the various newspapers OF
the day, no one can too highly appreciate
their magic power, or too deeply depre-
cate their abuses, will confine my re-
marks to these mediums Of knowledge
and their management. The variety and
quality have increased to a mighty food.
We have the political party sheets, some
of whose editors are often goaded on by
Oemagogues, to the mos. disgraceful ven-
ality, and acrimonious calumny, assailing
persons more than measures, placing par.
ty interests above public good. The po-
llt:Cal discussions of the present day are
seldom characterized by reason, logic.
| courtesy, or common sense. This is an
evil that editors can, and should, correct.
They can give harmonious or dscord-
ant tone to society.
But few of the editorial corps seem to
feel the high responsibility resting upon
them. Their whole aim should be 10 en-
tighten and improve mankind, and their
papers should be standards of truth, pro-
moters of peace, cementers of concord,
inculcatcrS Of morality, disseminaters Of
sound logic; free from invectiyes and an
imadversions on private character, and
rigidly just, in their discussion of public
men, chaste in language, flee from scan.
dial and calumny.
Politics, as conducted by some of the
parties of the present day, have become
disgusting to the genuine patriot, who
deems the good of his country paramount
to party triumph.
The old landmarks of 1176 have been
discarded by many, and too frequently
are our laws, and even revised and new
State constitutions, are based on party
principles, if not sandy, at least very
problcmatical foundation. 1t is law of
nature that each mass of matter contains
the materials to effect its own destruc-
ton. The destructive material once put
In rnotinn tho Uorl Of dacolatiop ;c done
Let Editors lay this to heart, and if they
love our country, and its free institutions
as they should, they will Danish all ven-
ality from the press, and send forth a
stream of pure light; the rays of burning
truth, that Will purify our political and
moral atmosphere, and make our nation
healthful, vigorous and strong. Let them
feel with mighty weight that upon them,
more than upon any other class of men,
rests the high responsibility of maturing
the political and moral character of the
rising generation; of imparting sound
and healthy tone to society; of promoting
the good and prosperity Of our beloved
country; of consolidating, more firmly,
our free institutions; of preserving the
perpetuity of our nation; and of direct
ing the firal destiny of our union.
| More still. let them be men of high
moral standard; of pure integrity, the
champions Of virtue and innocence; q
terror to evil doers, and the advocates of
the just.
With such an editorial corps, shedding
benign influence on the minds Of the
increasing millions of this land OF liber-
ty, our country would continue to rise, in
majesty sublime; and as it lowered up
ward, would set the eastern continent in
blaze, by the lightning flashes of liber-