The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-01-28

A Plea for Justice.

ANIME tbe MANY recommendation ~ the
fsossyllor ia his annual rnssss2se j. oae Ia pro
hihi the publication e tbs iaws IN the rsess-
papers The ansHas % saeh Feciiufnen'la
iiaa must have IL source ia the effort % niske
fashionable a sEtrit q hostility r. the grcs> a.
absurd as Il $ suicidal. The PFoaenrss Of
certain wuaid.lse regoyrners 10 pat newsiapcT
publisher. outside of ihe pale u honoHahlc
labor. aud Ia withhold from thcm proper COM
prusatiou iuE their work, can neither b. lussi-
hsd 10 f-siiry or logic ~ sell might the car
peuser ~ charged ~iih tbs receips al a Subsidy
ior work b. has duHe. and h. accused " chr.
raps motive ia every recognition 81 favor ~
the hands II his EMPLOYER. thas the ncws
psper should De- denounced tsr r~cclsIug .
faig compensation for work done. Nor = u
more wise ~ poli,ic - ~ frame leEisistiua a.
20 reslgcs the mechanic wurk 10 ihe msni
mum. shan II j. "a legIslats Slth pEImarS pEg-
pose 10 cripple the Prsss- II woFS : needed
Nhscit Is is proper for the press 10 do. is should
be done and lair compensation hC allowed.
Nor should the question If H. DOING, or omis-
sion 20 o. dove, d. affected Ia the slightest
hy the faet thA, 10 do L increases the business
of the paper WGuid any legislator or Gov
eruur b. foaml with hasilhpo5 enough a. say
that an important ysahlie soFk shoHld not IL
done. lpecanse the dong Gift would add "a the
besiness aud resultant prpiif u the architect ur
artisan whose privilege and duty Il woald b
10 do IL On the contrary. does not public
policy rather encourage the DOING - that
which. all thiRgs else being equal, viii aid
private enterprise and develops legitimate
business What possible objection. then, can
therr h. 10 the publication ~ the laws IA that
their publication would add TO the business
aud Increase the revenues Of the newspapers,
that does not apply 10 every WDFk Of pghlic
iuspaFtancer The work shouid be done In
the interests Of the many. say u0uid-be re-
formers. ..but then It viii especially benefit a
ies. il viii encourage some particular trade
or profession whose business i may be- % do
it.-;herei0re don't" such l. the tolly Il
position ike this that It's simple statement eN'
poses il, vel there arr men whose dcnagogue
instincts unc0nsciousiy 81 suhvert their iadg'
ments that they fail 10 see il. Is not the
new spauer. even hi. county newspaper, pub.
lie beneii, aud a pablie necessity, even though
II bee n private p0ssessi0a2 Are not banks
and stores and factories and mechanics shops.
though conceded pHliie benefits and Reeessl-
ties, private possessions, aud their business
private business? Il needs little effort 10 show
that. important as each and all are 20 a COM
munitv. and the iosterers % is enterprise and
progress, no one of them j. more directly the
architect of \ community future than the
newspaper. Indeed, the visitor 70 any COM
munity. county or state. looks 70 the condition
Of its newspapers as a surer index Of it, pros
perity than are its banks, its stores, Is iacto-
ries or its workshops 4 prosperous news
paper indexes unerringly prosperous people
and rire rerSa. And more, prosperous
newspaper directs, encourages and lnsures
prosperity in community. How bind, then,
the folly that would seek TO cripple the local
paper in the pretended interest OF the people:
The business man who finds il important 10
his business to have loan of capital, does not
reject it because it would encourage banking;
All he inquiries l., first, does he need II; ana
second, is the hank demand OF compensation
reasonable. Having need Of merchandise he
does not refuse to get it because the purchase
will afford profit to the merchant. His need
of implements is not rejected because OF APP
prehenSion that the factory business will be
promoted: nor does he hesitate 10 employ
mechanic for fear that the mechanic will pros
per through his agency. Yet, when 1t comes
to the newspaper, how fashionable II Is to take
a different view. The newspaper is private
property TO be Disseminated against, but pub
lie property to be enjoyed-and ptncked. No
man ever dreams what line art "bumming
is till he becomes familiar with a newspaper
( Office. Grntuitous puffs, dead head subscrip-
tons and unpaid advertising bills are the least
of the newspaper mans tribulations His
neighbors fitch from him, his friends sponge
on him and his foes browbeat him; and, to
crown all, the public officers, lrhom he has
made find il ambitions summit to manifest
+ ingratitude.
/ So much for the newspapers side of the
/ case. For the public who are interested in
knowing the laws whose infringement ignor-
anee does not excuse, there is another side.
1t surely is their right TO demand that legisla-
tors shall not repeat the role Of the tyrant,
who posted his laws purposely out of eye reach
so that innocent offenders might come to grief.
] People who are to obey the laws that are made
have right to the best means ofbeinginform-
ed of their purport, nor should they be put off
with the excuse that to give them necessary
information in the proper way will benefit the
newspapers.