National Republican., 1882-10-02
Public ODiniOn,

Public Opinion.
Public opinion, we are told, is law.
This means that rulers chosen by the
people must conform their action to
the prevailing sentiment, or be displaced
at the next election. This makes it i'm
portant to understand what forces tend
to cause any particular sentiment to pre-
vail. A genuine and wholesome public
opinion would be that which the average
sense of the people would form upon any
question after fair understanding of the
facts. To the popular will thus arrived
at and expressed the greatest should bow
submissively, because disobedience to
such "a mandate is treason to society.
If "all governments derive their
just powers from the consent of
the governed" it follows that the
governed are sovereign, and that
their DEGREES, issued within the limits
they themselves have set, are not subject
to any less authority than a subsequent
majority. If the people have truth and
facts on which to base their opinions,
and if their passions and emotions are
not so violently wrought upon as to cloud
their reason, we may hope for the rule of
common sense and fair play-which are
but synonyms for wisdom and justice.
But if the people are deceived by error
and falsehood, and if vile disturbers use
these to create unhealthy public excite
ment, then reason is dethroned, and the
worst enemies of mankind are the mas
ters. We have been told that Error is
never dangerous when Truth is left free
tocombat it," but Error outscreams Truth,
and Falsehood travels a league while
Fact is putting on its boots.
The news of the day is the history of
the time. The correspondent and re
porter are constantly furnishing the
statements on which the people must
decide what it is best should be done.
Except as to the things which occur
under our immediate observation, we are
all dependent upon these news-gatherers
for aUhQt We think We knOw. If they
shcrId be careless, inaccurate, or un-
Just they might cause great havoc,
and the ship of state might
be lost for want of true
knowledge of its course or of the sur
rounding dangers, The newspapers in
which this large and potential class make
their communications to the public are
owned by private individuals and are
printed by them for the purpose of max
ing money. Any man has the legal right to
print newspaper and to advocate what
ever views he pleases. This freedom of
the press enables Truth to combat Error
if it can find capital willing to invest it.
self for that purpose.
The newspaper field is now pretty well
occupied in the great centers of popula-
ton by about score of great journals.
These are marvels of enterprise, and by
such combinations as control the market
in other commodities they have sub
stantial control Of the supplies for news.
That is to say, seven New York dailies
form an association by which agents are
employed in collecting news at every
point of consequence, and selling it
through subordinate associations to such
papers as are in favor with them. Of
course the publishing of new papers at
the chief centers might as well be pro-
hibited by law as for one to be compelled
to competition with this perfectly law
full monopoly. No single man or firm can
afford to create system of newsgather-
ing for one paper, the cost of which would
equal that which is now divided between
SO many.
Thus the freedom of the press is mar
rowed down to ths right to publish a nelUS-
paper lvHhom the nGWSi If one can sell
paper devoted solely to discussion he
may lawfully do so. We do not argue
against the legality of this state Of things
1t is not matter oyerwhich there should
be any governmental control. Competi-
ton is the only corrective. Wo only say
that seven newspapers-leagued together
as news vendors, with organized agencies
in every State and Territory, which re-
quire so long time to establish that they
who now have them enjoy a substantial
monopoly Of the market-are enabled to
absolutely prohibit the publication of
newspapers by any but their customers,
and 10 prescribe the conditions under
which they will sell to them the
indispensable news of the day.
liz BISdI NSlSSinph eyStOLI haS aI OHo
time in league with this news monopoly,
and Disseminated in its favor in the use
of the wires in consideration of the
agreement that no paper TO which it
furnished news should Nntagonize the
telegraph company either ,by patroniz-
ing a rival or advocating a postal tele-
graph. in one year Of that arrangement
the Western Union Telegraph Company
received from the general public
$5,73S,827 for transmitting 200,ll0,250
words, while it received only $S3O,027
for delivering to the press 369,S63,S90
words. II did I75 per cent. more work
for the newspaper publishers than for
tho rest Of ho p0blic, and received
abs.t Ss YsE cana lees money for it.