Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-05-31

though unconsciously acknowledged by tbe
very people who affect TO despise it, always
s nrso soliclting its influence when any Office or
emteIprise recurring favor of the public is
wanted: Why then should it be suppIiant
IN any direction ? For the simple reason that
u does not avail itself of the power plainly at
~. ,is command: Its editorial columns possess
the possibility OF controlling public senti-
meht, While its advertising columns open the
avenue to pecuniary independence,
onc OF the first duties OF the local press is
| BOUNCE THE SEEKERS.
ana us next movement should he to give all
tne Hons and "Cols." u long and peaceful
rest; Let us hope that there are some men
YET living worthy to be honOred with that
dlgnifed but almost obsolete title OF "Mr.,
Lei US return to that old-fashioned habit Il
te,hing hag me ,ne truth. Of giving people credit only
| Uni. everlasting puffery anu Snobbery,
u all the heroes of military distinction, all
.nr rare anu radiant bellies of '.hcatiful and
aeroinPli>hed type. all the liable aud elo-
parrots who crowd the columns of many
country newspapers could be gathered into
| one company they would form an assemblage
SO distinguished as to cause Cromwell to turn
1
pale in this comparison.
| Now, all this sort vi thing, nine times ont
OF ten resulting from the Kindness of The
psa gente e, EDITORS heart simply ruin, lhe news
paper III public esteem. and causes II to pro-
woke smile of ridicule even from those who
| are kindly libeled in the puffs. The editor is
excused on account of the amiaLle snirit of
ms E iies. Out at the same time in the estimate
OF the community he sinks into a well mean
| ing, but harmless nobody.
but iet MIN in the next issue after he has
been sollin9 his conscience in one of those nd
9ra,ory Tory mot mots Of an individual publish
Ka.HnH ..a".l.: ana deserved truth about the same
person, and he will hear from it before sun
uown. no class Of people in the world say as
many Kind things and show as many evidep-
ees OF goodness Of heart, and yet il is the few
hat take hold of mankind in general. have
long ago concluded that those persons who
appreciate puffs are u few choice spirits la
N0reu by both nature and grace, while those
VINO grow furious ut deser, ell truths are u
region that no man can number.
Now what contend for Is that the country
paper be lifted to
HIGHER PLANE
-editorially and financially; that il take tbe
position for which its possibilities and its op-
portunities qualify 1t. II there is one element
q more than another which gives paper power
IL Is 1eariessness-courage both of conviction
anu assertion. 1t should not be bitter or
CYNICAL, but 1t should speak its mind, lis
position Is that ofa leader of opinion and peo-
PIE loon 10 It ior guidance-to assert the right
AMI a>sai! the wrong, and to expose shams
and frauds wherever it finds them When a
paper 'hlbts and maintains such a spirit its
success is assured, and it reaches q plane
which makes It an honor and glory to journ-
to divest itself OF the follies and burdens
which have encompassed it and place itself
upon u position Of aggressive, but .conserya-
tive independence. 'f
LIBERTY AND LICENSE.
Mr.. George William Curtis has well said
that the paramount duty OF the public press
Is honesty and purity. Truth and conscience
are the legitimate arbiters of journalism. A
newspaper just as much as an individual
should have character. To discriminate
between the liberty Of the press and the
license of the press has been properly declar-
ed to be primal duty of the journalist The
liberty Of the press c0nceives its duty to he to
defend public honor, to protect individual
freedom, to encourage virtue aud expose evil.
The license OF the press Is simply an abuse
Of these privileges. To slander character, to
give currency to sensati0nalism, to ruthiessly
invade social life and wreck its cherished
idols, to boost selfish schemes. to do anything
and everything to make the paper sell-this
Is journalistic license. 1 not only do not be-
lieve that such journalism ought to receive
encouragement, but do not believe eSpec-
tally In the country paper that 1t is destined
to success. believe that purity and honor
to any profession. see no reason why ex-
pOnents Of thought and influence should more
succeed under the weight Of indecency and
thus freighted. l think the press should res
olutely abhor and eschew that spirit OF Ish-
maelitishness and reckless disregard of prin-
ciple becoming 70 rife in certain departments
Of our profession.
1t is true that large city papers of low NOR
III tone have obtained prosperity from the
large mass Of vicious and sensation-lOving
readers who infest the land, and also by vir-
tue OF their great enterprise and financial
strergth. But in the rural districts there Is
y Purer public sentiment, one that recoils
from reckle.sness and vice, and the country
journal sustatns too near u relation to
social life and is too dependent upon moral
readers at defiance, L,.
And believe to-day there Is tenderer
consciousness, greater loyalty to principle
among sn, country newspapers than among jour
Its close Identification with the people, pos
sesses sympathy with their wants and sen.
timents, and q fidelity to their interests not
feltiby those more remote from and independ.
gate 1t Is welding u more wholesome, il not
IN MI respects more powerful influence for
good than any other department Of Journal
Ism. 1t directs public sentiment in hundreds
OF matters OF detail and local interest, which
are not reached by the large city papers, and
1t possesses the confidence Of the people to an
extent which to the latter is unknown.
tt CONCLUSION.
Thus, gentlemen, fragmentarily and imper-
fectly, have endeavored to outline those
policies which. in my judgment, if applied to
the country newspaper, will develop
and elevate 1t In its various rela-
tiOns to business. to news and to
opinion. have contended that It
he put upon u business plane commen.
surate with its capabilities, that in the dis
semination Of news Its sinews be developed
and that in its relation to the great issues of
the time It assert itself with that intelligence,
conservatism, fearlessne>s and purity, which
are the weapons Of its strength.
To the public press are committed the des-
tinies Of civilization. 1t is to-day doing the
thinking of mankind. 1t is not only the
moulder of opinion; it Is the palladium of
virtue and the hope Of reform. Into its hands
has been placed the'whip OF small cords with
which corruption, demagogism and usurpa-
tton must be driven from the temple of our
librrtes, and upon the e ercise of its power
must depend the future Of the republic
Standing close to the great beating popular
heart OF q land where education and freedom
have joined 10 make journalism the marvel
OF the age, trust that we appreciate the
great issues committed to our hands, and that
we may be fmpelled by an honest resolution
to use the instrumentalities ut our command
for the highest good Of the generation in