Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1886-06-02

| WuSeca Is unfortunate enOuSh w
contain, like many other places, a
few factions" The editor of the
Radical of that place was recently
asked by one of the leaders to publish
long article as an editorial giving
| the opinions of the particular faction
to which he belonged. For reasons
which n few of our readers will under
stand we subjoin the explanation
given by Bro. Graham for his refusal
to publish the article in question.
"Nowlt sounds very we'll to say
what another shall do. It reads well
enough to say what editors should do,
but the good book advises that the
beam be drawn from the eye before
pulling the mote from another's eye.
Why, let us inquire, should editors
bear the burden of the wicked world?
Why hold editors responsible and
vacillating because they do not clean
out all the dirty stables and filthy
places of their neighbors. Is an editor
anything but man working for his
daily bread, or newspaper anything
more than u machine to earn money
the same Us the wheels and cylinders
In u Touring mill? Who pays for the
type and presses of a printing office
and who settles the bills for labor and
paper ut the end of each month? Is it
our faction friends i'll particular that
they should be entitled to the free use
of it's columns? Granting they are
right in their views does that entitle
them to demand as they do free and
unlimited run of the newspaper col
umnsto air their opinions or doctrines2
The preacher is right in his attack on
sin and righteousness, but because
of that is he entitled to demand that
editors should print his sermons free?
Whisky drinking is bad as all editors
admit, but is that IL good reason why
the poorly supported country paper
should become Il temperance organ
and 10y followinga narrow channel,
lose the general strength of the full
stream and go to the wall? AS we'll
say because honesty and uprightness
is good thing, editors should tell
men when they are not honest and
upright, and go about proddlng the
dishonest men under the fifth rib.
The fact is it is no more the duty OF
country editor to attack his neighbor
and their habits than it is for the
teacher Of district school to catechise
her pupils as to their religious belief,
whether it be Presbyterian or Catholic.
The type and presses Of a printing
office are paid forAif paid for at-all-.I
by the editor. The paper is his and
he makes it for any subscriber that
pays him $500, of whatever belief,
habit or previous condition of servl-
tude, and those subscribers pay for
the paper not as temperance organ
or Presbyterian weekly, but simply
as newspaper supposed to give the
county news, of when taxes are due,
what pork Is worth, and what Toms
Dick, Harry, Jane and Mary are do
ing. have done, or intend to do. |
People do not like persuming, med
ding, fault=finding neighbor or man
or waman, and neither do they like
that sort of a newspaper, and the
editor who is continually telling
people of their faults, incurs the dis
pleasure and enmlty ofthe community
and has hard row to hoe. Isn't
that fair, and should anything more
be asked of us in reason and If not
willing to do this, thereby bearing
their own burden, should they longer
call the editor and prsss 'vacillating."
If an editor is vacillating because he
will not advocate the cause of prohi-
bition, he is vacillating because he
will not advocate the cause of the
Methodist, and if of the Methodists
just so with the Congregationalist and
Presbyterians and Catholics and
Lutherans and Quakers. With such a
platform laid down, where would
he stop, and what would his end be.
The fact Is the country newspaper is
created and sustained simply to give
the news of the county-nothing more
nor nothing less"