Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-05-13

tons to be handled without prejudice
and without gloves. This, we think,
is our line of duty. III We vary from
our duty the public will be right in
holding US to strict accountability.
Should the Press Lead Or Follow Public
Opinion.
BY J. Il. PAYNE, INDEPENDENCE SENTINEL
By the press is meant that great
aggregation of newspapers that are
daily, s~eml-weekly and weekly in
structing, deceiving OF aggravating
man and woman kind, and moulding
human thought wherever civilization
is blessing the race of man.
The spectacle of any great public
movement with the press bringing up
the rear, would convey the impress
sion of a very fast community, or a
very slow and sleepy press. True,
some editors r very cautious and
extremely conservative. They may
not know just what route the public
is going to travel, and want to know
before getting down off the fence,
and thus get left. Such editors
amount to but little, and what few
of such are left will soon be COMPEL
ed to give way to lei who have con-
victions and the courage thereof,
whether sanctioned by public sent,-
ment or not. Aside from any con-
sideration of self the press should
be positive, free, outspoken. God
Almighty hates a coward, aud any
community whose good opinion is
worth a nickel is sure to hold in con-
tempt the editor who never heads q
procession until being carried to the
grave yard.
One of the functions of the press
is to give the news, and the opinions
of men. A mistake is made when
these and advertisements are hermit
ted to occupy all the space. The
people look to the press for opinions,
ideas, and education in public affairs ;
and it should disappoint this
expectation. 1t should come fully
up to the highest standard of leader
and educator.
A mere society looking glass may
have its patrons; these see them
selves reflected therein, and their
vanity being flattered, they give warm
approval. Then comes the trouble.
Favor thus won must be kept by
other batteries, and the editor soon
finds his stock of taffy growing low
while the sweets distributed with
lavish hand soon begin to pail upon
the better class, which is always the
thinking class of people.
The newspaper man, though, who
is content to relate only what Mrs
Grundy says /; to invade the ~sanctity
of the bridal Gambler, and tell The
color of the multifarius and in com
prehensible underpinnings of the
BRIDES t%rousseau ; to describe will
disgusting detail the costumes of tn.
male and female bellies of the ball
or to repeat what Mr.. So-and-St
thinks, without ever expressing al
opinion of his own, has one advan
tage: He never has to carry a club
keep a dog, or employ a fighting
editor.
Wher men build, if the object O
the building be stability, something
to endure, something to Withstand
the e~rosions of tempest ald stern
and defy the destroying finger o
time, they first secure a deep. broa'
foundation laid of stone that will no
waste or crumhie. Upon this tn
superstructure is built of material
that possess within themselves tn
EQUALITY of the everlasting.
If the press be merely the ~reflecto
of its surroundings, If that fickl
thing called public sentiment be it
guide, how can It's influence last
One thing to-day, another to-mol
row. change following change Xix
; the protean and varying colors OF th
kaleidoscope. The influence of sue
, a press could not last becaus
: a thing to last must possess the 81
preme quality of stability. To TO
low public sentiment the press mus
! be a thing that is rambling here an
! there, now turning back in its cours'
now flying off at a tangent, now rul
ming in circles-fckle and uncertai
I in all Its movements. The press
lead must head the procession
thought. 1t must march to the go
of its ambition, and like Napoieol
e moving upon Moscow, permit n
obstacle to turn it from it's cours
It's aim should he intellectual a,
vancement. It should emancipa
sectional. partisan ami personal pr
4 JUDGE, While labering to advan'
). local and general interests and Il
good Of mankind by the advocacy
e those principles upon which a
# founded human rights and hum'
C liberty, il will find a prospero,
S living vouchsafed it by a strong ar
appreciative public.
Isl The human mind is a field that
/ always in fallow. The thougbt-se'
= sown by the press rarely fail of pr
ducipg an abundant harvest. III q
d seed be pure, the harvest Is a beau
full crop of wholesome mental foo
Is If the seed be impure, the plant is
o Intellectual tare. The world b
2. been benefited ever since the da
lie of Faust and Guttenburg by the co
%tinual sewing by the press. Our os
co ntry. with a press unfe.tered by
sr censor, free from the fear Of su
r, pre- sion by some petty tyrant, u
ID trammeled by that un-Americ'
d sentiment that declares q "Divil
q Right" in heredity, expresses q q
T. rious example of the value Of q
:, press as a civiIizer Of man, as a d
re fuser Of intelligence. The on
y signal failure it ever made as a civ
" iznr was when it wasted it's sweetne
k in the Apache Indian, and the Anne
" can edition Of iha south OF IrelaI
le Boycotter.
With one m Ignifcent hound o
ct country has ou.siripped ell the old
q countries Of the world, and has. wit
d in the brief interim of a centur
{. planted it's standards in the foremo