The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1888-05-31
AoOoL PROPOSITION.

Resolved lst. That the members
Of the Mississippi Press Associa-
ton, acting upon the principle of
self protection, hereby pledge
themselves, each TO the other, that
hereafter they viii not support for
denomination any officer who
sends bis orders for book binding,
ruling or fob printing to concerns
located beyond the limits Of the
State.
Il has come to pass, that we
cannot discuss any public question,
or eriticise any position assumed
BY the editor Of the C.-L., without
being charged with harboring "an
anxiety at all times to assail the
State Printer" nevertheless our
anxiety TO protect tho public
against extortion, and TO preserve
the independence and honor Of
journalism in Mississippi is greater
than any unworthy motive our
pompous contemporary could as
sign for our conduct, and we very
mildly request his permission to
enter our protest. Without ex-
pressing an opinion as regards the
real motives, which prompted the
mover of the resolution to ask that
the press Of the State allow itself
to be used as a cats paw, to pull
the S. p's. chestnuts out of the fire,
we want to say, that if the same
character Of work could be obtain
ed in this State at anything like
the same price, there would be no
cause Of complaint, and hence no
necessity for this bull-dozing reso-
luton, which in effect advertises
the press of this State as a venal
set Of hirelings ready to boost any
cause or any individual that will
extend liberal patronage, ami to
oppose any public official, no mat
ter how efficient he may be in the
discharge Of his duties, provided
he should be guilty Of sending out
of the State for blank books and
stationery. In other words, if he
refuses to allow the people, whom
be was elected to serve, to be black
mailed by the home paper, he is to
be tabooed and an inferior man put
in his place. It is claimed, that all
such work can be done as we'll and
cheaply in this State as elsewhere.
But we know in many instances it
Is not done and we maintain that it
is not only the right OF a public
official to purchase were he can
get the best goods for the least
money, but it is his duty as well,
and he would be reereant to the
trust reposed in him, if he permit
ted the taxpayers to be extOrted
upon by the local press, no matter
whether the money went into the
hands of an inpecunious penny-a-
liner, or the selfish boss of a sub
sidized organ. We are sure some
clever publishers have endorsed
the resolution without mature de-
liberation, but we hope we may be
pardoned for saying, that a news
paper unable to live without the
patronage public officials can give
is not worth sustaining, and one
that would increase its revenue, BY
offering itself to the highest bid
der, as this resolution virtually
does, can never be anything but
toadying boot-lick, and IS un-
worthy Of success, financial or
otherwise.
We don't know what the Press
Association proposes to do about
it, but we deny its right to control
our actions in matters of this kind,
ard we decline to acquiesce in, or
be governed by any such a merce-
nary resolution. five can't COM
mand a sufficient patronage to
maintain our paper, without an
nouncing our uncOmpromising hos
tility to those, who choose to pat
ronize somebody else, and our
advocacy of other aspirants less
fitted, perhaps, for the position
they seek, i they lrH only buy our
influence, we will abandon the busi-