Homer guardian. (Homer, La.) 1888-1890, 1889-03-29
Following Public Sentiment.

SiS~e liiouS vi hNi'"h oSi"So S'~o
make up the busting world and
carry on the business oflife, there
is none so contemplate, abonina-
bic. and despicable in the eyes of
every citizen, as lie who sits with
folded hands watching the drift
and trend Of public thought,
awaiting to express himsclf and
to act till he has caught the drift
Of public sentiment. Yet it is too
often the case that men who hatter
themselves to be thinkers and lea
dears of the public, whose bust
ness it is to study the vital ques-
tons Of economy and government,
never have i thought nor an idea
Of their own till the public has
spoken and told them what to do.
This is q practical utilitsrian age,
when push, vim, energy and the
like are the watchwords. The
man Of ideas and individuality is
the one that ls in demand. The
fawning sycophant who poses idly
by the wayside, and applauds ey-
crybody and endorses every thing,
has run his course and is no Ion
ger needed. We know men who
realistically boast of their leader
ship, who never lose an oppor,u-
nifty OF Boosting when any victory
or achievement has been made in
public matters and yet these men
had nothing whatever to do with
creating or shaping the thou hts
aud sentiments which brought
about the change. Especially is
this line of policy to be deprecated
when adhered to by newspapers.
Newspapers are presumed to as
sist the public in drawing correct
conclusions, and to aid in building
and perpctuatlng q correct and
honest government. While the
newspaper is expected to reflect
the views and sentiments Of the
people, it is not supposed that the
editor will wait to get the views
of the people before he writes, for
then We need no papers. What
he mean is that the newspaper
man must have a head of his own,
ard not be pulled about by every
little wave ofpublic sentiment, but
boldly, fearlcssly and conseien.
ticusly express himself without
any regard to who it may please
Or displease.
1t is quite often the case that
some Of our so called leading jour
nalists, have nothing to say or are
neutral on very important questions
until they find the popular sidc
and discern the driftings Of pub
lie sentiment such journals are no
help to the people, and 'twould be
better had they never been found.
ed.
But there is another class of
public servants, who too heed the
clarion voice Of the people, and
follow in the wake of public SEN
timent. When the ancient artist
painted the goddess of justice
blind, he conceived the beautiful
though of the rich and poor, Of all
classes, getting even handed jus
tice in the courts, as the goddess
being blind could not tell wheth-
er it was the scale of friend or foe
which prepondersted.
Justice when equal scales she holds
is blind,
Nor cruelty, nor mercy, change her
mind,
Who painted justice blind did not de-
clare
What magistrates should be, but what |
they arc"
Unfortunately nowadays magis.
trates have eyes and are swayed
IN many cases by sinister motives,
controlled by public sentiment. 1t
Is often the case that the doom Of
some poor unfortunate is fixed by
The expressions or influence ofthe
Judge, who is watching with an
Eagles eye, the driftlnss of public
thought and sentiment. Jealous
If the public he has no ideas of
his own, and has become the Pill
mt and unconscious tool of 9th.
,rs.
A just man, upright in all his