The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1889-08-23
SOHE or THE PRACTICAL FEATURES
or COUNTRY JOURNALISM.

'''ANN iIE Hit NA'ldtb5 lIHii
n an address ON "SOme Practica
: Features of Country Journalism
= delivered by Mr.. +. W. Stenphen,
before the Missouri Press Assocla.
/, ton, of which he is President, and
also editor Of The Columbia Mo. J
, Herald. MIR. Stephens has been
publishing a weekly newspaper Tor
nineteen years, successfully, and
he knows from experience that of
which he speaks. They are so full
OF trulsms and hits the nail so
squarely on The head that we can
not refrain from reproducing them
in the DEMOCRAT-STAR, III order
that candidates or hose contem.
plate becoming candidates for pc.
litical preGerment may read and
ponder the facts therein contained:
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE.
No more important and delicate
duty rests upon the newspaper
than a clear definition OF It's rela.
tons to the candidate for office. 1t
involves questions of public obi
cations and individual interest, i'm.
perfectly understood and demand
ing The finest discrimination. From
the individual standpoint The man
who wants votes stands in the
same relation TO The newspaper as
The man who wants business The
candidate who seeks Office has no
greater claim upon the columns of
IA newspaper than the merchant
who seeks customers. The idea of
The local politicians, seized with a
passion for place, that The local ed.
ltor is under a pat riolic obligation
TO puff him into fame and fortune,
prevalent though it may be, is
equally as absurd as would be The
notion of an insurance agent that
the editor was called upon to use {
his type, ink and paper without I
compensation to advertise his bust
ness for the benefit he would be c
society. YET a failure to I'M. 4
derstand this fact subjects lhe coun.
editor TO endless annoyance and /
a frequent perversion OF his posi- +
Thus the country newspa. n
per press has passed largely into a
machine for grinding out states. d
men. They go into it small pOliti- il
'lallS and come out great men. k
Nothing is more nauSeating to the
public. 1t brings the newspaper Sc
nto contempt and invokes upon il b.
nmlty and criticism. 1t converts n
'hat should be an exponent Of
eminent into a personal organ.
[ rarely gets in return ever the e!
latitude Of the beneficiary, who vt
likes 1t rather as a deserved tri. W.
ute to bis merit than a voluntary W.
nj SeIf.sacrificing act of eeneIosi- m
:. The way to remedy this evil of
to charge the candidate regular tn
ivertlSlng rates for whatever is pa
IbllShed about him, being always pr
lrelul to put such notices in such
rm that they will be understood
be advertisements and not edi- =
rial pufrs.
The editorial columns of news.
should be unpurchased and III
lpurchaSable. They are abso.
tely distinct from the business
parlmenlS and should be sacred.
preserved. An editnr IN I.ct TIN
a moral right when he uses AS TT
) editorial position either as a Mix
hicle of personal friendship or St
r'onal spite. If there is any Arr Art
ace ON earth TO which the people Vi
Ould look for an honest, wise, kSti
Irless and truthful guidance N
ing the lines of public duty. un- slet
.ored by personal prejudice ana ridi
tainted by dishOnOr, il is 10 the Mo.
Iturlal columns of a newspaper. n
ey should be hallowed ground. pot,
i The seal Of condemnation and prir
I'm should be determedly set up- nor #
those pirates and buccaneers of etc
: profession who barter them for
u. Il;
in his judgment, the pub u '
good demands il, The editor NAV, =
II The utmost prOprIelv, advo-
e a particular man for position.
he must co 1t as a duty TO the +
immunity and not TO the indlvid.
; and the conclusion that he 4
st become the mouth-piece of
suppliant for place is a per. =
sion of journalism and a dis
dit to the profession. a correct
'reclation of this fact gives a MIN
VSpaper a dignity and influence, llu
only powerful in lis moral III
e, but which in the end will efec
der 1T vastly richer in dollars Tn
cents than any act of Temporal low
which, tempting though Iern
lay be, covers il as with a cloak fesso
rrevOca6le dishonor and shame. ton,
.LEvATTNG LOCAL JOURNALISM. Belle
believe that il is possible 10 es- t tIiu q,
.ish The country Journal npon ingto
! a rational and independent Profe
S as will relieve its overburden- ~
workers of The trials which now ESQ,
lmpass them, and place them of Ma
positions commensurate with from
of their Office and the Unite
nj ot their merit. To a failure gu = a.
the means at his com. F9y
ID, TO apply TO his business those ChauC
S ct action which will achieve Tuil