Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-27

NE WSPAPERS AND THEIR CRITICS.
An exchange, in a recent issue, makes
an appeal for more respect for men in
public station, and incidentally takes the
political press sharply to task for what it
is pleased TO term the senseless and IN
true attacks made upon individuals in
official life. This may be needed adj
vice, but there is another side to the
question, to which we desire to call at
tention. To premise, then, we main
tain that the average public man re-
ceives all. and III nine cases out of ten
more, than the Difference justly his
due. The difficulty lies, not altogether
with the newspa pers who call attention
to the short comings of the servants of
the people-the men in public life-but
with the people who elect incompetent
men to Office and great responsibility.
The tendency in some quarters to stif1e
the voice of the press is altogether wrong
and mischlevous. To no other one
agency are the people as a whole under
there are to found in every community
class of individuals constantly picking
flaws in this greatest institution of mod
ern times.
Does local magnate find himself re-
ferred to in terms not as complimentary
as he imagines is his due, he forthwith
hsstens to the office of publication and
shouts, "stop my paper, all the while
deluding himself into the belief that he
is doing the publishers some great injury;
that the paper, without his support, will
droop and die. Not so. The man him
self is the greatest sufferer. The news
paper, if it be a good one, will run right
along just as well as though such a man
never existed.
What has not tbs modern newspaper
done in the direction of the up
building of the people? From
all over the world it gathers and
daily serves to its readers the
latest information concerning notable oc-
ourrences in the political, artistic, social
and literary world. Is there a momen-
tous debate in the English parliament,
the newspapers print elaborate reports of
on every battlefield are the newspaper
correspondents to be found. No matter
what hour of the day or night important
events transpire, the ubiquitous reporter
= ole akrixy e.
of his or her ability to CLEAN all the
facts for the purpose of presenting the
readers of their respective papers with
the fullest and most accurate report Of
the same.
Is there wrong to be righted to whom
do the people look for redress but to the
And yet, because unfit
men are elected or appointed to Office,
and the newspapers, in the exercise OF
their undoubted right, bring some of
them to judgment, the pessimists with
one accord raise their little voices and
squeak IN doleful chorus protest against
the brutality of the newspapers that
have done, and are doing, more real
good than all of them put together.
Why should the mantle OF charity be
thrown around the ofheial incompetents
who, because of their ability to buy their
way into office, obtain positions of trust
and emolument for which they are in no
wise fitted, and what is there about an
Office holder that makes his sayings and
doings more to be regarded than those Of
other individuals in private life? The 1
tendency of the times, however, lies in
the direction of an even larger liberty of |
the press; aud it 10 well for this country |
that it Is 80.
No man who holds Office by the gracs
OF the people is too high or mighty to be /
fairly criticised, and the cases where in |
justice is done are rare, indeed, when |