Connecticut western news., 1890-10-01

candidates possess; how much they are willing to be bled, or allow their friends to bleed, in their behalf to obtain noto- riety which, paradoxical as it may seem, nevertheless is cheap notoriety, although mighty expensive to the victims and their friends. In recent voting con- test, among 25 involuntary candidates, I was pleased to observe the good sense upf the residents of seven towns in 8 neighboring county. Only one vote was cast in each of the seven towns, although in the remaining IS towns the votes cast numbered all the way from IT to over 4OOO votes. I maintain that an editor has no moral right to place the public in an embarrassing position by means of voting contests; no right to compel young ladies, deputy sheriffs, military officers, or other persons to purchase newspaper votes or else be considered penurious or unpopular by a certain ele- ment. But just here let us inquire who inaugurated voting contests. as they are termed. I am not prepared to state positively who inaugurated them, but I think the clergy or the churches in stead of editors established the prece- dent, ia order to raise money. Be that as it may, the evil is Q troublesome one and editors should not foster it. By first tolerating such scheme the public sowed to the wind and they are now reaping the whirlwind.
 It was Samuel Bowles who said "a newspaper Is not conducted for the sup pression of news" With due respect for such an opinion, still think there are many items of news that should be suppressed. think the public are en- titled to fair treatment from the editor No good business man proclaims all his plans or reveals business secrets, and if "by hook or crook" the editor hears something concerning such plans it is his duty to suppress it. could name 8 certain newspaper in Illinois that makes practice of obtaining news in the fol- lowing manner: When it's impertinent inquiries about business intentions are evasively answered it forthwith pub fishes purely imaginary statements about such business intentions q, In most cases this has the effect of calling forth de- nial from the interested parties and in some cases the interested parties are thus compelled to reveal the whole or part of their plans in order to counteract the effect of the false accusations. That kind of newspaper enterprise should be drowned upon. The sanctity of the home and family should be respected. Do- mestic affairs should not be paraded in the newspapers to satisfy morbid curi- osity. Gossip and scandal should be excluded from the press. Indecent and impure advertisements of patent medi- cines, quack doctors and "fakes" should be banished from newspaper columns. There are plenty of clean, wholesome. legitimate and interesting news items and advertisements that can be gathered and published without pandering to the dspraved appetite of a certain portion of the public.
 Railroad charters and franchises are granted by the public, through their representatives in the legislature. Rail roads are chartered for the public con- venience, as common carriers; chartered to serve instead of rule the public, yet many railway corporations act as though the public had no rights worthy of res- pect. It is often said that the state of Connecticut is owned by one railway corporation, or that they always own the legislature. Be that true or not, the point that wish to make is this-even if one or more railway corporations do own the legislators of Connecticut they should not own the editors of Connecti- cut The relations of the public to the editor demand that the editor champion the public's cause whenever railway cor porations ignore or trample upon the public's rights. He should fearlessly, fully and truthfully present the peoples case, but he should do no injustice to the railway corporation or attempt to create prejudice against them. Be- cause an editor criticises the train ser. vice, the freight and passenger tariffs, or the policy and acts of railway cor poration, it does not follow that he is unfriendly to that corporation; neither does it follow that he is owned by the railway corporation if he gives them de
 served credit for their enterprise, or for
 their efforts to serve the public.
 Apparently very few editors rightly and fully understand the relations of the public to the editor in regard to politics. It is generally conceded that editors are
 moulders of public opinion. Such be-
 ing the case, they are in great measure
 responsible for the opinions of thei, readers. Far too many editors of politi cal newspapers seem to think that sgood politics" consists in ridiculing the plat
 form of the opposite party and in tra, ducing it's candidates; even the truth does not serve their purpose, but the grossest islanders and falsehoods must
 be invented and published. Is it any
 wonder that so many think that politics are corrupt? Isit any wonder that good
 men are 10th to become candidates fo1 | office when they we'll know that false hood, calumny and ridicule will be
 hurled against them? The public want
 light on political questions; want to know