The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-06-03

Thurmond, editor of tie Troy, No,
Herald:
A POTENTIAL FACTOR.
The relation Of the editor to the
candidate seems necessarily to involve
the relation of the eiItur to the state,
the government, ti.e body little, that
organized puw-r which through legs.
Iation and judicial and executive func-
tons projects life, liberty, prop-rsy
and promotes the peace. good order,
prosperity and happiness of the whole
peep'e. As tn the principles, methods,
ways and means by which men are
nominated and elected to flee, tae
editor is, or ough. to be. po:entisl
factor. In his pasition he weekly and
daily speaks to hundreds and thous-
an3s as an advocate, counselor and
censor, charged with very high
responsibility becau-e of the large
number of minds and te2rts he IL
fuencjs for goo! or,vil. No more
than the teacher or the preacher IN
the pulpit should he be partial as to
persons and regardless o. ac:usl merits
aud fitness of those who are IT, max,
interpret and ex, cute the laws for the
veal or woe Of the cit;z;ns. He uu
have the
COURAGE OF HIS CONyIC TIONS
as to public duty if he shall acquit
himself as a true man and faithful
citizen in his Influential position. He
cannot be petty factI0nist or selfish
intriguer for his own rer-oDal adVInt-
age, nor even his own partys advant-
age. The safety of the pc 'ple sh 1uii
be his supreme Law, from which there
can be no appeal nor deviation. 1t
should plainly appear to al who read
his paper that his support is given
solely upon his conscientious convic-
tions of right AMI duty, despite his
mere selfish Interests
Then is he tower of strength 10
his party and his country. Then will
his Influence be IN the direction o. Ell
eva:ed craftsmanship and wise: iu~t
and efficient government. From his
position and place of udy and obser
walton he has the knowledge anil the
power largely to make or m r the
fortunes of the people, to build up
and strengthen free insti utions, or to
weaken, undermine and destroy them.
The veDality and
LACK OF MORAL COURAGE
of the editors Of the land are in a
large measure responsible for the
widespread and permeAting corruption
of the body-poIitic ami thu decline of
that popular intelligence and virtue
that are essential conditions for per-
manent sslf-governmeut according to
the idea of that grand apostle OF lib
erty, Thomas Jefferson.
The editors conscience should be
the property of no man or set of men,
no faction or party. That is t. say,
rather than support a corruptlonist,
or man nominated by ia Sc and
fraudulent methods Inconsistent with,
and subversive Of free government, he
would sink the last dollar of his prop
erty or sell out at any sacrifice to save
bis manhood and preserve bis sense OF
citizenship duty aud responsibility.
Does some one say this is too severe a
test? Then I ask how much too Sc
we're is it? By what rule will YOU liz
the limitations I? 1t is simply the
touch-stone of Truth and Honor and
Liberty. If too severe for the editor.
then il is to severe for the judge Oh
the bench, too severe for the voter, to-
severe for the preacher, ard if to
severe for all these and duty may
be relinquished by one and all to 'ht
varying and uncertain sense of expe