The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-09-22
NEwsPAPERs AND poLIT,cs.

tihll' lhA.tl Nhh ifhH III "f'ftAltit iNf'iA va
iho @ intellectual forces Lattcrly it has
had the wisdom OK this world 10 see that
it muet strengthen itself on this line. and
20 las done so very effectively in all por-
lions Of the country, especially in the
larger cities. The newspaper situation
in the United States is one of the strik-
ing things in politics. Wherever there
Is Republican rule all grades of news
papers flourish the greatest freedom Of
pcech the broadcast liberation Of discus
ion, the most nallengine scrutiny in all
controversial matters being not only al-
lowed l-.t encouraged. With the Demo
cratic ITle it is eomcwhat different In
the eloven states OF The South. in eight Of
which there is am honest Republican ma
ioIit therc j. only one Republican daily
paper printed, and even the weekly pub
lications in the name of Republicanism
are few. The rule Of the South is intol-
erance as the rule of minority subdu-
ing an honest majority always is. The
Democratic party is always aggressive.
It makes everything pay tribute. It's
members do not patronize the opposition.
Republicans are broad and tolerant, and
read all sides. Nearly every Republican
besides taking his own party paper takes
"A Democratic paper, so as to read the
other side of the question The Demo
Gratis are few who take Republican pa
pers. In this way has been gained in
the cities of Boston, New York. and
other large centers of population in the
United States superiority of Demo
cratic over Republican newspaper circu-
lation. Let any close observer who
knows the people about him personally
take a census in test of this, on any street
car, elevated railroad or elsewhere. He
will find the Republican going down
town 10 business with Democratic and
Republican paper in his hands. He will
find the Democrat, If he has a paper at
all, with only "A Democratic paper in his
hands.
There is some practical suggestion in
this to Republicans. No Republican
paper and no intelligent Republican
would abridge any mans reading. The
Republican party is always willing to
stand the test of criticism and debate. 1t
is always willing for the voters to hear
all sides. But TO the intelligent voter
there ought 70 be food for reflection in
the unwillingness of Democrats TO be as
liberal and as broad This fact is grow
ing more pertinent and is of more i'm
portance to all political parties, because
of the plainly evident fact that political
campaigns in this country are now
fought out in the newspapers much more
than formerly, and this tendency is con-
stantly increasing. The day of the
torchlight parade, the day of the brass
band as an argument, the day of hurrah
and noise have all gone by. The news
paper, the magazine, the lyceum are
now the potential forces in political dis
cussion. In time of peace, reason and
argument, accompanied by the estab-
hshed victory of facts, must be the
strength and resource of all political par
ties. This makes the newspaper a
potential weapon in politics. The more
ably it is edited, the more candid it is in
the discussion of public matters, the
more accurate it is in statement, the
fairer it is in treatment of opponents
while at the same time it is fearless and
bold, the stronger it will be and the more
effective for its party.
In the intelligent State of Rhode Island
newspapers must be very potential. Its
people are entitled TO fair dealing in edi-
torial discussion. They have not always
had this good treatment in later years
from all their leading papers. This
makes it the more necessary that the
Republican press should be candid where
the Democratic or Prohibition press is
uncandid, that it should be fair and
liberal where the opposition papers are
narrow and bigoted. The bigotry of
the Mugwump exceeds that of the
Democrat. He does not believe that
other people can be honest, for he
assumes not only superior intelli
gence, but also superior morality. The
Republican papers, in the superior
strength of the Republican party, can
teach their opponents the lessons of fair
ness in warfare. The Republican party
is very strong in this nation, and it can
always afford TO be good natured as well
as strong The strength of the Republi-
can party is manifest in one thing.
Even when one million Of its voters are
disfranchised in the South, it still has
left majority of the voters in the re-
mainder Of the Republic. No other
party is strong enough for this. In a
State like Rhode Island. where the Re
publican policy is the motive power back
of every turning wheel, where every
schoolhouse and every shop are evi-
dences of the patriotism and thrift of
Republicanism, where Repubicmism