The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-11-21
THE w. N. /. A.

The Women's National Indian Associ-
alton, which is now in session at Pitts
burg, has cut out a vast amount of work
to perform. If it accomplish but a
1.-THE Of its prospective labors the world
will rise up and call it blessed. From
its name one would suppose it's organi-
zation was effected for the purpose of
a~meliorating the condition of the red
man. But, judging from it's report upon
resolutions, the association has a greatly
enlarged field of operations which is
broadened SO as to take in about all the
reforms except tariff reform which
are being agitated in this age of agita-
ton. But we fail to see in the dispatches
one word in regard to the Indian in this
or any other country.
The association blocks out large work
in the line of temperance. That is all
right. 1t goes after cigar-makers and
tobacconists in a manner which indi-
Gates that some, if not all the members,
have opened cigarette packages and
looked inside of c~igar-bOxes. They read
the newspapers and scar the advertise
ments. That is also right. They favor
dress reform among the ladies. 1t may
be needed. II car not be supposed men
know anything about such things. Tit
members oppose the legalizing of the
Louisiana lottery. They are on the right
tack there. None of them, however,
could successfully run a newspaper in
these latter days. They may find a large
number of subscribers who would de-
light to read all about the e%nfranchise-
ment of women: the preservation of the
Sabbath: the carrying of test liquor
cases to the United States supreme
court; the endowment of secular chairs
in the higher institutions of learning;
thc sin Of exhibiting womcn's forms and
faces in cigarette packages and cigar
boxes; the immoral medical advertise
mcnts and the flashy theatrical liter
turc, but what would the masses of the
people say of Il newspaper that failed %
publish accounts of crime. to give '5
details, and to dress up or one down the
sensational events which daily occur in
this wicked world of ours:
The good ladies of the association did
not commence their labors in this direc-
ton soon enough. Indeed they were
not born when it should have been COM
mcn,ol 20 check the evil Of which they
complain. The bible records many sen
satiunal stories that is they wouli be
regarded sensational if they occurred at
this time, and yet they were, doubtless,
al true. The mission of Il newspapt' is
to record facts as it finds them, not as it
would have them be. The world asks
for them and will not be satisfied unless
its wants be satisfied. 1t is not ncces-
sary to publish nastincss, for nastiness is
not news. but our well meaning reform
ers must know if they read the papers
that the sensation ia an event, is the
event Itself, and not in the form in which
it appears in the newspaper. Again
they should know. but probably DO not,
that newspapers, as a rule, suppress the
publication Of many events which would
be highly sensational if they were re-
corded in public prints. Indeed, news
papers could set communities at swords
points if they permitted al things which
happen to appear in their columns.
Good ladies, give editors credit for
knowing that it is not what they put in
but what they keep out Of their columns
that makes "A newspaper. The keep
outs" are largely in the majority.