The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-14
NO EDIroRs IN rEDEKAL OFFICE.


has determined to appoint no editors to
office, on the ground that he does not de-
sire to be charged with having subsidized
the press. It il further reported that this
decision 10 to be made particularly appli-
cable to newspaper men who desire to b
postmasters. So far a. tho editors OF
newspapers of large and widespread ma
tional influence arc concerned. the surpris-
ing thing 10 that any OF them should
desire Federal Office, for the moment tho
real controlling hand Of an influential
newspaper becomes Federal oficehoider.
large or small, his influence with the inde-
pendent voting class greatly suffers. In
our judgment the national influence
of the New York Tribune and the
Philadelphia Press was impaired in
strength and range the moment that
Whitelaw Reid became minister to France
and Charles Il. Smith was appointed min.
lister to Russia. Every Republican at once
said in the event Of Mr.. Harrison's seeking
. denomination the New York Tribune
and Philadelphia Press will support him,
and their appointment by Mr.. Harrison
was shrewd stroke. . casting of an an
Choir to the windward. The same view
was taken of the appointment of John =.
New as consul general at London. If any
editor can escape loss of influence by &C.
cepting Federal appointments. the chiefs
of great journals like the New York Trib-
ame and Philadelphia Press ought to be
able to do SO, removed as they are from
all need of government aid.
OF course the pecuniary compensation
Of first-class foreign mission barely pays
the necessary cost OF living to the envoy,
and no editor who has not large private
income can afford to accept high foreign
diplomatic appointment. Nevertheless the
moment even . great editor becomes q
Federal ofRceholder his paper suffers a
loss of influence; for the people fairly
reason that his paper henceforth cannot
decently be other than thick and thin
administration organ. since its editor has
become part of the Federal administration.
No independent criticism of the admin.
istration can be expected of newspaper
after its editor has become Federal office
holder: none is expected and none is fur
nished. The result is that in case an adj
ministration by its conduct justifies criti-
clsm within the party, that criticism need
not be expected from great journal whose
administration. Under these circum-
stances of course the most powerful jour.
nal must suffer certain loss of influence.
For this reason it always has seemed to be
very bad policy for the controlling voice of
an influential newspaper to ever consent
to DO . Federal officeholder. The rough
Judgment of the people at once is that
the editorial voice will henceforth speak
in hnuffied tones: that the. editorial artil.
lery will be composed henceforth of
quaker guns, and the public Is generally
right. An editor can accept an elective
Office, like that Of United States senator
or representative. but he cannot be Fed.
eral officeholder under the administration
without an immediate loss of his highest
and best influence az an editor, for there
Is henceforth gag on his lips; he treats
the administration with rose water and
cologne when he would otherwise wash it
down with blue vitriol, even as q farmer
does flock of sheep whose fieeces are full
of ticks. 1t is a subject. therefore, for sim
cere regret when the controlling voice of
really influential newspaper accepts q
presidential appointment. high or low. for
the country has lost an independent, in.
teiligent political critic and gained what
is easily found-a respectable and compe-
tent Federal official.
II We pass from the consideration of
really great newspapers to that of the
swarm OF petty, provincial editors, who
arrogantly claim the village postoffice As
. legitimate contribution to the support of
party paper that can with difficulty exc
out an independent existence, the appoint.
ment of editors to Office becomes a serious
evil. A country editor that needs the most.
mastership to keep the breath of life in
his paper. or to pay him for his services"
in the past is the god of a machine that
ought to be suffered to wear itself without
repair: to keep on running until of its own
motion it speedily "goes TO the
devil" Nothing so completely de.
grades and devitalizes the local press
in both the great parties as the gift
Of the postmastership to the editor of the
party newspaper. From that time for.
ward the provincial editor becomes the
cheapest. mos: abiect and most unscru.
pulous partisan IN the party. All manly
criticism OF his party, Its men and meas
ures is at end; for breezy independence of
thought and wise admonition We get