The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1893-04-06
BENTON, La, APRIL 6, 1898.
Editors and Their Rights.

WIZ
desire to do so. While we believe
no editor in Office can exert the in
fuence he can exert if out of office,
it is his right and privilege to hold
an official position if he prefers to
do so. Thousands of distinguished
have beer editors. Even
the great John Milton was once an
editor and held Office. It is all
poppycock to talk about editors not
having the rights and privileges Of
other voters. In fact they are the
King Makers, and many a fth-rate
demagogue would never have cracked
his shell if the editors had not
attended to the incubation. Editors
ought to be men of information, of
ability, Of strict integrity, sincere
patriots and truth -tellers and severely
conscientious. They are really the
sentinels who stand guard through
all the years, from January to Janua-
ry, upon the walls of the very citadel
of freedom, guarding the gates from
assault and watching the very foun-
dations of the great superstructure.
So if any men are entitled to Office it
is not the idlers, or the men who
speak around every few years for a
few weeks, but the men who through
the years San eternal vigil keep"
standing faithfully by fundamentals
and upholding the right.
The conduct of men in Office
who owe their success generally to
the editors-in pushing aside the
men who kept them in the line OF
success and prevented them often
from committing political hara -kiri
is richly deserving of censure.-
They show base ingratitude, and
editors who are self-respecting and
honorable should wash their hands
clean of such ingrates.
There are many false views as tc
the functions and purposes of news
papers. The idea Of the politician
is to puff him and make him promi
nent. The common idea is tha
they must serve the public ''free
gratis and for nothitg" Some pa
per has, 1--WE cannot give name no
knowing it) put the case thus as t.
the newspaper man, and it fs truth
full and life=like.
cit is his business to boom th
city for all it is worth, and then Sc
800 of printing go out of the cit
because ten cents can be saved b
doing so. It is the business Of tn
newspaper to give every enterpris
frequent 'send-off,' and then cate
sheol because he had failed to recor
the fact that some prominent citize
had his delivery wagon painted. T
subscribe literally to every publ
: charitable and church entertainment
advertise them for nothing, pay h;
own way to everything and then /
called prejudiced and mean spirite
, because a column is not devoted t
that particular affair"
Now do not think in what "
. have written about editors, the
!. services and their neglect, that it
} a case of disappointment and mort
fcation. There are no ''sour grapes
), in our case, having never been Off
:. struck, and have never been impres
} ed with either the supposed homo
:, or pleasures or power of official lii
!; It's lusts have never eaten into O
! soul We have no more respect f
7. Gen. Powerful Blowhard or @
y Blifl Blackleg in Office than we wou
/, have for plain, worthy, excellent n
,, Blowhard or Mr.. Blackleg in priva
Y life at home, sincerely believing th
''the post of honor is the private s.
tion." But editors have rights il
the same and politicians should
made to understand this.
1