Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1894-05-03
OUTRAGE ON THE PRESS.
DISSEMINATION AGAINST IT IN FAVOR
OF OUTSIDE CONCERNS.
DEMOCRACY's OBLIGATION TO THE
PRESS OF MISSISSIPPI
Our PUBLIC OFFICIALS SHOULD SHOW
THEIR APPRECIATION OF IT.

sissippi should read and reproduce
the following article from the Grenada
Sentinel:
1t strikes the Sentinel that it is but
a just complaint which some of the
journals of the State are making
against our Democratic Legislatures
on account of the disfayor shown to-
wards the press in the past. Laws are
enacted which directly or Indirectly
foster and encourage Industrial, man
ufacturing and other practical enter
prises and investments. This is well.
But when it comes to the proposed ell
actment of a measure which seems to
contain a practical benefit to the press
then that very benefit is made a
reason for the defeat of the measure.
There may be no positive antagonism
to the press really existing in the
minds of most of our legislators. but
the apparent Indifference shown to its
welfare, and the failure to encourage
it in anywise, would seem to give some
color to the charge
The Democratic party OF Mississippi,
as party, and the representatives of
the party who now enjoy its honorable
positions, owe an incalculable debt OF
gratitude and appreciation to the
newspapers of Mississippi. This is
true now. 1t has been equally true of
men and party in the past. 1t is one
of these debts which, if never paid,
ought ever to be freshly borne in mind.
1t is moral debt, for which, payment
in dollars and cents, is not demanded
by the press. But is an honorable
record and entities the press to ask for
all fostering care and all gratitude
from Democratic Legislatures. Wheth-
er it has received the one or the other
can be most seriously questioned.
Through sunshine and storm,-in sea-
sons OF despondency or joys, the press
of Mississippi has sung the praises and
glories of the State and of the Demo
cratic party. The press of Mississippi
will go on loving their State and pee
pie, and their party, for it is Of lis
very life. and will continue untiringly
to sing the praises of all. But some
of the otfice-holders of the party and
some of the future office-seekers on its
list, will discover some day that for
particular individuals, the press will
have neither favor nor affection.
if man wants Office nowadays he
expects the press to shout his praises
and send them ringing throughout the
county and sometime throughout the
seventy-fve counties. Mass meetings,
with t their brilliant and eloquent
speeches, must have heavy head lines.
Nominating conventions must be pra-
ised for selecting the very best man.
The individual candidate expects to be
proclaimed untiringly as the incarna-
tion of all political virtues embraced
in the Jeffersonlan trilologue, and
from the initial to the finish of cam
paigns the press is expected to un-
ceasingly labor and hurrah for men
and measures. This would seem to indi.
cate that the press is most wonderful
and potential political force. Then, lei
politicians and Legislators not forget it
In our State very often local county
officials, and even district ones, are
strangely neglectful of their homo pa
pers, and give to foreign publishing
houses about all their printing.
We do not speak from a selfish in
terest here, for it gives the Sentine
peculiar qualification above the: pecu
mary profit to boast Of the patronage
of our county and town officials, there
fore, it is in spirit of justice ani
right for others when we say that The
homo paper should, as far as practi'
cable, have all the local patronage.
1t is better even to endure little
poorer printing and have 1t remain al
homo, than to 60 abroad with money
and work. Every community loves
to be able to boast of good local pa
per, but community which does not
support the home paper will never be
able to boast
To give striking illustration of the
strange neglect of home papers, some
times manifested by local officials, we
will say that We were present at Green
vile, Miss, at the April meeting o.
the board OF supervisors of Washing
ton county, when the board gave ou'
the county printing for one year. as
. advertised We were astonished tG