The morning times., 1895-09-24
ONE PAPER OF TIE PEOPLE
Opinion On The Times From The Knights
Of Labor Journal.
An Honorable and Fearless Attitude
In the Discussion OF Matters Per-
tanning to the Public Welfare.
From the Journal of Knights of Labor.


| the National Capital and has always shown
disposition to rally to the support of a
paper that would adequately and compre-
| hensively represent its interests. The Jour
| nal takes pleasure In calling the attention
| of its readers to the noble efforts of The
| Washington Times In defense OF the interests
/ of struggling humanity. Ever since that
paper was founded il has pursued an honor
able and fearless attitude in the discus
sion of matters pertaining to the public wei
fare, and the members OF organized labor
| everywhere are rallyins TO the support of
| the only daily paper published at the Ma
tional Capital that had the backbone to come
| out in defense OF the rights of the American
people. The national and local need of such
| a paper as The Times is clearly apparent to
| every man who gives the subIectany thought
whatever. The men in every artery of indus
| try need such a friend as The Times is prov
ing itself to be, and should lend q helping
| hand To Hon. c. G. Conn, the publisher, and
| extend that gentleman substantial encour-
| agement in continuation ofhis efforts. There
is not workmen in this city who hasnot a
| warm place in his heart for the man who
| stands at the head of the paper, and who Is
| known throughout the country for gener-
| osity to his employees.
There is today no more potent factor in
the formation of public opinion than an in
dependent press The great majority OF
| workingmen and business men of an indie
pendent turn of mind look to its columns for
guidance in the determination OF problems
| upon the solution of which may depend the
welfare OF the nation.
Whether we commit the United States to a
bimetailic or monometallic policy. ques-
| tion which is now asitating the intellect of
| our great West and Northwest, and stirring
| into activity the minds of our Southern
| brethren; whether International or intercon
| tinental commerce shall be encouraged or
| interdicted: whether taxes for the mainte.
nance OF the Government shall be levied ac-
| cording to income and ability to pay, or
| whether the toiling masses shall sustain the
whole weight of taxation-these are ques
| lions which, it must be admitted, are de-
| termined to a large extent by editorial vote.
| Such being a fact which cannot be gainsaif,
| how imperative the necessity for honesty
| and fearlessness in journalism becomes more
| apparent.
To the superficial observer these state
mcnts may seem mere platituies. He
| may be likely to assert that the keen ri
| valry which exists between the news
paper organs of the great political par
| ties in the country prevents the truth
from being suppressed for any length or
| time aud that we have as much indie
pendence of opinion among newspaper
| writers as our social and industrial CON
| dijons would require.
After deliberate reelection, nevertheless,
we venture to say that the atmosphere of
| the editorial sanctuins of SO per cent. OF
| modern newspapers is less conducive to
| mental freedom than is generally supposed.
1t must be remembered that the publ
cation of a newspaper is invariably as
much of a business venture as is the man
ufacture of steel rails or the construction
! of an ocean steamship. But there is an
| ethical aspect in connection with the pro-
| duction OF Il newspaper that makes it differ
| widely from other business enterprises,
for. while the quality OF steel rails and the
| excellence of a steamship will be indica-
| tive of the social and industrial progress OF
| the people for whose use they are intended,
| the opinions of our metropolitan dailies do
\ not reflect the mental status of their pub.
| fishers. Depending as they do for their
| dividends upon the amount of patronage
which their mercenary services succeed in
| securing from those most interested I'm the
| dissemination OF special kinds of news,
| 1t cannot be expected that the opinions of
| newspaper publishers would run counter
/ to those of their financial supporters.
1t is a notorious fact, patent 10 every
close observer, that though the poor
/ n no fhp aSnppfat
object of newspaper solicitude, and the
| Improvement of his condition the great
desideratum, yet it is passing strange
\ that the measures W hich these same news
papers advocate as the panaceas for all the
i'll fortune TO which the workingnnan is
heir, are entirely acceptable 10 employers
of the Carnegie and Pullman type, who
| upon every possible occasion, deliberately
rob those who make them rich.
The wealth builders Of the nation, the
heroes of the bench, the forge and the
factory, the patient ard ili-paid workers
| in the cotton fields of the South, and the
| tiIlers of the soil in the wheat fields OF
the West spending their lives in the serv
ice of humanity for mere subsistence
these have no voice in the conduct OF ouI
great city cwspapers-
When you read these sheets 1t is the
voice of the foreign bondhoIders, the agent
of. Wall street or the representative 81
some syndicate or powerful trust, which
commands you tn give heed to its ''infalli
BILE" advice under the penalty of being
loss in the abyss OF your own ignorance
Whence the remedy. it may be asked, fol
this serviity and subservience in Journal
ism? Let the members of labor union,
make answer by repudiating the subsi
| died organs of the moneyed classes ant
patroniZe papers like The Washington
Times. published in the interest of organ
ization and manhood. higher wages, short
err hours of labor and higher civiliZa
ton than would obtain If the Influence
of the money-clutching wretch If thu
banking-room and his wage-re'iucing pro
totype of the factory and mine were tc
prevail.
The Times, since its inception, has OF
every occasion exposed the vampires o
industry, that the ballot OF humanity ma,
stand ready to guard the life blood of oul
citizens 1t firmly believes that the wei
fare of the nation depends upon the pros
perity Of its working population; and tina
| the establishment of justice between EN-
ployer and employe is all that is requisite
| to secure that prosperity. Self evident
as it must be to every union man, that Ii thu
services of labor organizations were en-
listed in the establishment of fearless ad
yocate of the wealth producers Of tn,
United States, such a newspaper woult
| not only be a great success, but would I'M
part heaithful yigor to the entire com
munity in which it circulated. By its ai6
/ s.,I. rfaI ara.,a Otxyfh