The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-03-19
NEWSPAPERS AND POLITICAL
CRUMBS.

was offered by representative Of the
Advocate of that place to the effect
that newspapers were too often ex-
pected to feed upon the crumbs
which fall from the party table that
while hundreds of dollars may be ex-
pended in torchlight professions and
the enormous fee paid some noted
speaker, the newspaper, which is the
greatest vote-winner of the age, gener-
ally finds that its services are not
properly appreciated.
No reputable newspaper wants
"boodle," said the speaker. There
is wide distinction between a just
compensation for services rendered
and "boodle." When notices are in
serted which are printed for no other
purpose than to advertise a coming
caucus, convention or rally, then they
should be paid for without more ques-
tion than a merchant would pay for a
notice announcing a clearing out sale.
A newspaper is expected to give the
facts as it fnds them, and if it thinks
that the principles of a certain party
are the better for the country, it
should not attempt to conceal that
belief. 1t should labor necessarily
for the success of that party to which
it belongs, but it should not be asked
for other than legitimate services.
If extra papers are printed for
special occasions, they should be
paid for. Ifa certain candidate de-
sires to have a column article printed
regarding himself, he should at least
inquire what it is worth.
The following experience was relat-
ed by another newspaper man: "Dur-
ing the last campaign, engaged an
extra reporter at salary of SIS
week for two months. l printed
article after article lauding the WORTH
ness of the several candidates for the
Office they aspired to. / published
notice after notice announcing rallies,
etc; and when the campaign was over
single candidate came in and thank
ed me, and he was one that was not
elected. No other member of the
committee has spoken to me since,
and while some of the candidates
might have referred to the matter, not
one of them has done So"
The method to rectify this feeling,
which is all too evident in political
parties, is through the manifestation of
independence by the newspaper by
serving its readers in manner that
they must respect; by being uniformly
truthful and just in its treatment of
party questions and party leaders and
candidates. For the newspaper to
magnify the excellencies and cover up
the weaknesses of its own party and
to conceal the excellencies and mag
Nifty the weaknesses Of the opposite
party, is to eventually terminate in
journalistic degradation and invite the
leaders political parties to consider
their party papers as institutions
which deserve neither respect nor
legitimate support.-Mewspaperdom.
The foregoing truthfully depicts the
experience of nearly every newspaper
publisher. Many years ago we discov-
cred that the only successful way to
conduct newspaper is to let the po-
htlcians fight their own personal bat
ties, and to keep out of factional fights
and intrigues. 1t has been our policy
to decline to participate editorially in
newspaper quarrels, or to volunteer
defense of any one attacked by other
papers, when the persons most inter-
ested have not seen fit to defend
themselves. Our columns are always
open to anyone who has anything to
say over his own name, and when mis-
representations have been made, we
are always willing to publish the facts
correctly, if the interested party has
seen fit 10 furnish us with the material
to set him right before the public.
With business that occupies his en-
tire attention, apublisher ought not to
be expected to spend his time on work
ioi WHICH he gets no pay, and, IN
most instances is not even thanked
for his trouble. The columns of
newspaper are the editors stock in
trade, just as much as are the goods
on the shelves Of the merchant. They
belong to him, and out of them he
expects to make his living. Why
then should they be given away with
out compensation
Editors are frequently accused of
cowardice because they refuse to
print articles to which the writer is
afraid to sign his name; F.; and we know
that we have been called "the silent"
because we have RETAINED from parti-
cIpation in personal quarrels through
our columns, but the results in bust