The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-04-12
THE ASTORIA HERALD.

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Last Tuesdays Historian contained a
column editorial headed, "A Word OF
Warning" every paragraph OF which be-
gan. Let the Clatsop county delegates
beware" Those six words were all that
was original about It, III balance was
cribbed bodily from Bradstreets Of the
ureceding week. and the cunning editor,
with a swift stroke Of genius. localized
the opinions OF the New York paper by
telling 'the Clatsop county delegates to
beware" OF the evils which II deplored.
And this Is journalism" The e a
ideal Of an editor. according to the notion
Of the gentleman from Missouri. is the
man who can best steal the brains OF
somebody else, and who is shrewd
enough to be able to cover up the theft.
1t is a laudable ambition
As every reader of the paper knows,
II has always been the policy OF the AS
torian to ignore the Misrepresentation
and slanderous attacks Of the vile and
Irresponsible class OF newspaper sheets,
Of which the Astoria Herald is a chief
and leading representative. but the rea-
sons for such a course. have, perhaps,
not been obvious 20 all. and the Historian
claims the Indulgence OF its readers for
a limited space in briefly stating some OF
them
In the first place. the Historian be-
hevcs that it is a notice in its columns
that the fellows who run these newspa-
pers mostly crave. and that the keenest
satisfaction they could possibly derive
from the malignant and improbable lies
they invent and print from time to time.
would be the apparent perturbation and
concern involved in the Astorian's refuta-
r. that IL the Historian noticed anything
printed in these papers it YOU tend to
dignity or exalt them. in the minds OF
superficial and outside readers, to the
plane OF equality and competition they
eovet with the Historian, and which they
are totally untitled by education, culture,
training. decency, good manner or
standing in the community to occupy or
aspire.
These papers have their lield IN AS
toria; they are evidently wa lted. and re-
eefye a patronage from some element in
the community or they would not exist,
and they doubtless will. for q time Al
least, continue to snIOy sufficient sup
port to keep thera alive.
The Historian has no quarrel with them
abdut this. 0 does it propose or care
10 critcise the taste or quality OF the
people who tolerate. read or enjoy the
kind Of matter with which they ere filed.
IL was long ago realized by this paper
that Il could DO no good in this direction,
Il it would. and It has dismissed the whole
matter and purged its conscience by
simply uniting with the PsaImist in his
pious but hopeless ejaculation, Can
The Ethiopian change mis- color or the
Leopard his spots?"
As already stated, these papers rave
their place. and so has the As~torian.
II has no desire or intention Of disturb
ING or ~trespassing in any way their par
ticular and peculiar territory-nor neither
can they that Of the Historian. Both
classes occupy their respective fields by
the law Of natural selection and the
right Of merit, and the decencies and
refnements of ordinary civilized society
forbid either from intruding upon the
other.
Before dismissing the subject there is, |
however, one ohense which the Her
aid has lately repeated so often and with
such unblushing affrontery that it be-
comes the Astorian's duty to deal with
it more specifically. The onense is that
contained in the paragraph at the head
Of this article charging the Astorian with
habitually filling it's editorial column with
matter taken from other papers. This
charge would not ordinarily be d serious
one, because II has become a custom and
legitimate usage among leading .lewspa-
pers. in times of public agitation, or ar
dent political discussion, to seek TO i'm
press their readers with the ideas and
lessons Of their own convictions by freely
using the materials and suggestions pro-
hANto III lhS hIllHl5S OF recognized
authorities. If it was simply a matter
Of ignorance or random guess with the
Herald, the Historian would not complain
ef this anxiety to have its articles ac-
credited to other sources, for the Asto-
rian seeks no praise for doing what it
conceives to be its conscientious duty,
Is a quasi public institution, respecting
the questions of the hour, and If its ut
ran are deemed Of such unusual
force and dignity as TO merit such a mode
OF advertisement, even In the Herald, so
much the better for the truth Of its
teaching; but there is reason to believe
the author Of the paragraph in question
knows better. and that he deliberately
adopts a course Of pervertlng the truth
because he thinks lie can thus give an
added sting to his coarse abuse md low
utilization of the Astorlan.
He not only says the article referred to
in his paragraph was stolen, but he
names the last number of Bradstreets as
the source from which it was taken.
And now that he may rave no chance
to resort to his usual tricks Of equlvoca-
ton, and to the end that he may stand