The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-30
THEY CRY "PEACE, PEACE, WHEN THERE
IS NO PEACE"

which is SOIletllueS wanting 81" NRP~
citation of this paper, complained that,
while the news columns of the News and
Observer contained much matter show
ing nrogress, the editorial columns were
not as iubilant over the arrival of the
advance agent of prosperity as the news
columns would warrant. We have mis-
laid the Journal, and give the above
rs the gist OF its complaint.
And yesterdays Biblical Recorder,
nossihlv seconding the Journals rebuke,
contained the following editorials:
"The papers that for political pur-
noses advertise and magnify the hard
times are far from patriotic. 1T is
pity that we have come to the time
when il one administration is IN
mower. a certain class of papers rep
resenting another party will make
use OF every opportunity, will color
IT'S news. to create a distrustful COM
mercial state of mind. This is no
way 10 win political victories. 1t
should be frowned down by right
thinking people. 1t is to the interest
of every man in business that the
press take a hopeful business view
as long as possible. From reading
certain paper we already find that
there is an idea in our mind that
! things are going to the bad. 1t IS
3 not so. The evidences are that busl-
ness conditions are improving. In
the month of June and all through
the summer business is dull; but
who will have confidence in paper
that for political purposes will take
advantage of this? For our part we
look for improvement, not because
any party is in power, but because
it is our nature and our duty to
keep our face to the sunrise. pa
per should never be so partisan as
to not to tell the truth"
Whether the Recorder was making re-
ference to the News and Observer, the
Atlanta Constitution, the New York
Herald. the Columbia State, the Will
mington Star or Messenger it does not
appear. These papers have all announc-
ed their inability to see the return OF
prosperity, and made the announcement
To say that any one Of them
could be induced to ''color its news" is
to accuse the paper intended Of perverting
the truth, thing Of which not one Of
them would be guilty.
1t is the highest duty of newspaper to
tell the truth. 1T is a much higher duty
than to ''take a hopeful business view"
This paper publishes in its news columns
every item of good news, as the Newborn
Journal truly says, that it can find. No
industrial enterprise starts Of enlarges
that it is not recorded with big headlines
in these columns, and we regret that
more cannot be recorded. No month
passes without a whole page or more
devoted to the labors of industrious and
wise men to build up the waste places.
Would it be honest, would it he Just, to
our readers to do these things and then
to suppress the failures, the lOckouts,
the strikes, the suspensions, the growth
of tramps, the misery of the unemploy-
ed, and the enforced idleness of willing
hands? To exclude either would be to
"color" the news, whereas a newspaper
is a snap Of busy life" and must chron-
icle happenings whether good or i'll.
Naturally looking ON the bright side,
we were slow to criticize the late Demo-
cratic administration for not remedying
the evils of the Harrison-Cleveland pam
ic. but when that administration adopted
a policy of contraction and trust-favor-
itism that aggravated evil conditions and
justified public discomfort, we did not
hesitate to criticize the administration
though it had been chosen by the party
to which we owe allegiance. The people
demanded change, and they put Mr..
party in power upon the dis
tinct promise that good times would fol-
low. The man who forgets the glittering
promises has short memory. We were
told that confidence would be restored
as soon as it was known that Bryan was
defeated" Not only have none Of the
promises been fulfilled, but they have all
been wantonly broken.
What are the facts? Are the times bet
ter? Ask the manufacturers whose oper-
atives, willing and anxious to work, are
in enforced idleness while his ware
houses are filled with goods for which
there is no market. Ask the merchant
whose creditors press him to pay, in
some instances forcing him to make an
assignment. Ask the mechanics who, in
most places, can get employment at re-
duced wages for only a portion of the
tire. Ask the capitalist who sees the
lands upon which he holds mortgages di-
minishing in value. Ask the farmer
who cannot educate his children because
there is no market where he can sell
his crops for more than it costs to pro-
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