Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-06-07


city papers are fast becoming Mug
wumps.
They are the property, in the main,
Of joint stock companies, and the stock
of these concerns is chiefly held by
gentlemen who are pleased to term
themselves business men," men who
are not in the newspaper business for
their health, nor with a view of de-
irving dividends directly from the
money thus invested, but because these
gentlemen have no politics save that
of the almighty dollar, and they want
to see the influential journals Of the
country, ike the political Offices. taken
out of politics. In other words they
want a kind of newspaper civil SER
vice"
They want these journals to advocate
their policies and accept their mon
archical ideas, and the cheapest and
surest plan is to own them and hire
machines to write the editorials.
An illustration of this thing was
seen in New York a few months ago.
While the newspapers all over the
country were criucising the President
of the United States for selling govern
ment bonds privately to the Pierpont
Morgan syndicate. instead of Offering
them publicly. there was one journal
in Gotham that stoutly defended the
Presidents course and when a few
months after its stock book was drag
ged into court then was the discovery
made that one-fOurth of its stock was
owned by Mr.. Pierpont Morgan him
self, another fourth by his friend and
partner. Mr. Belmont. and so on down
the whole list.
There was other newspapers in the
same city that villifed the President
and rallied at him for his course, not
because they believed they were per-
forming a high moral duty, but because
their stockholders were left out of the
deal.
The fact that these metropolitan pa
pers have, in many instances, fallen
to this low estate and that they no
/ longer have political ties that bind
them when it does not suit their own
selfish interests, has opened the eyes
Of the editor Of the county paper.
The peoples interests are his inter-
ests and he places his affection for his
party and his patrons above his admira-
ton for any one man or paper, and
when the parting of the ways is reached
| he follows his conscience, while the
editor Of the city paper fastens his eyes
on the almighty dollar and follows its
. course with the same fidelity that the
wise men of the East tramped across
the country in obedience TO the guild
ance of the Star of Bethlehem, 1897
/ years ago.
That is why the country paper
yields more influence in politics to-day
/ than formerly. and when there is one
that fails to choose wisely between
/ principle and pelf, there you find a coun-
" paper devoid entirely of political
influence. a mere nonentity-a car
/ buncle on the face of nature.
While l do not for one moment think
that the county editor should devote
a great deal Of his time to politics by
being a local boss or heller. or a candi-
date for some public Office at every
election. do think that he should have
influence in the local political affairs
/ Of his party and should, when neces-
sary or proper. exercise that influence.
/ II he has an ordinary amount of COM
mon sense and is conservative and judi
cious. he Will have political influence
10 a greater or less degree. 1t is just
as natural that the people turn to the
man who collects and dishes out the
local news TO them. for advice and sug-
gestions on political matters, as any
thing can be. if he is willing and ready
to give them sensible and healthful
suggestions. for who is that is better
informed on political matters than he?
Who is il in the community that keeps
as we'll informed on political subjects
as the editor of the county paper? 1
am assuming that he does keep in touch
with matters of national and State i'm
portance sufficient to be able to dis
cuss them in a reasonably intelligent
way. at least every one should do so.
He should not only inform himself
on these matters, but he should GER
tainly summarize them and discuss
them to a reasonable extent for the BEN
gift Of his readers a local parer with
out an editorial column is like dish
without flavor or seasoning. l do not
mean that too much space should be
devoted to political matters, but on
the other hand, local news should be
first and foremost, but the editorial
column should not be neglected.
There is one thing, however, that in
nv judgment a local paper should never
do. and that is to take sides for or
against any local candidate before the
marty nominations are made. Whatev-