Birmingham state herald., 1897-02-05
EDITOR H. M. WILSON.

NIT. Ii. M. wilson, IOfnef eultOf-1n- chief of the State Herald. has bought out the Opelika Evening and Weekly News and assumed control of that paper Wednesday,.
 In his announcement, among other things, Editor Wilson says:
 have for more than ten years been
 engaged in the work of editing newspa-
 pers in this state, and the major portion
 of that time has been spent on the News
 and here in Opelka.
 l shall endeavor to publish a news paper that will be of interest to every reader of it's columns and of benefit to every good citizen in Alabama. It is my aim and earnest intention to publish
 newspaper that will be an important factor in the upbuilding of Opelika and all East Alabama, and every laudable enterprise within that territory I hope to make of it such a paper that when' once 1t finds It's way to fireside it will
 ever thereafter remain a. constant Visitor
 To accomplish this 1 fully realize that
 1 must publish a high-toned journal one
 in the columns of which shall not appear
 anything that cannot be read aloud in
 the family circle with perfect propriety: a paper that will contain such matter in
 it's columns as will interest and at the
 same time instruct the reader. '' The News shall be- first of all, a news paper. It's columns will contain in each lSSue, tHe very tdteSI news ODtalnaDle. All local occurrences likely to be of in-
 terest to the reading public will be found
 in these columns, written up in readable
 style.
 In politics the News will be demo- cratic. l accept and indorse as democ-
 racy the declarations contained in the re-
 cent democratic platform prepared and
 promulgated at Chicago. I ann honestly
 of the opinion that the principles therein enunciated, if enacted into laws, would be for the best interest of the greater | number of the people of the United States of America, and for the best interest of practically every citizen within the state of Alabama Believing that way, shall when discussing politics and political questions, discuss them from the stand point as set out above. I. of course, do not know that I am correct in my con- clusions. freely concede that there are those who do not agree with me. I cheer fully concede to them the right to differ from me. I am aware that large num- berS of wiser, abler and more experienced people than myself honestly believe that many of the blanks in the last national platform of the democratic party set forth unwise and un:ound doctrines nevertheless I am sure that a large ma jority of the democratic people of the United States. hold to the same views that I entertain, and have great faith in the proposition that the majority is more likely to be right than the minority. One thing, however about which I pre- -sume there will be no difference of opin-
 ion between myself and IL the readers of
 the News fs, that the regularly organized
 and duly constituted democratic na- tional convention adopted the Chicago
 platform and that that instrument en-
 bodies the principles for which the demo-
 cratic party now stands, and being a
 democratic journal the New9 shall stead
 fastly stand by them until the party
 abandons them, a thing that do not at
 all expect or look for.
 In all things the News shall be honest.
 just and fair. I shall in no event engage
 in what is known as personal journalism.
 At all times and on all questions the
 News will take a position. I shall not
 attempt under any circumstances to mis-
 lead. Neither abuse, vituperaticn nor
 persona lism will be found in these col
 umns. If by fair and legitimate argu-
 ments can bring the public mind to see
 and understand public questions as see
 ard urderstand them. I shall delight al
 ways in doing so. because I think that
 the duty of a public journal.
 The News will attempt to be leader
 and moulder of public opinion. but
 camn follower, never