The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1898-09-24
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER "a. 1898.
NOT JOURNALISM.

NOT JOURNALISM.
The campaign in the Fourth
Congressional District has given
an opportunity to certain journals
to express some decidedly peculiar
views. We are informed by the
Baton Rouge Advocate that ''it
has been maintained that space is
a newspapers stock in trade, that
its revenues must be derived solely
from this source, and hence the
sale of newspaper space to a can
didate for Office at a given price
per square is just as legitimate and
honorable as the sale of space to a
merchant or other business man. "
A newspaper may sell its adver-
Using space to the merchant, law
yer, physician or candidate. That
space may be used by the advertiser
to call public attention to his goods,
his learning, his skill, or his per-
sonal qualifications for office. This is
advertising purely and simply. The
newspaper depends principally upon
this source of revenues for support.
But is is different with the newspaper
who gives its editorial support to a
candidate for so much cash. The
editor who receives pay to write or
publish an editorial in the
interests of a candidate or party
places himself, morally speaking,
upon level with the fellow who
sells his vote. Those who contend
that an editor can honestly accept
pay for editorial support may, with
consistency, claim that a judge
should render decision for finan-
cial consideration and a legislator
vote for or against the passage of a
law for pecuniary compensation.
1t is indeed surprising that an
editor should in this enlightened
age attempt to justify such journal
istic RIGHTEOUSNESS and endeavor to
clothe it in the attractive ga:b of
honorable journalism. No amount
of specious pleading will convince
honest-minded people that there is
no difference between legitimate
journalism and a subsidized press
To argue that when an editor has
already stmade up his mind" to sup
port particular candidate it is not
wrong for him to accept pay, is to
encourage most dangerous form
of bribery. Any one who can en-
dorse such delightful casuistry can
be expected at every election to
give his support to that candidate
who has the largest campaign fund.
He will never "make up his mind"
that the fellow without the Doodle
is the proper person to be elected.
If i: is question of 'smaking up
his mind" before ttpulling the can
didate's leg," he will invariably con-
clude that the candidate entitled to
his support is the one whose low
er limbs will permit of successful
elongation. We have heard of
certain justice of the peace in the
palmy days of negro suffrage who
always decided a case against the
itigant who was able to pay costs.
This eminent jurist evidently had
no trouble to ''make up his mind"
beforehand and decide accord
ingly.
Speaking on this subject the Ba-
ton Rouge Advocate closes an able
editorial with the following timely
remarks:
ga free press is recogni zed in the
glorious constitution framed by the
immortal fathers as one of the
mighty bulwarks Of civil liberty and
popular government. Can the
widest sophist reasonably contend
that a purchasable and purchased
press is free press? Sould this
bulwark, recognized in the consti-
tuition as necessary to a free people,
- - he