Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-01-13

BY educatlon, puDllcat10n or exposure.
Education, civilization and the press
make the country inhabitabIe, SO to
speak. We can hardly conceive of
the two former withous the latter.
Let me write the editorials of this
republic and care not who makes
the laws. If these editorials are con-
servative SO will be the public. If
they be tinged with the red of
anarchy, rapine and lawlessness will
result. The only education some of
our most worthy citizens have can be
traced directly to the newspapers.
You can find large number of people
who read only the newspapers. We
have families in Audrain county who
read only the LEDGER and the Bible.
They are patriotic, honest and sturdy
citizens. Quite number of children
learn to read from the local papers
instead of from books. Thousands of
the best men never read anything but
the newspapers and they believe
every word they read because they
see it printed in newspaper. just
think what power for education the
10000 newspapers published in this
country are. The newspapers, say,
educate the people to do right. lfthe
people do wrong the newspapers
expose them. This dread of exposure
is stronger than many believe. Many
evil doers would prefer to go to Jail
to having their crimes published
under large headline. Those people
who claim that newspapers are not
read are the first to ask to have their
names left out when caught in crime.
There are people in Pike to-day who
would whip their wives if they were
not afraid it would be published in
your county papers. The ease with
which divorces are secured is sapping
one of society's most sacred institu-
tions. We would have twice as many
if it were not for the fear of publica-
tion. Municipal corruption is one Of
the dangers which threaten the safety
of the Republic. To the honest press
can be traced most of the reforms
made along this line.
Honest statesmen, with an honest,
fearless press to back them, can and
do make this country the home of the
free. The pen is mightier than the
penitentiary. The newspaper Is a
safeguard from the scandals of libel
GUS gossip and can correct many false
impressions, which would otherwise
forever blacken personal character.
This is true in many matters of social
occurrence, but 1t is emphatically
true of all public affairs. The seal
cium light" as Senator Vest calls it.,
of newspaper publicity should be
turned absolutely on the acts of pub
lie officials because they are only pub
lie servants, and the people have a
right to know what they do, because
it is best for the officials themselves.
Statesmen are prone to sneeZe at
the press that made them. Perhaps
some statesmen from Pike do not ap-
preciate the press of Pike, but the
true statesman appreciates an honest
press. The true journalist has but
one standard by which to be guided,
and that is the truth. He recognizes
that the public is very often wrong,
and that it is his duty to lead, not fol-
low. He will sacrifice personal inter-
est and friendship, and, if necessary,
life itself, before he will compromise
with evil or be the instrument of cor
ruption or wrong. Thank God, we
have men who possess this courage
and who are an honor alike to journal
ism and civilization, and you have
them right here in grand old Pike
county. Show me an editor who is q
boodler or a blackguard, and I will
show you one who has the contempt
of an overwhelming majority of the
profession.
A pure ani fearless press is the
surest guarantee of civil reform. So
ciety has no other such protector,
the state no other such bulwark.
"Newspapers without government" )"
said Thomas Jefferson, "would be an
anomaly not half so great as gov
ernment without newspapers" II
asks no subsidy. IL denounces as
false the imputation that it would be
pensioner upon public bounty.
Robert IngersoIl, iu an address be-
fore the Chicago Press Club, said:
s'It is our press that is making us q
great, Hberal-minded and honogen-
eous people. Every day the same
news, the same facts, the same phases
of great issues are being presented to
the people of our country; and thus
the thoughts of the people are can
tered upon the same things. They
have come to have the same ideals,
the same hopes, the same aspirations.
And there is nothing that can bind
q nation so closely In the bonds of ar
honest and real patriotism as thif
common possession of like ideals
Il k<