The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1900-03-16

ance principles OF the average new D
paper man.
Il will add that the columns Of The
Recorder are always open to the fuf-
therance of any good cause, but the
saloon man and liquor dealer is barred
from it's home print columns at any
price"
Why Papers Are Silent.
NJ. +. Rindlaub, president OF the
State Press association, is another
much esteemed editor, a partisan, but
a fearless man. He says:
Zone Of the most potent means in
promoting temperance and opposing
the saloon is the public press. This
aid is. with few exceptions, withheld.
Indeed there are few editors in the
state who ever have anything to say
in favor Of temperance or prohibition,
for the reason that they think it is not
popular and that it would be detri
mental to their business. That it is
detrimental to their business | know
from personal experience. The Wit
ness has been outspoken in favor OF
prohibition for nearly twenty years,
and during all that time not a saloon
keeper or brewer has taken the paper
for any length of time-Only long
enough to learn that it was not in SYM
pathy with his business, and then he
would stop it. That paper is ham
pered in it's utterances on the saloon
by political considerations | have no
doubt, because editors have learned
long ago how vindictive the saloon
keepers and brewers are. | have fire.
quently been offered patronage by sa-
lOOnkeeperS but have always persist
emily refused it, No whisky 'ad has
ever soiled the columns of the Wit
ness. At the request of the W. Z. L.
e. people I have published temper
ance column quite regularly every
week for the past eighteen years. L
think that an editor should use the
same discrimination in handling the
temperance question that he would
any other important question. People
are not converted by brow-beating. L
think the attitude Of the press on the
temperance question has greatly i'm
proved. Perhaps in 10 way has this
been shown more than at our annual
outings. These used to be little more
than annual carousals," at which
many of the boys would disgrace not
only themselves but the entire asso-
citation by their persistent drinking.
Now nothing, or at least, very little
of that is seen on such occasions"
The above testimony is about as i'm
portant as could be adduced, consider
ing the source of information and in
fuence from which it comes.
A Mistake to Talk Too Much.
I. D. Hurlbut of Prairie du Chen
lives in a region where the glorious
bird of freedom has not yet had his
wings clipped, if by that is meant the
opportunity to get glass Of beerwhen
a man wants one. Mr. Hurlbut is a
gentleman of refinement and charac-
ter His conservative discussion is
most helpful. He writes:
''Candidly, I believe the temperance
cause derives more real benefit from
the dignified attitude of the press than
from the mass of published literature
on the subject There is a good deal
in saving the right thing at the right
time rather than saying the same
things all the time, and by the way,
this applies to other politics as we'll.
can editor is not justified in making
himself Extensively notorious in antag-
oniZing race sentiment and personal
differences of opinion. 1t is a cheap
kind of notoriety and doesn't add to
the editors usefulness to his con-
stituency. His family is entitled to
some consideration. | don't happen to
know anyone who is endeavoring to
correct their standard of morals"
Temperance People Not So Good Custom
P. II. Swift of Rice Lake is vlgOr-
Gus Republican with reform tenden-
r1n has hnJH
fee and knows politics. Extracts from
his able discussion only are possible:
Newspaper help is withheld to a
large extent" he says, ''for the rea-
son that the temperance people do not
accord to the press the same measure
of support as the liquor interests and
it's friends. Business men do not like
to advertise in a paper that is hostile
to the interests Of the salOOns-aS L
know from experience.
political considerations do hamper
a paper from being Outspoken and hos
tile to the saloons for they WELD po-
tential influence, being organized,
while the temperance people disSipate
their strength in party organizations.
instead Of acting politically as a unite
for or against those friendly or I'M
"Whatever initiates against a paper
effects the business Office and as pa
pers are run as business enterprises,
most men dislike to advocate any poll
cy that VIII bankrupt them. Temperance
people have never asked for space in
my paper-which would be given
them, provided the matter furnished
for publication was temperate in tone.
THE press today, in my judgment, is
not as strong and independent in tone
and spirit as quarter Of a century
ago. Most of our metropolitan papers
are owned by capitalists with politi-
cal longings, and their papers are 81
lent on all moral questions, for fear of
offending the men who round up the
votes at the caucuses, conventions, and
at the polls"
ORLANDO BURNETT.
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.
You can't take a trick with the