The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-03-01
FAVORITISM.

show a lack of independence NAV be
mentioned. | have noticed frequently
that city marsnals display a pernic-
ious favoritism. If a stranger or a
man without influential friends. vio-
lates the ordinances of the city. he ia
promptly and not always justly or
Eiercifully dealt with by the police.
but prominent and influential citi-
zeL may oft-times violate the law and
outrage public decency and he goes
unpublished IL not unncticed.
Then the editors-many OF them
report with scare-heads and in great
detail the trouble of the stranger or
the man without influential friends
while, contra, the misdoing of the
prominent citizen is carefully ex-
cluded from the public print. The ed
itor will justify his favoritism in this
direction on the ground of Difference
10 the family of the misdoer and we
are not sure but that is sufficient JUS
tifcation, but will not the same argu-
ment, or ought not the same argument
to apply with equal force to either
case? Editors who are Independent
along this line are dubbed scandal
mongers" or constituencies scaven-
gers and such independence would
not, probably, increase the dividends
OF the stockholders of the paper whose
editor handled truth so carelessly.
DOES 1T PAY?
There are many other ways, in
which the editor may be independent
or lack independence l will not i'm
pose on your patience by an attempt
to exhaust this subject. but a few
words on the question docs it pay"
and / will close.
In financial sense, should say it
does not pay. Probably never will pay,
but the feeling that you have been
fair, and unbiased, independent and
honest in the expression of your views
pays pig dividends in added self-re,
spect and increased appreciation by
those whose opinions are of that
broader cast and more desirable char
acter.
If you are blacklisted by the railway
corporations console yourself with
the reflection that your business de-
mands your constant attention and
you have no time for idle travei and
this ought always to be the case.
PARTY DISBURSEMENTS.
II you disagree with your party
leaders or those who assume to be
bosses" remember that under our
fern of government, every man is
sovereign, and you have as good
right to your opinions, ana as good
right to express them as have the
bosses. II you are Independent in
politics, take comfort in the thought
that voters who do their own think
ing are gradually If not rapidly grow
ing in numbers and the number or
those for whom the party lash has no
terror is rapidly increasing.
Remember also, that your independ-
ence will hasten the day when men
will not be Republicans or Democrats
or Populists or Prohibitionists simply
because their fathers were, but De-
cause they believe in the principles
and policies advocated. If you are
hereto, remember that ''the blood of
the martyr is the seed of the church
and be brave enough to possess the
courage of your convictions.
HOW 1T PAYS.
Finally my brethren of independent
inclinations, be or good courage for 1t
pays to be independent If not in cash
the peace of mind, the increased self
respect, the satisfaction which results
from doing what you believe to be
right, affords generous remuneration
for true independence.
Remembering the remark of the en-
inent statesman, 81 would rather be
right than be president, you may
Justly be proud of the fact that If your
company be small, it Is very select.
Remuneration for services rendered
should not always be measured in
coin.
THE EDITORS AIM.
Our aim should always be high and
our motives pure and then when we
shuttle off this mortal coil, IL it can be
truly said that our independence has
helped lift the community in which
we have labored, to higher plane, If
we have promoted thinking in the
minds of the people, IL we have de-
stroyed the sting of the party lash, II
VIC have succeeded in teaching the
bosses that only clean men must De
nominated, II we have demonstrated,
that political honesty is just as essen
tial as business integrity, il we have
convinced ourselves that others may
hold opinions different from, or OPP
posed to ours, and yet be as honest in
their views as we are, IL we have con-
tributed as best we could to the in
crease Of that broad charity which
covereth a multitude OF SINS" by our
independence, we have established the
proposition and our lives will answer
in the Affirmative the question:
Does it par to be an Independent
editor"