Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-31
Public Opinion on Iowa Subjects
as Reflected in the Iowa
Newspapers.
The News OF Iowa From Hun.
dreds Of Differeut Towns
and Communities.
PUBLISH OR NOT PUBLISH.
IIowa Falls CitiZen.1

ooA4S11 SIe .ANol
[Iowa Falls Citizen.]
In the best regulated communities
there are troubles and tribulations ga
lore that pass in review before the
newspaper publisher. There are girls
fitting with the night winds whose
soft and peaceful slumbers ought to
be rererberating from wall to wall Of
the bed room chamber or lost on the
gentle zephyrs that fit in and out the
chamber window. There are men
making love behind closed doors at
unseemly hours of the night, whose
affections belong to another. There
are women making geo goo" eyes at
another when their own are working
hard to support them There are
men and women soaring each other s
souls with sharp and torked tongues.
There are jealous demons working
deviltry. And the divorce courts
grind. There are boys sowing wild
oats that grow into rank and poison
Gus weeds. There are isolated cases
and epidemics of frightful diseases eat
ing away the lives of men and boys.
drunks. There are fights and more
threats to fight.
There are men with terrific terl-
pers, making long cared jacks of thenl-
selves. There are parents mixing the
lash with violent tempers and neigh
ibors holding up their hands in holy
horror with back yards full of lads
who need an everlasting whaling.
There are burglars robbing houses,
thieves stealing hogs boodlers Fleeing
the dear Taxpayers. swindlers cutting
the eye teeth OF the dear people, and
so on, and SO on, without end. And the
courts grind.
The newspaper notes in passing the
various cases of this conglomeratton
of crime, immortality. trouble and
sorrow. Mingled with the joys of life.
how much of this darkness is he 10
publish?
The publisher sends out to the pub
lie a simple statement OF facts. regard
ing some occurrence of some legitimate
news item. and fifteen minutes after
the paper is out, he bumps up against
some black guard. sonle bully. some
scurrilous scamp, who threatens to beat
him into a jelly. or some wise piece
of creation sides up to him and de-
smands by what authority, etc. 1t may
be remarked that such attacks are
evidence quite conclusive that the truth
has been printed. Truth hurts much
more than falsehood.
Again the publisher asks, what shall
I publish? News is anything utof the
ordinary. All these troubles are news.
1t is my business to, publish the news.
Where is the line to be drawn?
The material point of every news
Item or article is, Is II the truth? II
SO, 1t is legitimate and no man may
claim 1t as his right that the matter
may be suppressed that the public may
be deceived.
But there are two other points which
every other thoughtful publisher is
bound to consider in the publication
of news. One is the effect of such
publication on the individual and the
other upon the public. Each individ-
ual case must depend largely on the
ally considered that whenever such
items of news reach publicity thru tile
initiation of action in the courts they
are at once newspaper property.
As to the effect of publication on the
Individual, 1t may be laid down that
the brazens are entitled to little con-
sideration. but the youthful or innocent,
or helpless, or repentaiat, are entitled.
IL not to entire silence, then that con-
sideration, which will make the pain
as light as possible.
AS to the effect of publication on
the public, it may be said that where
silence works deception, the public is
entitled for various reasons to first
consideration. Where publication brings
forth vicious themes and scandal for
the public to dwell upon, silence is
better. Where silence protects the
vicious public condemnation and gives
cover and license to further crimes,
publication Is better.
To publish or not to publish must
depend largely on the individual case.
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