The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-08-01
THE DUTY
An Editor Owes to the Commun
ity in Which He Lives.

and rebuke every evil in the town or
hut when convinced that
-such duties need attending IN, write mp
the article yourself and sign your name
70 IL for publication The mau who is
too big coward to do this is the very
one who will stand on the street corner
and talk loudly about the cowardice of
the editor. Gazrtt..
Nevertheless, an editor cannot shirk
his own responsibility TO q community.
His neighbor should condemn evil AMI
do what he can to suppress it; but if lie
does not, that does not release the ed
itor from his responsibility, nor excuse
him for shirking L..
him that kuoweth TO do good,
and doeth IL DOT, 10 him IL Is a sim"
Z The Opportunity TO do good, carries
with It the obligation to do the goo.'. i.
Wnep the Savior said th 1t
We should love our neiehb.. .r
- ourselves he Was asked, "who is
my aeighbor?" and As an answer he
told the parable of the man Who went
dosn from Jerusalem 10 jericho. and
fell among thieves, who beat him aid
robbed him and LETT him 10 die. And
after . priest and Levite had passed by
on the other side, = Samaritan cared for
sbs wounded man, dressed his wounds
aad took him 70 an inn. This man who
helped one Of . nation that despised
him, the Savior taught, was ''neighbor"
70 him that needed assistance. The
plaid teaching Of this parable is that
we ought 70 be ''neighbor" TO all we
can help.
And II this is true-and reason, ex-
psrience and philosophy, rs we'll As
Scripture teach US that it Is; then the
editor Who has the opportunity 10 speak
70 thousand men, TO warn them
against every evil, wrong or injustice,
or sin, IL under obligation TO do so, a
thousand times more than the man who
can only speak To one. The watchman
upon the wall is . thousand times
moro obligated, By reason of his posi-
tion, 70 give warning of the approach
OF the enemy. A man who can prevent
. drowning IL obligated TO prevent il;
while the mao who does not have the
opportunity, or does not know OF it, is
not 20 obligated. The man who can
prevent = murder Is obligated to pre-
vent IL, and Is held TO that obligation
BY the law.
The editor has greater oppor-
tnnity Tor good. and against evil, be-
cause Of his position, and should be glad
that he has such oprsrlunity, and
should not attempt TO excuse himself ny
exclaiming, Il am not my brothers
keeper" !" nor by saying that he will not
do his duty because others shirk
theirs.
The community has . right to ask,
that newspaper, stand rs . watchman
upon the tower. as = guardian of public
fnterests, AMI as an advocate of right,
righteousness, and public safety.
We cannot accept that view of life,
that makes men live for self and selfish
interests alone; that mans duty is to
live for himself, get all the good he can
out of others, and out of the world, To
eat drink and be merry, and let Others
take care OF themselves. This Is too
much on . level with the life of q swine
that wsll0ws in the mire, eating.
grunting over it's ell OF swill. basking
In the sun, lying down TO get up and
gorge itself again with corn and swill,
and perpetuating itself, generation af-
ter generation, Only to repeat the round
low qualification that fills it= life.
There is something better than this,
and higher, far higher, in the life of
living soul, and no man should forget
ir and the obligations il carries.