The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-08-07
PRESS AssocIA-
TON.

TON.
Fer the information OF our esteemed
frieua Romine, of the Pulaski Citizen,
whe il seems Is one of the reorganl-
zers of the Tennessee Press Associa-
tiou, the Herald Will state that 1T has
no objection TO any plan watch mas
for it's object the wedding out OF the
Association lot Of members VINO
nave no right to membership In It
The Herald knows as we'll as tne
Gt,zen that fer the last half dozen
or more years the personnel OF the
Tennessee Press Association on Its
annual trips has been composed on
representatives of every profession and
ayocation from a preacher to u saloon
keeper and ward politician. And
the Herald has deplored the eonse-
auential lowering of the dignaey OF
the press because of it just AS mucn as
anyoue. 1t is now extremely DESTROYS
to see the Association adopt sacn
measures that will prevent e"ntinua
taon of this practice. But is It neces-
sary to throw out bona tide newspaper
mea of the State in order to do this
Is 1t necessary for the Association 70
cut out the old ex-presidents. men
who wore the editorial harness in this
state for thirty ana forty years. and
grew gray in the businessf ls IL
necessary to cut out number OF
wortay Newspaper men and say they
shall not hold membership in the
Association. because they are running
monthly papers9 There are number
of valuable monthlies In the state. IL
1t necessary to 40 great wrong In
order to effect little right. Not at all.
The fact is, the constitution or by
laws of the Tennessee Press Assocla-
tion are entirely adequate as they are
to prevent anybody except genuine
newspaper men from connecting them
selves with the Association or going on
one OF the trips. The bylaws ex-
pIicitly stare that no one except the
editor or business manager or some one
actively connected with the paper is
eligible to attend one Of the annual
meetings The trouble is that the
officers OF the Association have not
been enforcing the law. Ut late years
any editor can write to the Secretary
of the Association and get transpOrta-
ton and arrangements for any person
whom he desires to give the trip. and
the Secretary without any investlga'
tion issues the transportation. That
is not right. the Secretary ought TO
satisfy himself that the applicant IS
genuine newspaper man and entitled
to the courtesies OF the Assoclation'
And the Association ought to have a
Secretary VINO will do this.
But If at the coming meeting IN
Nashville it is thought that some new
legislation is needed on the subject.
the Herald will favor it, provided SOME
relief IS provided for the old ex-presi-
dents. The Herald Is emphatically
opposed to throwing them out, after
they break down and are forced to
retire after a life time spent at the
editors desk. 1t is not right; 1t is I'M
Just, and it is our belief that the
newspaper men of the State will set
down on this proposition vely hard.
But the main thing which has
prompted the Herald to make few
remarks on this question is a new
practice, instituted by Mr.. Rutledge
Smith, we suppose, by which the
newspaper men OF the State must
make personal application to Mr..
Robert Gates, the l.. & N. Railroad 8
hired representative, in order to get to
make trip with the Association
And Mr.. Gates, the Herald is IN
formed upon the best Ut authority
upon one occasion at least took 1t unto
himself to deny to an active newspaper
man of the State the right to trans
bortation and accommodations. Now
we submit that the L. & N. railroad
should not have right to say who shall
and who shall not have right TO
make trip with the Association.
The newspaper men OF the state
should not be forced into the attitude
of having to make direct request for
a favor from man who Is the paid
representative of the railroad. Such
a condition Is offensive to at least
few newspaper men in Tennessee who
refuse to wear the collar of the l.. q
N. Railroad. In the good old days OF
Judge p. I. Wright, OF Memphis, the
Secretary Of the Association arranged
ali the details of transportation and
other accommodations. A newspaper
man did not then have to ask favors
which were repuisive to HIM. or stay
nc home. Judge Wright was the kind
OF Secretary the Association needs
now. This is the main point which
has caused the Herald to speak Its
mind on this subject 1t Is far more
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