Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-08-19
Newspaper Ethics.

BY its refusal TO accept 'he "e'''
cratic state committees advertising
matter--at n reasonable rate-the
darlington Free Press has inadvert-
entlv given more and better free ad-
vertising TO the democratic party
than could have been hoped for IN
the space proposed. The Free Press
disclaims the proposal of its represent
tatiye TO publish advertising FOR St2o'
but II appears that the representative
was one who was qualified to. make
contracts for advertising In the an
sence of the manager and 1t is we'll
established rule that the newspaper
is responsible for the business tran
sacted by its employees. We do not
propose TO discuss the consistency oil
the Free Press, but as a matter oil
newspaper ethics, we believe that It's
attitude, assuming it to be sincere
and consistent, Is wrong in principle
No newspaper can be expected TO
guarantee the accuracy or truth OF
statements in its advertising col
umns. 1t does not attempt to. Any
current publication may be examined
and local advertisers will be discov-
cred making claims which cannot be
true. as: No other firm offers such in
ducements; our prices are the lowest
and our goods the best; no two firms
can both have the lowest prices ana
the best goods, therefore one or both
must be exaggerating. 1t is not the
function of the editor or the publisher
to tell his readers anything about the
merits of his advertisers, as 1t is as
sumed that his readers are intelligent
and can Judge for themselves.
This is just as true of political ad-
vertising, and is admitted to be so by
the leading daily papers in all sec
lions of the country. The only thing
that is Objectionable is the publica-
ton of such advertising in a manner
to indicate that it is the free and
untrammelled opinion of the paper
1t is safe to assume that the average
reader is intelligent and honest and
ing, believe or doubt what he reads.
In regard to political advertising,
the editor of any paper accepting or
refusing it, is quite at liberty to ex-
press contrary views in his editorial
columns. This is not true of other
advertising. The editor who pre-
sumes to declare editorially that he
has tried Lydia Paine's Mineral Kid
ney Cure and that he knows it to be
worthless and injurious, is laying his
paper liable not only to the loss of the
advertising of the remedy but to
suit for libel.
We advise the republican papers of
Vermont to take all the democratic
advertising they can get. We advise
the democratic papers of Ner-
mont to take all the republican adver-
Using they can get In doing this they
are only giving the other side fair
hearing as is right and beneficial in
a government that depends upon in
telligent discussion, even if mossback
committees suppose that papers ex-
list only as free horses to be ridden to
death.
Practically every paper in the state
has taken this attitude and we have
no doubt that the Free Press would
have taken it if the original price of
S12O had been accepted. Those who
are familiar with the Free Press will
certainly believe in spite Of all that
may be said to the contrary that the
disagreement was purely one of terms
and not of principle. The editor of
the st. Johnsbury Republican is look
ing for political preferment, and no
doubt is justified in refusing to allow
any of his space to be used by the
democrats. Other refusals were made
by editors who were holding republic
can positions and certain ones said
frankly that this was the reason.
We have not yet got to the point
where we are willing that the Burling-
ton Free Press should be the moral
dictator of the press of Vermont. The
Reformer was the first paper in the
state to accept this contract and the
advertising will be found this week on
another page. We submit to our read
ers the question of the propriety of
printing it.