Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-10-08
OWNERS OF PUBLIC
BUILDINGS RESPONSIBLE

SOutnefneT uthtflpliOn OF Ine neceS-
sity of carrying a gun in the South.
He said n fellow might go along and
along, for years, even, and never have
any use for it, but if ever the time
come when he did have occasion to use
it, he would need it "mighty power
full" The responsibility enjoyed by
the public, through it's representatives
or officials, and individual responsible
ity are so indissolubly linked and
welded together that there can be no
satisfactory line of demarcation
drawn in an attempt to fasten the
blame or fix the responsibility upon
either to the exclusion of the other.
The public owes it's existence to the
presence of the individual. The indi-
vidual holds the general collection of
similar individuals responsible for his
safety, freedom and environment. As
everybody's business is nobody's bust
ness, it has been found expedient to
represent the general masses of people
under popular forms of government by
representatives, whose duty it is to
protect by laws, to enforce by legiti
mate and humane means its prescribed
laws, and bring to the constant use
and benefit an evenly balanced joint
responsibility between the individual
and society, However closely the in
dividual and the public may seem to
be united and may share alike all re.
sponsibility, yet there has been room
enough left for the press to squeeze
in, and thus push them apart until
custom has made our daily newspaper
the safety valve for all economical re.
lationship and has made the popular
newspaper an hour glass where the
constant experience. in the daily living
of the whole human family is sifted
through it's discriminating grains of
sand and its ceaseless functions mark
the progress of the day or stir up lat.
ent energy, whose lapse and apathy
incriminate healthy and strong soci-
ETY.. But the prestige and enviable
position of the press, standing as it
does between the individual and the
cOmmOnweal, is not within its solemn
responsibilities, and it is so generally
understood and expected that the
press break not its sacred trust, that
it becomes either shield to the vii |
lain or an effective weapon for good. |
The press may be truthfully said to |
represent the sentiment in whatever
community it may be immersed, and
the exception to this rule is no more |
alarming than are the laws of the
legislature, which, when passed, are
known to, the common people, not TO
be the general wish of themselves, nor
were theyvPassed to meet a demand of
the peoplk And by reason of the ex-
ception b sing in evidence, the law and
the exception to our rule, become
lead letfer and its expressions with
,ut weight or effect. Therefore, for a
iewspAper to carry any weight and
iold its head high it must first and
ast/ seek out the sentiment of the
se6ple, and forever arguing for the
light, for justice and protection to
the poor, it may thus keep in touch {
with the power which makes it's exist
,nee possible, thereby become limb
If the great body of the common
wealth, and not the body to a limb
rs we would occasionally infer from
he conduct of some newspaper peO-
,le. While public sentiment is well q
Known to be both blind and headlong Z
It times, yet, upon whom does the '
'onceited newspaper call for enforce 9
neat of its DEGREES and appeals but II
o tho better tempered individuals c
md conservative ones, who, we per q
eive, also form part of that intricate i
nd inseparable amalgamation, the n
Common peoplel The press is power ,
ess but for the backing it has from c
he better elements in society. So, we 5
ee in this phase of the matter, that v
ven the newspaper, although it stands +
'etween the individual and the public, Y
et it, in turn, bows to public senti' p
nent. AS famous man once said b
hat civilization travels faster on a II
Owder cart, so we find our three re-
maintaining an evener a
alanee through this dependence upon 81
ach other. II
To consider the local aspect of e
oint responsibility, or three-phase b
Ompaet, is always in order, like "
lotiOn to adjourn. Here we have o.
hree things with which to deal One, "
he public; another, the newspaper Il
nd lastly, the individual. These three 8
bings, if they may be properly 30 II