The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-06-30
THE PARTY PAPER.
WHAT 1T DESERVES


The recent sale of the Indianapolis
Journal, so many years the leading ex-
ponent Of Inc principles of Republican
ism in this state, and its elimination
from the newspaper field, has been
made the occasion of many suggestions
to the effect that the day of the party
paper Is over.
If this were true 1t would be neces-
sary to add as an inevitable sequence
that the day of political parties is al
most at an end. Political parties are
based upon certain principles; their
existence depends upon cooperative
effort for the advancement of these
principles, and in a day when the
writer has in large degree supplant-
ed the speaker In the education Of
public opinion, the elimination Of the
party press would mean the destruc-
ton Of the chief centrifugal force con-
tributing to cooperate action In the
advancement Of definite national poll
cies.
No intelligent student Of American
affairs would look upon the destruction
Of the party system as desirable
contamination, despite the contempt
for partisanship which has been az
fected by some persons protesting to
move on higher plane of thought
than most people on the ground know
anything about. The party system at
fords in this country the only available
method of responsible government.
The only substitute for 1t would OF
necessity be q factionalism- centering
about individuals, which IL the certain
destruction Of republics.
II the party paper is dying out as a
metropolitan institution, 1t Is because
the city newspaper, to q degree un-
known quarter Of a century ago, has
become simply and solely a CONNER
cial enterprise. the value Of which Is
Judged, not by the extent of its infiu-
ence or the quality of its leadership,
but by the success it attains in attract
ing patronage. 1t has been discovered
that it is popular for newspaper eth
er to have no definite opinions on any
issue dividing public opinion, or to so
distribute its views that there may
be thorough working" of both sides
of the political street
Outside of the cities the stronger
papers are still party journals-not
In the narrow sense that every act of
the particular party espoused is char
acterized as good, and every act
Of the opposition denounced as bad,
but in the same sense that there is
craftsmanship in every man with red
blood in his veins, and with the in
stinct to be loyal to something which
is characteristic of every forceful
personality.
1t has been demonstrated In the
passing of many of the strong party
papers, of the country that the paper
which advocates the principles of
political party instead of making COM
mercial opportunism the keynote of
its editorial policy. necessarily cir
cumscribes its own financial POSSIBLE
tiles A paper which consistently and
persistently advocates the principles
of that political party IL believes to be
most nearly right upon the issues of
the day. surrenders In large part the
support of members of the opposing
political party. For that very reason
II for no other, II deserves the support
of those who desire the advancement
of the principles contended for by the
press of their own party. The party
pap, has right to expect that those
who ..fe interested in the success of
these principles shall rally about 1t,
rather than about some newspaper
coming profit out Of its failure to use
its influence In the cause for which
they contend. or about some other pa
per seeking to promote the success Of
en- opposing political party.
| Only In such manner may the party
press-more, the party itself-be main
tanned for the fulhllment Of its mis-
sion. The Republican who fails to
yield to bis local paper the earnest
and ungrudging support it deserves,
is preparing the way for the ultimate
elimination of the most powerful ex-
! listing agent for the dissemination of
! the principles Of the party to which
! he belongs In the degree to which he
! Is interested in the welfare of his
| party, he must be interested in the sue
cess Of his party paper, and will yield
not only passive support, but active
! sffort to its upbuilding.
! Tell your neignoors ABOUT the good