Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-09-18

sion popular indignation may be eX-
pected as result. They not only fail
in the accomplishment of their pur-
pose before the public, but cause re-
action that must be reckoned with.
Every editor of character recognizes
the value of the great special interests
in the affairs of all the people. He
wants to be fair with them. He would
stand for square deal where misn-
formation or prejudice is suggesting
persecution. If it be understood that
special interests are brbing purchase
BILE editors to do their bidding how can
the self respecting newspaper invite
the suspicion of the public by taking
up the cudgels of discussion in their
behalf when wrongfully assaled, as
they are sure to be occasionally? Cor
porations ought to be above bribery
and corruption of the public press.
They are usually directed by gentle
men of education and culture and char
acter. In their private lives they
would Stoop to no such methods. But
when prone to forget their obligations
to society and public morals they
should not be so short-sighted as TO
overlook the fact that they are inviting
peril to the interests they represent in
putting money over against editorial
character.
Then what can be said for the VEN
dor-the editor who would for money
lend himself and his paper TO fraud
of this kind? If the editorial express
sion desired is right or the, clipping
presented is in line with good public
tol- ia "a cpryicn
of the public? If otherwise certainly
no amount of money should secure Its
circulation. Waving moral considera-
ton. no editor can afford to take airy
price for the privilege of shaping pub
lie opinion thru his columns with
the editorial endorsement. Suppose
an occasional hundred dollars can be
secured in this way. The thing the
editor calls good will, often the most
valuable element in his property, Is
RAPIDLY dissipated and his very presses
and type are cheapened toward the
Junk pile by making merchandise OF
his conscience and the violation OF
sacred moral contract with the public.
The Beacon does not assume to
know about the truth of these charges
of bargain and sale. Pursuing our
line of reflection they seem improbable
because neither vendor nor purchaser
can afford to prostitute the public press
even from standpoint Of wholly sell
fish considerations For the sake of
decency, of corporation dis-
erection and of public confidence, 1t is
unfortunate II they are
true.
IowAs DECLINING POPULATION.
New York Tribune.1
Growth of population is generally
taken to be an index of prosperity
When a community finds itself de-
creasing it usually is doleful. the IN
junction to increase and multiply Is
much more seriously regarded ny
states and cities than by individuals.
The family may think of the burden OF
new mouths to feed, but the city thinks
only of swelling the tide of traders
and producers and consumers. Out IN
Iowa, however, there is no great sor-
row over an adverse census report ana
no disposition to forecast an ebb to
the tide of the states prosperity,
though the state enumeration just
taken shows a population somewhat
smaller than that found in 1900, which
was 2.231,S53 or q trifle over forty TO
the square mile.
Iowa is fat country, land where
the people live we'll and are perfectly
satisfied that few prosperous inhabl-
tants are better than many paupers.
1t is a state of farms, without largo
city and without any such extremes
of wealth and poverty as we see in the
east. It's manufacturing industries are
few. Therefore, there is no attraction
to large bodies of immigrants and no
incentive to rapid home growth of pop
ulation, such as caused the sudden ana
enormous expansion of the English
people, after generations of little
change in numbers, with the growth of
the factory system and the develop
ment of railroads and ocean carriers,
making possible the existence and en-
ployment of more people than Eng
land could ever before support. The
population of Iowa is measured largely |
by the number of people needed for ,!
her farms, and prosperity has tended
to decrease rather than increase these.
Good times in Iowa have led to an
increase in the price of land. At the
same lllIlS IlGW anu S1ASehPSA AssAASAo |
further west in our own states and in
Canada have attracted the less sue
,essful Iowa farmers. There was a
good chance for speculation in SELL
ing high-priced Iowa farm and NOV
ing on to cheap one. So the richer
farmers have to certain extent been
buying out their neighbors and con-
solidating farms. This has been pos
sible without reducing production and |
through the larger use of |
machinery, for Iowa is in the great
cereal belt, where a few crops are
grown to advantage in enormous fields
and where the necessity of intensive
has not yet been felt good
part of the hired farm labor is nomad-
c. and so not likely to be counted in |
the census and the farmers and their
families have to depend more and more
upon themselves. In the east prosper
BUS cultivation tends to the creation of
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