The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-12-15
ADVANTAGE OF AVREE PRESS.
It's Influence In . Moral Awakening
Felt ThROuGhOut the Land.

No matter what happens, so to speak,
and principally in our great cities, New
York and Chicago, ii does ones soul
good 10 read the newspapers Of those
cities particularly, and Of the country in
general Political rascals and public
thieves have still had their newspaper
defenders Though they have been
scarce,) but the way in which most Of
the papers have spoken out for honesty
and against plumber and have made
their illustrations concrete warns the
cookies Of the heart and renews ones
faith in popular government. SOberly
speaking, If we go wrong or are going
wrong the fault does not lie at the door
of the press. While there has been IL
centtous press in some instances and
yellow press in too many instances, the
sOundness Of the press az an institution
has never been more sgnally shown
than in these comparatively recent days
Of moral revolt in this country that was
begun by manifesting itself in politics
Beginning with Folk, prosecutor in st.
Louis, and coming on down and through
various phases Of wronRdOing from mu-
nicipal theft 10 life insurance plumber
ing, wherein did the press fail Of the
word in season and the "word with the
bark on it ?" Next to an upright judi
ciary, and sometimes before il, is an
honest press.
As a whole, we believe the press of
no country has given more vigorous
proof OF honesty than the press Of this
country in these days. And it has
thrived on the exercise. More and
more the merely partisan press has fall
len into disrepute. We mean this so
berly. The partisan press has its place
and its use But long it had usurped a
wide area outside these until 1t became
a tyranny over the minds and conscien-
ces Of men, asking them TO let it do
their thinking and hand their RESPONSE
bility over %. the fetish Of party. whose
ritual the party press daily chanted az
applicable 10 all acts of a citizen from
choosing a President or a Congressman
TO choosing a County Commissioner or
Justice of the Peace. We came in
time TO the full fruits Of this mOnstrous
assumption in the establishment of ma
chimes on both sides that played into
each others hands aud, with a party
press on each side TO drive men into
voting blindly, what more complete sla-
very could be devised?
Well, this amazing assumption has
been rudely shaken. In the revolt of
recent months paper after paper has
broken away from such service, joining
the chorus that has been led by the
President for an independent manhood
asserted in civic action, free from ma
tional party issues and affiliations So
there has been only a lonely example
here and there either of newspaper or
man that has tried to Sound the hew-
gag" AS Of old and drive men to vote
like cattle in the name of party, Ac-
cOrdingly, we have condition all over
this country with the exception here
and there TO make it clearer-Of a Lress
speaking out honestly; cOunseling men
to vote directly for men to get things
done by voting for men that will do
them, and not vote for a party name in
the blind dream that what happens af..
ter that is no ones concern But no
part of il Is more prominent than that
which the press Of the country has
played and none more valuable and hon
orabe. - indianapolis News.
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