The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1906-04-20

u 10 seek. Inc demands upon tn
e funds of the school teacher hav
increased so that they are nc
f inclined to accept positions i
7 inferior schools and only the il
1 ferior teacher will consent to tr
1 to live on the low wages that ca
r be paid in the small school an
| undergo the various privation
incidental thereto. The CLOSING
) of the small school necessarily
means the consolidation o
: schools and the substitution O
; some central school therefor
: and the arguments for ant
| against this movement are full,
! set forth in Superintendent
Stones comprehensive circular.
Est. Adams Messenger
'"The majority of Vernon
newspapers are slavishly bounC
to party. A few genuinely in
dependent papers could be emu
merated and perhaps a couple
that would like to be. The in
dependent paper is the one thai
eXerts the influence in these days
and it would be well for Yer.
mont if she had more of them
within her confines. "-Montpeli-
er Argus.
The contemporary must be in
dulged in considerable exagger-
alton of the facts, perhaps,
through its eagerness to empha-
size truth. The Messenger is
far from willing to concede, how
ever, that the majority of Yer
mont newspapers are "slavishly
bound" to party because the
facts are against it. Nothing is
more conspicuous of the his
tory of Vermont journalism than
the gradual evolution of an in
telligent independence under
proper party loyalty. Let any.
one curious to trace the growth
of this spirit contrast the files
of newspapers in the state libra
ry, for instance, decade by dec
AIDE, and see for himself how the
press has slowly emerged from
under the complete domination
of party rule from a time when
it was but the echo of a politi-
clan or the mouthpiece of a fac
ton or party to the present day
when it does not hesitate not
only to originate party princi-
pies and measures itself but to
analyze and criticize party poll
cies without fear or favor. Per
haps not all the newspapers in
Vermont have reached that stage
of independence in which they
are willing to stand alone in the
combat for an idea or principle
that the party has repudiated or
dare not yet espouse, but they
are gradually making toward it,
and the freshness, manliness, and
true courage of the tone of jour
nalistic independence in this
state to-day is one of the most
encouraging signs of the New
The ideal journalism, of course,
s complete independence of par
y influences. The press of Yer
mont, of the country at large,
will serve it's most useful mis-
sion when, from the viewpoint
Of complete enforcement from
political organizations of any
kind, absolutely free from prior
commitment to any line of pub
lie policy or any doctrine of
political expediency, it shall be
in position to approve or con-
Tenn the acts of all parties and
II politicians upon their merits
and upon them alone. 1t will be
a safer guide for public opinion
when it's counsel cannot be dis
trusted even by reason of nomi-
nal Identification with any party
in whose interest that counsel
might react. 1t will be some
time before politicians of this
day and generation can be per
suaded of the wisdom of this,
probably the elders never will be
convinced of it, but the progress
sive and enlightened press is
tending toward such a state
with all speed and, as deliberate
of party loyalty
specifically and by name are I'M
necessary and unlikely, the trans
tiOn will land the newspapers
over the line of complete indie
Dendence without exciting much
stir or comment after all.
In the meantime the news
papers are largely what their
readers make them. The true
political independence of the
press will be assured in fullest
when the great public
will refuse to buy mere party
organs.
The grange fire insurance companies
# New York state are carrying about
i 900, 100000 In insurance on farmers
What state grange will solve the
arm help problem for its members?
There's an opportunity.
No. 1 grange, at Fredonia, N Y, has
so members.