Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-10-03
REFORM AND THE NEWSPAPER.

one else. The preachers are reform
ing the newspapers, the newspapers
are reforming the politicians, the
politicians are reforming the rail-
roads, the railroads are reforming the
tariff magnates, the tariff magnates
are reforming Standard Oil and Stand
ard Oil is reforming the preachers,
so the Happy circle is completed, and
when the bulldog of reform finally
does catch his tail and swallow it and
turn himself inside out we shall
have fine country, says William
Allen White, in the Emporia, Kansas,
Gazette.
Generally speaking most reformers
are carrying their reform as side
line. They make travelling expenses
on it, 1t doesn't cost the preachers
anything 70 reform the newspapers
In fact. the preachers get good deal
OF top column next to reading matter
space out of it that they would hardly
get If they devoted themselves to the
perseverance of the saints and higher
criticism. 1t doesn't cost the poll
ticians anything to reform the rail
roads-not that any one knows Of
And it doesn't cost the railroad pres j.
dents anything to be for tariff reform,
and, what's more, it doesn't seem to
hurt the tariff If the railroad mag
mates were as serious about tariff re-
form as they are to see that the trusts
get their rebates, there would be some
tariff reform.
The only place in this bright and
more or less beautiful world where
reform takes the hair and the hide
and the tail thereunto appertainlng,
is for newspaper to go into the re-
form business. If you tackle the beef
trust, brother editors, you will hear
from it, when you make contract
for Vigoral and the beef extracts. If
you tackle the railroads you will be
able to see more scenery to the square
mile when you travel than you have
been used to observing. If you tackle
the politicians they will start another
paper which won't hurt you par
ticularly except as it is disgrace to
the honorable profession in which you
are shining. If you whack away at
Standard Oil there is danger of
losing your mica axle grease and
paraffine candles advertising. and if
you are for Sunday closing you are
in danger of losing your cigar and
malt nutrine advertising.
Yet you must reform something.
The people demand reform, and if
they don't get it they will stop the
paper. After long session of medi-
tation and prayer the Gazette has
come to the conclusion that the only
safe thing to reform is the Russian
navy. 1t needs the reform, and as
the czar only gets our valuable papers
through clipping bureau no one
would care much. The thing for all
true reformers to do, therefore, is to
go after the car. Did you notice
that our beloved president, the most
exalted buster, the reformerissimo,
has passed a few hot ones to the cZar?
That means that he is merely getting
his breath, sparring for position in
the big home fight. He knows it
won't hurt the car, who is always
for peace anyway, and it will give
the president chance to get his wind
in the Panama matter
The president is a successful re-
former. He has had the big national
stage and has been under the lime
light for fifteen years. He has won
the championship belt for four years
and has been in the heavy weight class
for long time. What do you sup
pose Roosevelt would do if he were
running the Oyster Bay Tribune?
Would he go right after the gamblers
and saloon keepers and violators of
the law who lived in his town?
Would he print the item that showed
how the local banker was gouging in
his interest account? Would he dare
t. 90 TO the court house and get the
personal tax list and run it? Or
would he consider the larger goods and
take his typewriter in hand and blaze
away at the practice of polygamy in
Utah, the iniquity of the fruit trust
in California, and the violation of
the game laws in Maine?
1t is one thing to be president, with
$50, 600 year raining on the tin roof
whether you work or not, and quite
another thing to be the editor of a
country paper in board sidewalk
town, dependent upon the people for
your board and keep. There is some
thing inspiring in the sweetly solemn
thought that you don't fear Saturday
night which gives the president the
courage in busting trusts while the
country editor, knowing that the boys
are tired of taking orders for their
weeks wages on the clothing stores,
some way doesn't feel we'll
The eternal cheerfulness of President
Roosevelt is remarked the world |
over. A man can afford to be cheer |
full who doesn't have TO take any
.b;,,e, ont IN tra1a and .,atc oil