Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-11-21
SEC. BoNAPARTe's SPEECH.
Continued from Page One.)

have another kind Of influence, for
those who control or conduct it, may
! be powerful men, but its editorial ut
| terancc are their "Open letters"
In my judgment this is matter of
very serious and urgent concern to the
American people today. Certain of our
newspapers. including some whose in
fuence within my memory. indeed
within but comparatively few years
was a power. and a power for good in
the community are now firmly and
| widely believed to be virtually or even
| literally. owned by well known Inter
ests." in other words. by wealthy men,
engaged in far-reaching enterprises.
| This widespread and very confident be-
! lief as to such ownership makes them
virtually Trade organs" with but lit
tie more influence than the papers
J published avowedly as such; and. what
is even more unfortunate, it leads to
very general suspicion that other
papers may be secretly in the same
situation.
A ne w&paper under suspicion is al
most as MANNED for healthy influence
as if the suspicion had been proven
weIi-founded for the legitimate and
salutory power OF a newspaper lies in
! it's showing and being thought to show
the First thought" OF the ordinary
/ citizen Of all matters of current public
interest.
I In showing this it does the community
! a double service; it gives shape and di-
| raction to public opinion and enormously
! increases the lattei's force. The create,
mass of mankind do not know what they
really think until somebody tells them
. they recognize their own opinions when
| these are expressed for them by another
then and only then are they ready to
act
1t must be remembered in this connec.
ton that an editor is necessarily a pol
itician or at all events, he ought to be
one
| Unless he has definite opinions on all
| questions of general public interest and
is ready to express them, he has no bus
mess to be an editor: indeed he is not an
editor. but is only trying to pass himself
| off as one. In fact. an editor is i politi-
! clan whether he wishes to be or not: il
he will not speak on subjects connected
will, politics his very silence is a way of
dealing with them. And if the editor
| wishes or pretends to wish for what we
may call purity" in politics. he is bound
! in consistency to show himself a pure pol
itician: if his action or inaction, his
| speech or his silence be determined by
the purpose to advance not the public
/ good. but his own private interest.
then he is himself "a part" land a very
disgusting and dangerous parD "of the
thing to be reformed"
Reputable newspapers are careful lest
| what they publish as advertisements be
confused with what they publish as
| news or comment. But it is just as much
a fraud on the public to write something
yourself which you are. directly or in
dire city. paid to write and publish. and
then publish this as a spontaneous ex-
preston of your true sentiments. as it
would be to publish in the like guise
what somebody else has written
This is one thing which the newspapers
must do if they would be. in this field or
in any other an energy for good and that
is to think and tell the truth. The first
duty of the press is to hold np before
the people faithful mirror; if it display S
distorted pictures it fatally betrays it's
trust. No worthy end was ever accom-
plished through deception. whether of
| ourselves or others. If we are threat
| ened by overshadowing dangers to es-
cape them we must first see them and see
them as they are Americans say with
| confidence: I'VE will know the truth and
| the truth shall make US free"