Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-11-21

patriotic citizens. but the ebulitions Of
this almost in:tinctivc cnnity cannot he
called. with any rronnri"tE Of language
iudi, :ttior:s of ;lUhi!t' opinion.
Nhcn IL man acts upon The prompt
:ucS nf mere prejudice -" passion.
,lSt:Iliy he either hasn't ANY opinion az
al or ne disrcgardS III" opinion which
he has FINALLY we must L"ar in mir.:
that, although Il loud cutlery il some
times caused h,- an ildi,snty or shock
to public opinion. tn" cutlery itself is not
public opinion nor even any trust
woi thy proof that public opinion has
been in fact rlitlteh or shocked.
1T is even more important that w"
bear in nina what is meant by public
when we speak of "Public Opinion. II
amounts. in fact, to II sort of composite"
photograph made up of all these m
diviolusI opinions. faithfully recording
in it,; result tncir relative wisdom and
energy and consequent force and pre-
senting rs Il hrSiH of action the result
amt fusion Of I'll the opinions of all
those who, in fact. have opinions
It is not the opinion expressed by
American ncr frapcrS, or any "thcf
Class al i,rofesscd public commentators
~ critics. 1inIc@S these. r"'ilE express
what the avcr5c" American citiHch
really thinks. and sH.'S by his i'reside'
at hi. ,iuW or his work r"nch, IN MS
yi,np or Office or counting room. III
Short. wherever he thinks aud ana SAYS
what h" thinks, without thinking; also
If thoS. Who may hear.
'II,;e leads nc naturally Ia SAY Il Few
words Of our press and I" ln!nt OF
what the press docs for tn" go"t or III
" ANY community in which u "Nl5tH,
hnW the world has changed. IN short.
~ ti,a Invention Of tn" newspapers
IN til. first place it bccHnlc. for the
average man. II much larger world. BE
fnrn then, he, of course. knew thal
man lived beyond his city or manor or
canton, but t!;cy affected his everyday
life .,lu!o,t a.. litti. rs if they had HVcd
III Mars or Venus. When the news
IapcrS began to place beside ms breah-
fast Mate an cpitoiuc "i their ycSter-
DAVIS history, it WAS a3 if u telescope
were constructed a million fold strong
cr Inan any set known.
The change is rot in al! respects FOR
the better: the unsclfish interest which
Any one can take i'll tic affairs or
others is Il fixc', quantity or. at least,
is net caLablc Of indefinite expansion.
a nj V, .1cn you spread it out broad; you
also spread IT out thin. f:ut Tor TINS
loss there is more than compensation IN
1.-THE ticvClopmcn: IF our sense OF proper
ton and therefore of justice. AS we
know other men better. we recognize
the more thoroughly their likeness I"
ourselves and az Il consequence. the
universal application OF underlying
moral laWS amid all divcrstleS OF ma
tioral or local custom or prejudice. 1t
is; tic existence nf this common moral
STANDARD which qualities the press Tor
its highest ana most useful function
A free press. is Il popular petition, IL IS
or it Should be- ALWAYS telling the gov
crn.nent what the people WiSn ahc'
| hope Tor and think right.
| 1t must he noted, however, tiiat me
| power Of tic press il this regard arises
| froIa tho fact that it speaks. or IS DO
| l.cvc1 - speak. what everybody IS say
| iJS at the time. AS soon as q paper
is recognized as "Somcbody'S organ u"
expressing the views and wishes ana
opinions "f any particular man or sci
| Of men its haalthful influence as a
newspaper is gone: it may. indeed
Continued on Page Twelve)