The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-06-07
CAN COOPERATION
On the Part Of Local Papers In inc
Same Community Be Made
Practicable.

ton:
When notified by your worthy secre-
tary that | had been selected by the ex-
%ecu.iye committee to prepare and reaa a
paper on the above subject before TINS
meeting OF the association, was very
much disposed to decline and request
that some member better quali1ed De
named to handle this important question.
But upon further reflection ] concluded
that it was my duty, as a member Of the
association which has so often honored
me, to make an effort to serve in any
capacity its officials see fit to request.
That cooperation on the part OF local
papers in the same community can be
made practicable has been so clearly, sue
cessfully and satisfactorily demonstrated
in Greenwood, "the Gem City of the
sun.kisscd Yazoo-Tallahatchie Valley"
there is no question in the minds Of the
editors and publishers Of the Enterprise
and the Commonwealth, two Of the most
successful newspapers in Mississippi.
There is no sane reason why a system
of cooperation cannot be adopted and
carried out by the editors and publishers
in every city and town within the con
fines of Mississippi.
The greatest drawback seems to be
that the editors and publishers of the
newspapers in this as well as other
States are too much given to business,
envy and jealousy, and to the little petty
differences which they so unfortunately
permit, politics to engender, for them to
get together and formulate ideas and
plans whereby their best interests would
be subserved, Too many of the mem
bers of this association, and of the edit
ors and publishers who are not mem
bers of it, are not On friendly speaking
terms with one another-principally due
to the influence of some little political
difference from which neither of them re-
ceived any material benefit or apprecia-
ton from the parties whose interests
would be subserved. Too many of the
members of this association, and of the
editors and publishers who are not mem
bers of it, are not on friendly speaking
terms with one another-principally due
to the influence of some little political
difference from which neither of them
received any material benefit or appre-
citation from the parties whose interests
produced the unpleasant relations.
These arrangements of friendly rela-
tons produce an unhealthy business ri
yalry, a jealousy akin to foolhardiness, a
disposition to engage in a eut-throat bus
mess, an absurd determination to take
advertising, job printing and subserip-
tions at starvation prices Just to keep
the "other fellow" flum getting the
work! Shame on such a foolish policy!
l regret to acknowledge this state of af-
fairs exists to such an extent in the
profession to which | belong, and in
which ] take such a devoted interest.
] can't understand why editors and
pubiishers-men of good, common sense
cannot differ in their opinions, political
and otherwise, and still be friendly So
cially and in business affairs. 1t is i'm
material to me who my friend, Brother
Dixon, of the Enterprise, supports for
United States Senator, Governor or bail
if, Notwithstanding the fact that he
sometimes displays seemingly very poor
Judgment; it makes no difference how
much he writes about there being a race
or a race problem" or how much
space he wastes or the idle dream about
repeating the fifteenth amendment and
modifying the fourteenth amendment;
nor do | lose any sleep over the many
athor p,,ncfsnna -, ,t-htnb ,yo hoya N r,rht
to differ. We go right along, day by
day, meeting and greeting each other
a hearty howdy-do and a sincere
wish-you-well in business and social at.
fairs.
This is our idea in Greenwood as to
what are right and proper relations be.
tween members of the newspaper frater-
We have forgotten how to look
sour and grum at one another, and we
are both better off for it.
We have adopted a policy, or system,
up there in that superb city on the great
Yazoo river, which we believe to be far
superior and more beneficial than all
the discussions, resolutions. and clap
trap propositions ever promulgated at
the different sessions of this association
relative to regulating rates for all kinds
Of printing.
That system Is so easy to observe
provided the parties to IL are honest.
and fair-that the simplest
child need not experiepce the least bit
trouble in living M to it's stipulations,
1t is simply this: We believe the la.
borer in every way worthy of his hire.
,,J Inv tb;. r,,e,u ,a h,yo -