Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-06-20
THE EDITOR SHOULD REPRESENT
HIS TOWNS BEST INTERESTS.
PLAY FAIR WITH THE PUBLIC
That Is at All Times a Duty and the
Best Business Policy-To At
tain the Ideal.
BY D. w. Brandon.
adrian, Mich, TelegramO


policy that will win in one commu-
nifty would create bushel OF stops
in another. The editor who would
be popular and a power in one com
munity might play losing game and
become q man of small influence in
another.
There are towns that will take al
most any kind of slush that an edit
or may give his readers. There are
other towns that almost resent a real
editorial opinion. The editor Is an
evolution. He is growing better year
by year. The town is an evolution.
1t is growing bigger and broader and
greater year by year l believe and
have always maintained, both in pub
lie and private, that an editor both TO
be successful and influential must play
square with the people.
If partisan politicians, rings or ma
chimes are robbing the public and the
editor is sure of his grounds, he
should be man enough to say so. IL
special interests are working special
themes to give them special privi-
leges to benefit the few at the ex-
pense of the many the real editor
who plays square with the people
should be willing to oppose decidedly
and emphatically all such schemes.
The real editor should be broad
enough to take a stand in opposition
to his best friends, to his largest pa
irons, to his heaviest advertisers, II
the public interest demand it. The
public interest should come first. Even
from the most selfish standpoint II
no other"
Your best friend may die. Your
largest patron may sell out or move
away. Your heaviest advertiser may
go into bankruptcy. But the public
goes on forever.
Play square with the public, and
the public is your friend, the adver-
tiser will go to the paper the pub
lie reads, whether he believes in the
editorial policy or not.
Then on broad principles, without
attempting to suggest any plan that
would apply generally, the editor
should be honest He should be hon
est with himself, honest with the pub
lie, and honest in the presentation Of
public questions.
1t is impossible to always be right
rials are often written on misinforma
ton. But even they should ring true
They should strike clear. They
should not be written as If the edit
or was feeling around for soft place
to light. More than that, a newspa
per ought to have editorial opinions
More than that, it ought not to dodge
local issues. 1t is the local questions
that interest the local readers.
A Republican editor or a Democrat
ic editor, who devotes a column tt
lambasting the opposition party or
national or state questions, and per
mits his party council to give half the
town away, without ever uttering {
protest, is not living up to the higf
ideal Of a real editor.
The local editor cannot do mucl
toward shaping the destinies of hi!
state or national organization, bu
with the use of brains and tact ant
hard work he can do wonders TOWARD
helping his home town. 1t is thu
duty of the editor to do all he can Il
help his town.
He should favor the policies tina
will help his town get new factories
new enterprises, new improvements
new citizens. He should help hi
town by frequently speaking of it
advantages, it's good location for busi
ness, its opportunities for buyers.
The newspaper that is not afraid t.
get on the right side of public ques
tons will be neglected. A great man
editors speak out strongly on mos
questions, but weakly dodge the liquo
= and similar questions. Don't dodg
anything. Don't be afraid of any
, thing.
Meet and treat the questions G
; the day fairly and honestly. The pull
E lie is willing to differ from you Blu
1t doesn't admire an editor who j
always squirming around and floppin
about.
If a Democratic alderman shoul
make mistake, take a wrong pos
ton, the thunders of Mt. Sinai woul
. not be equal to the thunder of vitupe
.. alton the Republican organ is usual
able to turn loose.
Or if the shoe should happen to b
> on the other foot, the roar of Niagar
would be as mild as a summer breez
compared to the raging torrents {
!, denunciaton and noise that a part
, san Democratic editor would fire {
the political culprit whose chief fau
probably arose from his standing
e the way of some graft in which som
u friend of the partisan journal was II
n terested.
r A thousand worse things, howeve
u would go tobogganing through tn
o town, creating havoc, piling up take
n getting the town by the ears, an
v tha Sama nditOr wOnld navar ,,ttar