Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-02-06

papers in Iowa this week, he would
learn that tine county printing is the
subject uppermost in Importance in
about ninety OF the ninety nine
counties From the trend of the arRu.
ment it would also appear that the
average board of supervisors is en-
deavoring to print just as little of the
county's affairs as can possibly be
done without having the law put to
| it.
1t is mistake for county govern
ments to be parsimonious about pub
licity. Not because the newspaper
needs the mOnev, but because the
people need the Information. Boards
may Jew the rates down and be saving
money for the county, but they should
never try to curtail the publicity.
Nothing, not even policemen or COM
mon honesty, can do so much for good
government as wide publicity. If
anybody doubts this let some board Of
equalization print the tax assessment
of each tax payer in the county and
zee how shockingly sudden publicity
will equalize assessments as between
John Jones and Thrifty Smith. In
Minneapolis they actually use this
method of equalization and post the
proposed valuations Of real estate on
the walls of the ward school buildings
q few weeks before making them
final. and the publicity does the equal
izing.
Plenty of publicity will force
crooked men to live an honest admin.
istration. It will make honest men
more careful. and more active in
proving themselves efficient. In
Marshall county we have supervisor
sneering at q mayor because the
latter advertises himself 1t must be
confessed that this mayor does work
the newspapers for good deal of
space. and the rates are beyond the
vanishing point, but he is giving his
| bOWA tuc UcSe oumiuiStAoeioit ~ mas
had in twenty five years. 1t is safe
assertion that this mayor never reads
about his work in the newspapers
but what he throws out his chest
and resolves to make more desperate
feffort still 20 live up to his reputa.
tion.
The case of the woman in Hoboken
is one in point. $50 You have de.
cided not to leave us. Mrs. Benson?''
her neighbor sked. Yes" replied
Mrs. Benson. "We did get all ready
to move and listed or property fol
sale, but when we read in the real
estate mans ad of what beautiful
home we had, we just couldn't give
it up"
The tax payers Of the county never
lost cent by reason Of having their
county affairs published in news
paper. The editor of this newspaper
is a business man. In fact. he does
more business than editing. II ht
should ever find himself in charge Of
public affairs, he would insist upor
the widest publicity Of county affairs
even in the other fellow s newspaper
for his newspaper training has shown
him so many pretty little schemes fol
graft or favoritism 90 glimmering by
reason of ''good story picked nj
by an enterprising reporter; scheme
that could and would have incubatet
into whole nest Of maladministra
tion, had they been permitted to hid
/ in the darkness that too much pub
licity could not be obtained for tn
good of the public service according
to his notion.
Why will man "go down the line
in Chicago when he goes regularly Il
, church in his home town? Darkness
Why will man pay his fine TO
! drunkenness in a police count withou
! q murmer, and move heaven and cart
, to "keep it out Of the paper?'
Darkness. Why will men believ
that they can put on prize fights
; conduct gambling joints, evade salool
, laws. if they can only " fix the news
t paper?' Darkness. What is the ne
, result when boards of supervisors be
: come parsimonious in publishing t
the world the affairs of each count
} office? Darkness. Let there be light
. and there was light. -MarshalltOwl
Times Republican.
If the idea has gained prevalence i
D Iowa that fur bearing animals. ar