The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-07-12
JUSTICE GIVEN
The PRESS FOR ITS
POWER FOR GOOD.
Able Remarks From The
Editor of Detroit Times
In Which the Subject is
Treated So as to Show
the Virtues of a
Free Press.

AT q recent meeting. the editor OF
the. Detroit Times. told some import
ant and trenchaDt truths concerning
the newspapers of today and their re-
lation to the public. Newspapers are
respgnized as q great public benefit
and the day when every petty schemer
and CRATER could with impunlty pub
licly malign the press Is fast passing
for the reason that the public is quick
to detect tho real reason for such out
pTeais from such quarters.
Tine speech In question is SO able an
effort that II is given In full. as fol-
lows:
Is newspaper publicity essential?
There Is only one side to this ques.
ton 10 Russia--the negative side.
The Gear and the beaurocrats do not
believe In publicity. The censor takes
his dauber and blackens every piece
Of news and every printed sentiment
that he thinks the people shouldn (
read.
That's one reason why the morning
Is 80 long coming In Russia.
There Is only one side TO this ques
tion In America--the Affirmative side
Jefferson summed II all up when he
said; Better newspapers without
government than government without
newspapers"
The newspapers are helping 20
bring 10 the better day. politically.
industrially. socially. IN this country
Wendell Phillips was letting too
much publicity. some thought in the
feverish days OF abolition. They tried
TO howl him down in Fanueil Hall
Boston. Turning to the reporter
tables. he exclaimed: Howl on-I
speak to millions here!"
Pubiicityl
There Is sacred inspiration for pub.
licity: Let there be light. and there
was light" Which is equivalent to
saying. start the printing pressesl
Strange, but there are two classes
most interested In Excepting II out OF
tho papers, scoundreIs and saints
Join In the cry for suppression.
The scoundrei would like to be moro
secure In his sooundreIIsm. The saint.
unwittinsIy, 10 trying to make him
more secure.
The fear OF seeing II IN print Is as
powerful a deterrent as the law and
the policeman.
The suppressed divorce case sug-
costs how secrecy greases the track
for domestic tragedies.
When win people stop Joining
hands with villains TO turn OF the
light?
The saints cry. "The unspeakable
pressl" and from every Insurance
CRATER, every political corruptionist,
every corporation criminal, every
swindler and imposter arises feryent
"Ameni' 80
The good people mean well enough
They are just .ostrlches. that's all.
feeling as they plunge their heads into
the sands Of Ignorance and conceal
ment that all's well because all's hid
den.
{ But there Is no social or political
health In suppression, no progress IN
'conceaiment.
Turn on the light II may be pain
fully glarlng What II uncovers may
be disagreeable, noisome, shocking.
But revelation must go before re-
form and relief,
You will not make things better. you
who dread publicity until you know
they are worse!
But sensationallsm, the scare heads,
the unsavory details!
Said the great Dana, Of the Sun:
swhatever the Almighty isn't ashamed
10 let happen I'm not ashamed to
print
The publisher Is under contract
with his subscriber to give him the
story of the day in all OF its complex