The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-10-12
SHOULD AN EDITOR co
POLITICS OR BUSINESl5>' wv

cllned he tender Of the position s
Ambassador to Mexico. Thara
surprise at his d%eclination lust ae t.
was urprlse lei Henry Wattare1o
declined to be Governor of Ken+no,--
Scott is too big and too useful r. la.
himself as Mexican minister ar,
Henry Watterson is a bigger man tr.u
any half-doZen men who have t...
Governor of Kentucky in half a CON
fury.
Asked why he declined the Mezf.a7
Ambassadorship, Mr.. Scott said:
For several reasons. One reason
vas / did not want to tangle my news
paper with politics. Our policy * D.
publican, but independent at all times
Another reason, and perhaps the
chief one, was that, since | have n71Ga
one career, such as it is, I could have
TO sane expectation at my time Of life.
Of beginning another that would lead
to success or satisfaction.
A to politics, | am convinced that
the ownership or editorship OF a news
paper is Incompatible with political
ambition. The people Will not tol4r-
ate the idea of a ma pushing him
self through his own newspaper. and
they are right about that"
The minute the editor Of a paper
accepts office his paper is regarded as
the organ Of the administration and
it loses its independence and power.
If the paper criticiZes the admins
t%ration, the editor is ungrateful: if it
does not criticize, the public feels that
it is muzzled. In either case. the
full and necessary independence is
gone. Horace Greedy was the most
influential editor in America until the
presidential bee began TO buzz i'm his
bonnet; he died of a broken heart.
William w. Holde was the most in
f%uential editor in North Carolina untI
he made the mistake of thinking the
executive chair was bigger than the
editorial tripod. That mistake, which
bred an ambition that made him con
vert his ape into a personal organ,
was responsible for all the troubles
that came into his life.
Mr.. Scott, the wise Oregon editor,
not only laid down q sound PROPOSE
ton when he said that editors should
not entanSle their newspapers with
politics, but he made another decla-
ration that should owe them. He
said:
THE publisher who would produce
a newspaper which has lasting char
acter and influence, must have an ah-
solutely free hand. His indepen-
dence must be maintained. He must
stay out Of associations that take from
his newspaper interest.
Il suppose a man could stay in the
newspaper business and have a herd
of blooded cattle or a fine flock Of
cooop a. T hoX-a This lipT of TI24S-
alton does not Interfere with a mans
independence.
IF a person nowadays ants TO
accomplish anything worth while in
business, he must LAY a large bust
ness and devot all his business tacul-
ties to it.
The object and purpose Of a
newspaper is full and independent
publicity, and q person Interested in
other lines of business, in railroads.,
banks, manufacturing or anything or
an industrial character, had better
stay out Of the newspaper business.
eff a man is engaged in the indus
tries I have named, and also owns a
newspaper, he is constantly beset by
his associates to keep out Of print this
that article Of news, or to SHADE
news so it will not be unfavorable to
The particular business in which
friendly parties or associates are in
lGIeSleu. IHtS Will dSh tildl II iAI
ter which might be annoying or I'M
favorable be suppressed. or sat it he
presented in a way hat will not carry
the whole truth. Nor are men en-
saged in business to. be censured for
avoiding publicity, or for the desire
to have matters about themselves pre-
sented in a good light through the
newspapers.
The long and short of it is that the
newspaper publisher must not have
who have such a hold on him
his independence is endangered"
Too many papers are owned in this
day by men who are more interested
in shaping the policy to suit street
railroad, and other public service
or some special interest
is good for journalism. The spec