The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1909-07-02
Power of the Country Press.

The newspapers of that class
known as the country weeklies WELD
more influence than is general cred
tied To them. They have
more power In directing public af-
fairs than is commonly conceded.
Indeed. it would be hard to COM
pute the power Of the country press,
for it reaches TO the more secluded
portions Of the country, and Is felt
ia the palaces of the rich, as well
az I'm the novels Of the poor 1t is
felt in the towns, as well as in the
country, in the home Of the well-to-
do farmer, as well as in the cabin
Of the lowIy citizen on the hillside
far away in the interior The in
huence Of the country week.-Mrs. far
reaching, and woe unto the aspiring
man who scorns it and coutemptu-
ously rejects it.
In Tennessee, as is the case in
other states, the country press is a
potent factor i'm moulding public
opinion Its environment and the
conditions under which it exists
bring it close to its readers. Sub
jects that are most interesting to the
family circle and about which the
individual members Of the family
are most deeply concerned, are dis
cussed IN the country paper 1t Is
close to each individual, and its
heart to-heart talks with its readers
are. effective in directing and crystal
izing the sentiment of the commu-
nifty. When public questions come
up in which the whole state is con-
cerned, the country newspaper usu-
ally speaks out plainly and boldly,
and it is significant and greatly to
the papers credit that its course is
generally directed by pure motives,
andnot swayed by undue influences.
When il is confronted with the
problem Of either serving self-inter-
est on the one hand, or conscience
ON the other, it is a notable and
commendable fact that the country
newspaper generally adheres to its
convictions Of right.
In all the struggles for civic right
eousness a great majority of the
country weeklies have been found
on the side OF morality, sobriety
and law enforcement. They have
stood firmly and resolutely for the
elimination of the evil, and for the
maintenance and support of the
good The country newspaper is
the mouthpiece of an unsurpassed
citizenship-a citizenship that is I'm
awed by power and unswayed by in
terest-and it is not too much to
say that the combined strength Of
the country press guarantees good
government for Tennessee. 1t has
the power, as it has the inclination,
to raise and maintain the standard
of citizenship, and in whatever con-
flict may ensue, ii is certain that a
large portion of the country week
lies will / e found on the moral side
of the question, fighting as they
have fought in the past, for condi-
tions that viii insure peace and safe
ty to all the citizens and an era of
contentment throughout the land
The above from the Nashville,
Tennessean is reproduced to give it
my most cordial endorsement.
The influence of the country press
is most conservative q use that
word conservative in its better
sense) and wholesome and serves
to counteract the pernicious tenden-
cies Of the metropolitan journals of
the city.
The average metropolitan paper
is conducted as n business enterprise
without reference to morals or the
public welfare.
A few monied men in the great
metropolis, New York. can control
the editorial policies of every paper
published in that city
That accounts for the fact that
New York papers stand for the in
terest of the few as against the in
terest of the many.
1t accounts for the fact that New
York politics are as rotten as hell
The dollar Is the standard bv
which character, mind and morals
are measured.
The dollar is the god and commerce
the religion.
The man who does not bow at
the shrine of that deity is maligned,
misrepresented, ridiculed until his
influence IS destroyed
The country press, | repeat, is
the saving conservative influence in
religion. politics and social matters.
In the great number of instances
the country paper dares to tell the
truth.
Its editor knows the public men
In his community.
And if the public men dare to de-
viate from the path of rectitude and
duty the country editor dares to tell
his constituents of it.
In this connection, [ want to sug-
gest that the people do not support