The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-01
KANSAS COMMENT
A NEWSPAPER ROW.


i few days ago the Frankfort In
dex, bright little daily published in
one of the best towns in the state,
appeared with its editorial page de-
voted to a roast of the loathsome rag
down the street. 1t appears that the
loathsome rag had provoked the In
dex editor by printing all sorts of Low
rings at him; anyhow, the roast was
a record breaker, and there was every
reason to believe that it would be fol-
| lowed by others quite as interesting,
and quite as distressing to the Loath-
some Rag.
But the next issue of the Index con-
tanned, instead of a roast of the male
VIOLENT contemporary, an apology to
the public for disturbing the peace.
The editor frankly stated that the
roast was written when he was all
worked up by the sings and arrows
of outrageous fortune, and had he
considered the matter duly, he would
mt have published it; for he knew as
Wen as anybody that the people were
not paying for his paper, in order to
read his opinion of the other paper;
moreover, he knew that it was the
duty of newspaper to promote har-
mony and good feeling, rather than
to preside over dog fights and stir up
trouble generally, and he promised
that when next he wanted to roast the
other editor, he would call him up by
telephone.
The editor of the Index is to be
congratulated upon his courage and
good sense, and he probably has made
friends by his safe and sane policy
whereas he would have lost his best
friends had he persisted in paving up
the ground, and making a noise like
thrashing machine The newspaper
row is the silliest thing in the world
and the worst thing that can happen
to town, for it is impossible to con-
fine it to the idiotic editors who con-
~ s1--I
drawn into it. and it often happens
that towns are divided into actions,
and hitter spirit is fostered, and all
progress made impossible, because a
into the alley and slug each other and
be done with it, make a business of
abusing each other in print.
The Index gives it's rival worse
apologizing for the mistake it has al
ready made, than 1t could give by ten
years of indulgence in hideous adjec-
tives and the sarcasm that makes a
mans whiskers turn gray in a night.
Gazette.
ASK THEM FOR IT.
Down at Topeka there is a food of
lobbyists representing the street rail-
ways and .waterworks of the cities of
the state, trying to get the legislators
to enact favorable legislation. While
porations there are only few working
for the majority of the people. Who
is down at Topeka asking for legisla-
ton for the farmer and who is there
asking to give the laboring man help?
All day long members of the legisla-
ture hear men speaking in favor of
corporation legislation but there is not
a word for the little fellow. At last
a legislator decides that the corpora
tionsgar the interested parties and the
vote goes to them. Many honest men
vote wrong because only one side is
drummed into them from the start to
finish of the session.
The people seem to have forgotten
that they have a right to petition
Once in a while they get a monster
petition and the Legislators answer
the demands of thoSeswho sent them to
Topeka to transact business for them.
The people ought to wake up If
there is any man who wants his repre-
sentative or senator to vote for a bill
or to vote against bill, tell him
about it. He will never find it out If
it is only talked about at the break
fast table when no one but the family
are present.
A member of the legislature is a
servant of the people. Even though
he represents one political faith this
does not bar those of the opposite be-
liefs from telling him what they want
done.,rA representative represents the
whole people and usually desires to
serve them we'll If he only learns what
the Deople want-HutchinSOn Gazette.