The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-05-20

column OF a New York journal. il
printed Of local celebrities in Nash
lie paper inevitably invite liable
suits and provoke personal encount-
ers and in a less degree the same CON-
parison applies in printing the news
in Nashville and in one Of its near
BY neighbors. However. nothing is
so fatal to the character and influence
Of a paper as the suppression OF the
news. II must never be suppressed
from motives Of policy or through fear
Of the consequences either TO the bust
ness OF the publisher or the person OF
the editor for just as certainly as a
paper allows its counting room to
color its news columns or influence
its editorial policy just so surely will
it forfeit public confidence and with
lut this its usefulness Is ended.
The editor should never be a bully
and he should disdain the swagger
and manners of the braggart but he
must have the moral courage to do
his duty, to serve the highest ideals
and to accept the consequences which
firm and unswerYering devotion TO
the ethics of his high calling involves.
He should ever keep an open mind
for friendly advice but his ears must
ever be deaf and his heart must ever
be closed to threats either OF busi-
ness retaliation or personal injury.
The news should not be colored
but it should be written in the bright,
crisp, attractive style Of the metropo-
Titan dailies and properly displayed by
catchy and intelligent headlines. The
successful publisher of the daily news
paper in small city should work
upon the idea that the best in style,
in makeup and in composition is none
too good for his constituents. He
must be enterprising. While he must
of couse, if he would avoid the rocks
of financial adversely, keep the ex-
tpenses within the limits of the in
come he should never be niggardiy.
When his people are intensely inter-
ested in the outcome or results OF
some election, or game or court de-
cision or some other event of more
than ordinary import he should never
hesitate to incur the expense neces-
sary to give them the first mforma-
| tion. In short and in fine, his trst
and foremost obligation is to his
readers and he should strive to edu-
cate his constituents to the point
where they will look to the local
naper for the finest news of all events
great or small which touch the cur
rents of the life of the community.
It is true that because OF the limited
territory which such journal serves
much of the local news printed daily
is not news when it reaches the
homes of its subscribers, but If the
paper has established a reputation
for attractive and truthful chronicles
will but add zest and eagerness TO
desire to devour the written account.
The publisher should keep in touch
with the best sentiment of his COM
munity. There is not small city
lin all this land where the better eie-
ment. those who believe in morality,
in the majesty of the law and the sup
preston of vice, are not in the maj
ority. This element is made up OF
the substantial business men who APP
preciate the fact that the value ana
security of their property rests upon
the supremacy of the law; OF the pro-
lfessional men, the lawyers, doctors,
preachers and teachers who know
that the foundations of society ana
the sancity of the home, the advance
ment of the churches and the encour-
agement of education depend upon the
enthronement of honesty, truth ana
morality and the suppression OF crime
and vice. The newspaper which de-
serves support is the unrelenting foe
of the forces of vice and corruption
and immortality in all classes and in
all stations of life. He would be
bold man indeed who would predict
the success of a daily paper in
small city where its power and intiu-
ence were thrown in the balance
against good government, morality
and public decency. But the publish
er must not advocate law and uphold
order merely for policy's sake but be-
cause it is right to do SO. He must
so live before the community that MS
daily walk in life will be guarantee
of the sincerity of his papers utter
ances The editor or publisher OF a
daily paper in small city is as much
lit. earvont as the teachers ana