Semi-weekly herald., 1911-07-10
THE FREE" PAPER.


A newspaper, to be real newspa-
per, must be free, it must not be tied
up and controlled by any clique or
gang OF subject to the dictaiion of any
boss.
That this is true is n we'll recog-
nized fact but it is just as much a
necessity that it be fair as that ii be
free. If it is unfair for one reason
it is just as bad as though it was
unfair for any other reason, and for
that very reason newspaper man has
to disregard his personal likes and dis
likes and judge men solely upon their
relations To the public.
To newspaper man every man, IN
public life at least, has a dual per-
sonality. John Jinkles, the public of
ficial and John Jinkles, the private
citizen, are as two separate and dis,
tinct individuals, the one is man
whom the public feeds, he is in the
employ Of the taxpayers and they are
entitled TO know all about his official
conduct and his daily procedure, the
other is merely a citizen whose pri-
vate affairs are of no interest, as a
rule, to the public.
The wise official recognizes this and
instead of attempting to blind the
public, to conceal his acts from pub
lie scrutiny, he courts the fullest in
vestigation and is ready, and even
anxious, to give his reasons for such
acts. The inexperienced official, usu-
ally first termer" frequently be-
Genes possessed by the idea that he is
IT, that the public are his serfs and
that it will belittle him to allow them
TO know what is going on in his office,
and it might here be said that Off
cials of this caliber are usually one
terms and one termers only.
When the poet wrote that mo rogue
Ger felt the halter draw with good
opinion of the law" he wrote a truism
that will endure forever, no man en-
joys the criticism of the public when
it is unfavorable and so he is never
at loss for excuses, for more or
less plausible reasons, when an ex-
PLANTATION is asked.
We believe that many officials are
unjustly blamed, that they are con-
demned many times when they should
receive praise, but the facts are that,
as a rule, it is the officials them
selves who are at fault in the matter
CT the wrong Judgment by the people.
IL an official fails to make the re-
ports required by law, or by public in
terest, he deliberately lays himself
open to the charge of being crooked,
he Injuries both himself, his party and
the friends whose votes placed him in
office.
A free newspaper man will rarely
consider politics in commenting ON the
acts Of an official, the fact that the
official has been elected is sufficient
to settle that uestion during the term
of office, for newspaper do not usual
ly engage in political battles during
the off years and the official will find
in the majority of papers staunch
friend as long as his official conduct
merits the friendship.
No official, from the lowest in the
township to the highest in the nation,
can afford TO ignore his constituents
and it is the degree of recognition
given that marks the official as an
honest and conscientious public serv-
ant or a common pie counter CRATER,
the newspapers of his district are the
means by which he can make this rec
ognition, the medium of communica-
tion between he and constituents, and
no reputable paper will Intentionally
misrepresent an official. Party or
gans, when controlled by the gang"
may do so but free paper never
will.
There are, according to general re-
port, few state officials in Colorado |
who might do well to consider these
matters.