The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-28

ern paper:
As soon as newspaper owner pre-
sents himself as a candidate for Of
flee. his journalistic Judgment ceases
tc possess value. From that moment
ne is employing a public power for. a
private gain The special privileges of
the press are extended to the publish
er only because he is expected to utilize
his overriding powers and his accessi-
| bllity to sources of information for
the benefit of the community at large
a newspaper must be unbiased and
just ie must view men and measures
! according to their merit. It must grant
10 every citizen a fair hearing and es-
innate his attachments without big
otfy or bias A personal ambition
! ne wspaper is a danger to the nation.
II employs its prerogatives to further
the selfish ends of an individual 1t
| is not calm tribunal of the news.
ldlspasslonately analyzing men and
measures, but a house organ sup
ported by the community and favored
With an undeserved support. It is too
Unfair to be taken seriously and an
unsafe guide to political opinions
However, he recognizes that many
excellent men in the newspaper bust
ness do not take this view Mr. Cap
per 1or instance, apparently has an
other viewpoint and the writer would
not lmpugn Mr.. Capper's position 1t
IS certainly all right for a newspaper
man to run for office if he wants to
and Mr.. Capper is certainly entitled to
be candidate il he wants to be gov
ernor of Kansas as well as con-
ductor of an Influential newspaper.
me writer's views, however, 10 not
agree with Mr.. Capper in this re-
sDect. Some of the very best men
IN the newspaper business and some
of the warmest friends of the editor
of this paper hold political office and
perform its duties well, in addition
to running a newspaper.
Still the writer maintains the right
to his own opinions on this subject
and those opinions are very we'll COW
cred by the paragraph quoted above.
The editor and proprietor of this pa
per does, however, hold vice presidency,
of which he is mere than proud. In fact,
1t IS the highest office he has ever
held or expects to hold. He was not
q candidate for the place and was sur
prised when he received it. In fact,
he had been elected four or five hours
before he learned of the election and
not until about the time he received
congratulations from Topeka did lie
know that he was a vice president If
the great Associated Press with 500
newspapers and expending $2.000'000
year for the collection and disscmina-
ton of news for its members.
By the way, the Associated Press i
a wonderful news organization. There
is nothing like it. although there are
imitatOrs. The AssOcia ted Press makes
no profit. 1t is not Il stock company.
1t is the only organization for the col
lection and distribution of news. 1t is
believed, which is conducted without
profit.
The Associated Press is purely a mutual
and cooperative corporation. It's mem
bers being Joined together solely for the
purpose of receiving and exchanging news,
oiS tlle re- - ny stci tlliiss
as franchise. merely membership
and the Emporia Gazette, William Allen
Whites paper, has just as much vote in
the organization on every conceivable mo-
ton with one exception, the choosing OF
the directors. and even for this he has
the same vote as about 700 other papers.
The vote of the Emporia Gazette on mo-
lions resolutions effecting the great
organization counts just the same a
vote by the Chicago Tribune, more,
no less There is no profit in the bust
ness: assessments are made in the pro-
portion to size of city and other condi-
lions, sufficient to pay the expense OF
the organization. IF a surplus accuna-
ulates, the assessment is cut If expenses |
are more, a larger assessment is levied. /
The General Manager and the Directors |
of this great body constitute an organiza- |
ton of newspaper men that is probably |
not eXcened in the world. They are I'M /
derstood to be the very best men in their /
business. They work faithfully without |
paw for the best of the interests of the /
Association. With the exception of the |
General Manager and the Treasurer none |
is paid salary. The others receive |
EXPENSES when they meet.
These Directors represent every phase |
of the most wonderful shop" stories are /
told and stories are related covering |
every phase of drama, literature, art and |
The Directors generally meet in the
morning, take an hour for luncheon and |
work again in the afternoon until nearly |
6 clock. At luncheon the tension is re-
lieved. Politics is tabooed, except foreign /
politics, for the reason that the Board Is /
COmDOSGd great who
are Republicans, Democrats and Inde- I
pendents and who represent every phase
Of INSURGENCY and conservatism but who
do not step upon each others toes, ex- I
cept in good natured way in the mat
ter of politics.
The Associated Press is positively nom
political: it has no platform, nor creed,
except to serve the interests of it's mem
bers. three days session with the /
board OF directors is education in the
newspaper business. Many of these dfrec-
tors go to Europe every year and when
the directors meetings are called in Oc-
tober they have a fine fund of interesting
during the lunch hour.
When business is on, the smallest paper
receives all the consideration, attention
and effort needed to give it a square deal.
and in fact the small papers are given
more consideration than the larger ones
because the larger ones as a rule can take
care of themselves. while the smaller ones
need kindly attention at times.
The devotion of the president, general
and directors to the work of the
seems to be work of love,
and the constant effort Is to strive to do
the right thing by every paper and give
the very best possible news in the very
quickest time and to fulfill the very best
wishes of the papers which demand the
most exacting and promptest service.
Here is the organization which man
ages and conducts the Worldwide
news service for the members, and the
members only-the membership num-
bering about in round numbers 420
evening papers and $50 morning pa
pers.
OFFICERS OF BOARD.
Frank B. Noyes. Washington Star, presi-
dent.