The state-line herald. (North Lemmon, Adams County, N.D.) 1907-1912, 1911-02-03

advertising The referendum laws.
reasonable economy is just and
proper. and that the state had 10
pay heaTily beyond reason 10,
tte publication Of measures last
year .s 10 Ire deplored, while il il
but just oa the part 81 tie legls.
!a.Gre 10 devlse means 70 bring
the mater within r@asoEal l.
bounds Of economy. But the
measure advocated in the Cur.
.iss Senate bill 40. 56 Is deserF.
ing 81 Serious cersgre, as failing
utterly in solving the publicity
problem II the first place, the
bill strikes sgUarely a. the right
Of the newspaper Is the proper
vehicle for ttl~ dissemination Of
matters Of public import This
is the newspapers right TO
guard. and in guarding this
right, tie newspaper must look
upon Ser. Curtiss as distinctly
hostile to the press and its mis-
sion. No better plan can be de-
Eised 10 inform the public on
the matter on which it is TO pass
judgment, than proper dissem-
.ration through the agency OF
the newspaper. The objection
- the law as it was worked out
last year. is the fact that an ex-
orbitart allowance vas made to
z few papers Of the state, three
in each county. VI b il e the
others had TO 60 without reason
able payment for furnishing pub
Hcity But be that as it may.
the matter Of informing the
public Oh matters Of moment is
the inalierable right Of the
Of the newspaper, the modern
vehicle Of dissemination OF infor-
nation. You might as well 90
sack 10 the methods Of the old
tine village bead!e and have him
cry C.,r Trg-yl1r raaf-s-r~S with voice
and bell. as 70 resort to the lame
-Ipediert of reaching the public
ear with pamphlets and broad
sides. II the lawmakers were
to SCI decent price alive and
ct live price on the publication
Of The referendum laws in any
and all tie papers Of the state
nat are willing 70 insert them
. SaE once or twice before election.
instead Of herding the job out to
z bunch Of favored papers, the
object will have been attained.
Furthermore Sen. Cqrtiss' bill is
another effort 70 mass q lot Of
state work into the hands Of al
lev concerns. a big job Of
printing will be lei out for bogus
competition among the few big
ger printing plants Of the state,
and nat these will, by quiet ar
rant cement, so they can share in
the spoil of the Job, is safe enough |
10 prophesy. Even if the legs-
lature should decide on the Cur
tiss method Of dissemination OF |
the text Of referenda, fairness
and justice 10 the state at large,
an IN particular 10 its struggl- |
.ag printing plants would de-
n no hat the printing necessary
t. supply each cognty should be
done under the order Of the coun
y commissioners Of each indiy-
dual county. subject to reason
ABLE competition for the work
among the printing Offices Of
hat county But, better than
inc vain effort Of circulating
hand bills and pamphle S. the
legislature should decide to stand
oy the newspaper, and guard the
K asonable prerogatives that have
made it SO valuable a factor in
he development Of the state and
IS various integral parts. And 4;
THIS can BE- done at less cost
lhan the heavy price paid last
year. What the legislature should
Do, to cut down the expense more
than anything else, is to change
the law s., that the public be
not bothered with 50 MANY fraaL