Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-07-27
PRESS INDEPENDENCE
IN the future the members {

| p0llticS, ana cease TO give their
support to Office seekers whose
only claim 10 consideration is
falong party lines,
The above resolution was adop-
ted st the recent meeting Of the
Press Association at Sioux
Fails and is known as the news
laa]aen ll1e.,a s ,.s,ies4s 81 iYfls."
pendence. 1t is principle for
which the Herald has been con
tending for "a long time. IT the
business is to be made indepen-
dent and self. respecting it will
have to be along the lines laid
down above.
There is nc doubt that today
there exists much aninosity
toward the newspaper business
in the minds Of large numbers of
the people. 1t has been partlcu-
larl.y felt here in Turner county
In the opinion of the Herald this
aninosity is due to the mistakes
Of the editors themselves, most
ly in connection with the pcliti-
cal end Of the business. Like
cackling geese the editors have
shouted for political parties and
factions within parties and
/ fought their fights to the neglect
OF their own business and the
disgust of their friends. Each
editor has seemed TO feel that
the most important duty OF his
position was the enthusiastic
support of the politicians with
! whom he happened to be allied.
Part issa:.n strife i,ists, tagged So
fiercely that editors have not
hesitated TO accuse each other
OF trucking subserviency, de
sire for graft, lying and a total
lack OF honest purpose or pure
ideals. The accused brothers
have returned in kind and what
wonder If altogether we have
finally succeeded in convincing
the public that all the charges
are true and that editors are
generally controlled by outside
influences and guilty Of base and
ulterior purposes? What wonder
that the politicians, after they
are safely elected, have d feeling
of contempt for their newspaper
following! Who respects a pup
pet and a dishonest one at that?
# the papers are ever to gain
the confidence of the public it
must be along the lines laid
down in the above resolution.
Let the editors busy themselves
with advertising and Job work
and refuse to become excited
when political fight is on.
Each political faction insists
that the country will go to smash
if the other side wins. One side
always loses yet the smash new
er comes. Why then take our
politics so seriously2 Why wall
, and rend our garments?
Il A dlgnified support of some
, party or issue is desirable and
commendable. But that does
/ not mean that a paper is to be-
come an organ and belong to the
!. party chairman. Nor need it
defend and excuse all the acts of
{ its own faction and condemn all
coming from the other.
I Why not commend what is
) right and rebuke what is wrong
regardless of party interest and
/ let politicians whose real goal is
office more than principle fight
: their own battles. When this il
{ done the small army of po1iti
q clans will treat uswith increased
VI Difference and the great bulk O
' the people, who never can ane
' never hope toshofd office, will
elgive us gladly their confidence
y,sand respect. When every editor
81 stands first for principle and as
sumes that his editorial brother
en- are doing the &, ss.u,e there vii