Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-04-05
SOME PLAIN REMARKS.

The Observer desires to serve no
tice here and now that no candidate
for office who is making his fight on
a mistaken notion of economy, in
that he advocates measures which
will result in the elimination of the
newspaper as a means for the proper
circulation of legal or other notices,
substituting therefor the mails or the
trees and dead walls, need expect the
support of this newspaper, be he Re-
publican, Democrat Socialist Mug
wump, Progressive or Standpatter.
The newspaper is the only legitimate
means to inform the people 1t is
the only way that notices affecting
the public may be brought to the at
tention of the greatest number. When
a candidate for office attempts to ride
into public favor by preaching econ
0my at the expense of the newspa-
pers and against the greatest good for
the greatest number, he will have to
get there without the boosting of
this publication.
This plan has long been fayorite
one with certain class of patriots
who imagine that the surest way to
gain votes is to declare that some
body has been grating off the pub
lie" or that, If he be given the power,
he will see that "all Illegal and un-
necessary expense is stopped" 1t is
an old fantasy, but it. often catches
the votes. After the candidate has
been successful and the expenses,iin
place of being reduced, mount to still
higher figures, the men who voted for
him on the strength of his economy
plea, often wonder where the trouble
is as they look in vain for his prom
ised reforms.
Among a certain class it appears
to be the popular thing to attack the
newspapers, and If II be found pos
sible to eliminate some of their profits
and reduce their support, these wise
acres imagine that they have per-
formed a mighty public service. 1t |
seems to be the idea with these peo- |
pie that the newspapers are a sort of /
expense to the public. a load to carry |
which should be lightened as much |
as possible. Yet, as we look around |
MS. we fail to find very many newspa-
per .proprietors riding around in
seven-passenger touring cars or taxi
ing vacation jaunts to Europe The
fact is that there is no other institu-
tion, or a dozen of them together.
that does so much for its city and its
county as the country newspaper, and
1t is high time that the tlghtwads
who would curtail their legitimate
revenue were made TO realize II.
Every issue OF the Dallas news
papers is boost for this city and
both of them are doing their utmost
10 build It up and bring new people
here. Week after week. month after
month, and year after year. they go
'ut into the world. speaking good
words for Dallas and her people q
rhey do more to build il up than any q
,ther one influence and all their ed e
tors expect is the good VIII Of the 1
ieople and the satisfaction that I
.omes from the knowledge of a duty
veil performed. Yet. when oppor-
unity offers. "a certain class never {
Miss an opportunity to whsck the $
newspapers and imagine Il they can q
latch up scheme which viii take 9
way some OF their revenue. they a
ave really done something worth n
fhile,
They may get away with Il. hut OF J.
ne thing they can rest assured: They .
iust look out Tor their political u
eads when they come 20 this print 9
hop asking support y
The Observer trusts that these u
mes will De sufficiently plain that n
he who runs may read" n