The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-03-19
TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1919.
EASY MARK EDITORS.

The public, generally, REGARDS Tue
average editor as the easiest mark In
the community. There is a whole lot
more truth than poetry in the charge
This is especially true of politics.
North Dakota has just gone through
a presidential preference primary cam
paign. While it is true the campaign
generally has lacked either the enthu-
ssiasm or the bitterness that has mark
ed former political scrimmages-at
the same time every editor in the
state has given up column after col
umn Of perfectly good space-and
some of them hundreds of columns
and for what?
What boots 1t to the average North
Dakota editor whether Taft, Roose-
Welt or LaFollette carries the state?
What's the excitement all about?
Why should the editor give for Moth
ing to a political cause or to political
candidates the space for which he
makes business advertisers a large
sums? Why should an editor be ex-
.pected to do it-unless for his gener-
al reputation as an easy mark?
If the editor would not make a
fetish OF p~olitics-if he did not en-
shrine politics as something privilege
'ed-something wholly in a class by it
seif-he would not even be expected
to be so prodigal in his space-and
certainly would not have to.
Why not give politics the reason-
able amount of news space to which
tits e~ntitled-just like a wreck, an cpl
dernic of the measles, the whooping
cough or some other calamity?
Just because Taft, Roosevelt or La
toilette wants to occupy the White
House and draw $4,000 annually for
salary and $4,000 for expenses-why
should the editors of the country give
SO many thousands of dollars in space
$50 many tons of energy-for moth
ing?
There are certain principles for
which the public and individuals must
stand, These can be best advanced by
calm and serious discussion. No
great advantage will be gained by
hysterical agitation.
But the average editor quickly for
gets the principles which he espouses
and merges himself into the personal
ity Of the candidate he favors-aud
gees on a riotous editorial jamboree of
laudation and admiration on the n
side-and v~ituperation and condemna-
ton on the other.
One must take off his headgear TO
the average political candidate or his
manager. The Office seekers and their
boosters manage to get the editors
goats-individually and collectively.
They make the editors pull their
chestnuts out of the fire-and lose sub
scribers and advertisers for champion
ing the cause of men instead of
principles-and sometimes such men!
If John Smith was seeking a $4,000
job from a corporation to have charge
of some department or to do clerical
work-a mere passing mention might
be made of the affair-if Smith and
the pencil pusher happened to be good
friends. But if John Smith decides
DE wants some county office that pays
$1,000 position that may not re-
quire the qualifications needed for a
corporation job-then the editor tears
his neither garments n Immediately
covers himself with glory and perspi-
ration in his excited efforts to land
this place for his friend Smith. II
Smith doesn't happen to be his friend
it's all right, as long as Smith is even
a friend of a friend of the editor. He
not only extolls Smith-but he devotes
columns in telling about the way
Smiths opponent robbed widows and
orphans and peat his wife and starved
his children.
If the job-instead of being a coun-
ty affair-should be either a state OF
a national one-the editor yells all thu
louder-in increased ratio as to the
prominence Of the position sought.
And for what?
It is too much perhaps to hope tina
some day candidates for office will ge'
what publicity they pay for-and a
the same rate as the grocer or tn,
dry goods newfoundland that they
will get no more-and no cheaper.
1t may also be too much to hope tina
some day-political discussions will b,
confined to q dignified discussion o