Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-09-27

narm QOne on the one mana as OH the
other, and perhaps there is as much
aggravation on the one hand as on the
other; but If there is any justification
on either side, most of it is probably
on the side of the public.
To fully and exactly define the
province Of the press is impossible for
there is no limit as to length, breadth,
heighth nor depth; but as briefly as
possible the first duty Of the newspaper
press is to keep its readers informed
as quickly, fully and as accurately as
possible as to such facts as it should
know, and the duty of those whose
business it is to edit the same Is to
supplement the facts with such obser-
vations and comments as seem proper
to promote a fuller and more correct
understanding.
The most serious abuse Of the press
by the makers thereof arises out Of the
deliberate suppression of facts that
should be known, the distortion Of 9TH
er facts, so as to give them a different
bearing, and the use Of editorial arti-
cles to manufacture an artificial senti-
ment that will conform to ends that
dishonest manipu!ators seek to sub
serve for their own selfish benefit.
Inasmuch as it is 80 patent that no
human being is infallible, it is easy to
see that an editor, no matter how hon.
est, earnest or sincere he may be, may
fail to give important facts through in
ability to get them. He may, through
an honest mistake Of judgment fail to
give facts that really ought to be CIV
en-. He may, through lack Of sufficient
wisdom, make unwholesome comments
that might do harm. But this Is only
mentioned as possibility. Most news
paper editors know what they are do
ing or think they do, and while any of
them are liable to miss, overlook, or
fail to get important facts, or to make
grievous mistakes otherwise, as a gen.
eral thing If their conduct is not
chargeable to actual design it must be
charged to incapacity.
It is not the purpose of this article
to make specific attack on the con-
duct Of any editor; but we say that
we know editors who carefully refrain
from ever giving utterance to what
may be construed as an opinion on
anything. Some Of these editors con-
fine themselves solely to the printing
Of such OF the news as is floating
around loose, as they choose to print,
or are able to print, without particu-
lar idea Of trying to accomplish any,
thing. Others print news Of a certain
character with the idea Of accomplish
ing a certain purpose, and others omit
to publish news Of a certain other
character to the same end. Some do
this. with wholesome and righteous
purpose in view and others do it with
purely selfish motives, but as to which
is which and why, is often difficult to
establish for the reason that there Is
no infallible way Of establishing mo-
tive. The old, old expedient of stealing
the livery Of heaven to serve the devil
Is just as convenient to the editor as 1t
is to other individuals, and it will have
to be admitted that there are editors
who do not hesitate to take advantage
of 1t. This constitutes the most fla
grant source of abuse of the press by
the makers thereof.
But while it Is not to be denied that
the press is abused by many bad men
among those who control iS 1t is equal
ly true that the press is often abused
by people who find in it a serious OBJ
stacle to questionable plans. If we
cared to be specific we would be able
to cite numerous examples from our
own experience. We have more than
once tried to direct sentiment in a
given direction that we conceived to be
right and for the best interest of our
readers. Sometimes We have had op-
position and sometimes we have had
none, and We have succeeded and fail
ed both with and without opposition.
But that is not exactly the point we
are seeking to illustrate.
Those who have made even a casual
study Of human nature very we'll un-
derstand how easy it is to arouse hos
tile aggression in the average disinter-
ested individual by representing to
that individual that some other person
or influence Is trying to make use Of
him without his consent. There Is
nothing that is simpler, and nothing
more common perhaps than the old, old
but still effective cry of stop thief"
so often used by the fleeing rogue to
give the impression that his pursuers
are really after an imaginary man fur
ther ahead, and that he himself is one
of the pursuing crowd. Many and many
time the first information that we
would have Of some projected munich
pal move of questionable righteousness
would be the rumor that it was desir-
ed to do so and so, and The Enquirer
was opposing; but the people would do
1t anyway as they did not intend to al
low The Enquirer to run the town.
Every newspaper of any reputation
anywhere, has had similar experiences,
and such experiences will continue, for
no newspaper editor has yet found an
effective means of exposing such a
fraud. A sufficient reason is that the
originator of the scheme begins in the
dark, works in the dark, and declares
that he never heard or thought of such
a thing.
In the same way 1t Is common for
candidates for office to represent that
they are being opposed by newspa-
pers for some unworthy reason. Of
course where the candidate attacks the
newspaper openly through its columns,
the newspaper cannot complain. That
is fair. But few newspapers there are
that have not had the experience Of
having candidates run around making
straw men of them secretly among ig-
norant people who do not read. but
who will not stand for the unfair dis
advantages that is being implied in the
manufactured charge. AS to whether
this kind of thing really hurts the
newspapers, is quite doubtful. We do