Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-03-18
EDITORIAL CONVENTION
PASSES into HISTORY

present time and without very muci
credit for it, either It is a goot
deal easier ito say how you woult
pass Iaws-yes, or even saw wood
than it is to do 1t.
In regard to woman's suffrage
which the speaker wished distinctly
understood to be matter in which
she was in favor, the question was
put: If it does not make any diff.
ference to one woman whether an
other wants to vote or not, does il
make difference to the nation al
large whether a large majority OF
it's unfranchised voters appreciate
the ballot enough to use it or not?
If it does make a difference whether
voters are interested or disinterest.
ed, should the vote be given to WON
en- before the majority of them
want it and want it badly enough to
use it when they get it?
! True, the negro was given the bal
lot without even asking for it, but
every one knows the negroI does not
vote; and Furthermore, if we have
| fallen into the mudhole once, we
need not do it again. We can afford
to make haste slowly. The women
of Iowa are waking up to the fact
that they want to vote and within
the next few years they will come
in larger numbers to the side of this
cause. And the senator, who has
been mentioned by the editor of the
Suffragist, probably did more than
any other speaker in the senate to
make the women of the state stop
and really think upon the subject,
regardless of the attitude which he
has taken in the matter.
A number of the editors also eX-
pressed themselves in favor of the
equal suffrage cause and one gave
the very practical suggestion that if
Information sent out by the suffrage
bureau were put into articles Of
three or four sticks in length-not
too long-and sent, to the papers it
would be gladly received and print
ed.
The second paper of the morning
was given by Elmer E. Taylor of
the Traer Star-Clipper on Getting
the List by Giving the News" Mr..
Taylor took for his model the COM
plete county newspaper as repre-
sented by the Traer Star-Clipper,
which he has divided according to
pages as follows: Page Local
news with heads on every other col
umn; page editorial; page 8
neighborhood news. including items
from surrounding counties and one
column of state news; pages and
5-county correspondence; page 6
news culled from other county
papers; page Overflow page; page
In order to increase your circula-
ton, said Mr.. Taylor, you must first
Shave something to give for the
money and he mentioned among 9TH
err things al interest to the general
public, court proceedings, real estate
transfers, marriage licenses, general
court house news told in the Ian
guage of every day use and not in
legal phraseology, review of inter
esting things to be found in county
records, notes on former residents,
and other matters which will sug-
gest themselves to the active editor,
such as the liquor licenses issued,
which he characterized as red hot
stuff. A plea for originality in the,
writing of news was also entered by
the speaker and the utter useless
ness of many meaningless phrases
printed was shown in forceful and
humorous way.
AuNtl tlSihS was ucCldEeu W nave
reached a healthy business basis.
Canvassing for subscribers was not
very favorabiy spoken of except in
the first few years of the life of a
paper, when it is getting it's start.
A little personal canvass on the part
Of the editor was declared profitable
both from the standpoint of increas-
ed subscriptions and facilities it af-
fords for the editor to get acquaint-
ed with his constituency, so to
speak. Premiums were spoken of as
desirable in the matter of new sub
scriptions and the paying up of old
ones.
Turning then from the practical
to the more ideal side of the paper,
or perhaps we should say to the edu-
cative side. Mr.. Taylor said in part
that the bigger the list of subscrib-
ers, the more you can do, for the pa
per breaches every week to its little