Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-18
A Newspaper Wow.

Improve Ills COHutliOl ny 6iNihS hiOIc
attention to cattle raising.
A Newspaper Wow. ...
While a newspaper Is in the business
Of getting and printing the news, the
best way In the world to bury piece
of information Is to go to newspaper
and show that the publication Of GER
tain facts would be injurious 10 the
community as a whole or to the sue
cess of some great cause. A. newspa-
per is many times more patriotic and
more careful of the good name Of the
community than individuals are; and
such an appeal will reach a paper 'ev-
cry time. And a newspaper that re-
Fspects itself will maintain silence when
1t agrees to do 80. iNG 80 -
\ But there are times when the per;
SONS themselves most deeply interested
will not maintain silence which the
newspapers are asked to respect. There
were two cases. of. this kind last week.
One was the choice Of DR.. Vines for
president of the college. The Daily
Mail was apprised Of this situation and
could have created havoc by printing
certain information which could not he
disputed. But we kept faith with the
trustees. However there were some
sixteen deacons Of the Baptist church
and trustees who knew all about the
matter and Saturday the Daily Mail
was compelled to print, the town and
some in as remote places as Greenville
in the dark corner, had :ieard Of the
matter, and in somewhat garbled
form. BY printing the simple facts the
Daily Mail did the college a service.
Another instance was a reputed sale
Of the Seybt property and other realty
on North Main street. There were
many. wild rumors afioat and while the
Daily Mail was informed Friday that
1t would hurt the trade to make any
publication then, yet everybody in
town heard of it by Saturday anyway.
Sometimes we think II Is wrong for
a newspaper thus to treat with per-
sons. A. piece Of news is news and
could not injure anyone, perhaps. But
does the public treat as fairly with
the newspapers as 1t wishes newspa-
pers to treat with individuals? How
many persons in Anderson have been
spared annoyance, and how many even
humiliation, by the kindness Of heart
Of the newspaper men? And how have
they appreciated It, -''r' atr .
In some instances by forgetting the
very existence Of newspapers when
they are In possession of news. In 9TH
er instances by going out and actually
lying on the newspapers which had
saved their loved ones from misery
and disgrace.
And yet the demagogues howl that
the newspapers have lost their influ-
ence." Perhaps. so. perhaps, so. But
there Is a thing that most newspapers
have that demagogues have not-a
sense Of responsibility and sense Of
honor, Observation-Disclosures Daily
Mail. ..aa .:.r.' EDr .sra 80
With about the same purpose in view
that the Daily Mail had when 1t print.
ed its remarks; but without any fnten-
ton Of taking Issue with that paper or
agreeing with 1t, we desire to have a
say along the same general line. .8 s
According to our experience and OBJ
servation, 1t is very doubtful as to
whether there Is q newspaper man in
the world who Ia capable Of drawing to
his own satisfaction line between the
things that should be printed and the
things that should not be printed, and
II this be true Is 1t not absurd for q
newspaper man to rely on the cor
rectness of such line which the laity
or any member Of 1t would attempt to
draw? -..'a ~ ..f# rat'
In the everyday experience Of an
editor there Is nothing more common
than the volunteer advice Of individu-
ais as to what to print or what not to
print The man who knows what is
good for the town or what Is not good
for the town, and what is calculated
to help or hurt the public morals or
build up or tear down law and order,
or add to or detract from the commu-
nifty, are very numerous. Nine times
out of ten he comes without even 80
much as dreaming that the editor has
any knowledge of the subject involved
or any other, and fully convinced that
If the editor does assume to have an
opinion, he should not have the gall to
let the fact be known. About the only
impression that an editor can make In
trying to talk to such a man Is that he,
the editor, is a contrary kind Of fool,
who hasn't sense enough to take good
advice when 1t is offered.
But according to our philosophy
there Is no use worrying about people
Of the kind we have referred to or the
kind the Mail complains Of. The iedi-
tor either knows or does not know his
business. If he knows his business he
will attend to the same regardless, and
II he does not know 1t, he Is simply In
bad way. He will never get a great
deal of practical help from the kind Of
people described. -. ..
II there Is any one rule that Is es-
tablished with regard to the quality Of
news 1t Is that the most valuable news
is that which some one has an interest
in suppressing. This being true,
the newspaper man who seeks to print
the news Is in antagonism with some
individual over every piece Of news
that he prints that is worth printing.
And along the same line every practi-
cal newspaper man understands the
fact that the first intimation that
comes Of many important news items
Is through the approach Of individuals
While what the Mail says about the
extent to which the average newspaper
man can be relied upon not to betray a
confidence Is true, 1t would seem that
If this fact teaches the newspaper man
one thing more than another 1t should
be not to be too free In pledging his
confidence. He should rather give to
each and every man who seeks to bind
him to understand that he will use his
discretion.
AS to the particular things Of which
the Mail has made mention, we can see
no reason in the world why any rea-
sonable man should have desired them
Withheld or suppressed, and according
to the Mails statement Of the facts,
we do not believe any one else can see
such reason. But still 1t Is easy to see
how disregard Of a request In either
case could make an enemy, and the
circumstance furnishes a suggestion of
what nice easy bed Of roses the av-
erage editor has to lie on most of the
time.
- Washington, March IT. The speci-
al session Of the senate which began
Immediately after the inauguration Of