Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-10-19
POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT.
[Sioux City Journal

[Sioux City Journal
Some South Dakota newspapers are
criticising other newspapers for PRINT
ing in their advertising columns po-
litical matter that does not agree with
the policy Of the paper. For instance.
it is held to be uniting that a repub-
!ican paper should print advertising
containing arguments in favor OF the
democratic platform or candidates.
The intimation is that In thus giving
circulation to the arguments OF the
opposition the republican publisher Is
disloyal to his party-is placing mer-
cenarism above patriotism. 1t is an old
debate, handed down from the time
when craftsmanship was synonymous
with patriotism and every newspaper
was party organ first and newspa-
per afterward. The dispute Is becom-
ing more one sided every year. Pres
emily there will be none to deny that
newspaper which prints all the po-
litical news that is fit to print Is act
ing tremendously In printing all po-
litical advertising that is ut to print
In the old days-the good old days.
as they often are called-most news,
papers were maintained as party or
gans Advertising was then an unoe-
veloped side of the newspaper bust
ness and subscription lists were not
large enough to be profitable. News
papers needed support" in those days
and many Of them were supported
financially without strict regard to
business principles. II was the usual
thing for each community to have two
newspapers devoted to the interests
of the rival political parties. Repub-
he
paper-that is to say, they subscribed
for it and advertised in ito q very
limited extent-as a party duty.
Democrats supported the democratic
newspaper with their subscriptions
and their advertising patronage. Thus
the newspapers on both sides became
party organs. The republican newspa-
per printed very little democratic
news and vice versa. One party or
gan rarely thought OF giving a fair
report OF speech for the opposing
party. II the speech was reported at
all 1t was with an editorial bias calcu-
lated to minimize or counterAct It's
arguments. Under these standards OF
newspapering republicans printed only
political news pleasing to republicans.
while democrats had to look to the
democratic newspapers for news and
comment favorable to their party. The
rare individual who wanted to get
both sides had to subscribe for both
party organs. With such customs pre-
vailing the publicity agents of one
party would never think u asking the
privilege of inserting paid advertiSinS
in the opposition sheet. II would In
fact have been utterly inappropriate.
In modern newspaperfng the party
! organ virtually has disappea1ed. The
modern newspaper, whether daily OF
weekly. is published as q business
proposition. 1t gets It's subscribers
from all parties and its commercial
advertising from business men regard
LESS OF party. TO please It's omniI,ar-
, tisan constituency Il must print the
| news Of all paTties-print 1t. In the
main. fairly and without bias. Edi-
torially each newspaper usually has !
J preference for Some party and feels
| free ID argue for Its candidate and
policies. But even here tho really en-
lightencd newspaper does not try &c
misrepresent political facts or distor
the record to make Developments coin.
eide with partisan point OF Wow. A
perfect record In this regard Is mo-
often made. Of course, but fairness II
approximated by most newspapers
dairy and weekly. the county oxefs,sf
y With existing CONDITIONS pr.vais;ss;;