The Detroit times., 1914-04-30
The Newspaper Boss

The Republic oyerstretcr ID the bow
little IN blaming the PostDispatch
for abusing members OF the house OF
delegates into defying what is appar'
entity public opinion as 20 bond
Issue TO complete the free bridge. The
PostDispatch newspaper is boss IN
this town II has everybody AFRAID
OF Il and consequently Il Is hated as
faHeh as L. is feared say this With
out prejudice Mostly, the paper Is
right In its fights. but II fights SO
much In way 10 discredit either the
Intelligence or honesty or moth OF
those who dc not agree with IL. that
rs power tends 10 react against Itself.
The paper has crushed too many PEG.
pic who have not agreed With II. IL
has crushed good men with the bad.
Il has become a sort OF infallible pope
90 this town, communicating all
who viii not do exactly what IL says
about everything. other newspapers
have been known TO say they would
take up such and such cause II
the Post-Dispatch would not take the
other side OF H. That's what | call
power The power may be mostly
Used for good ends. | believe IL is.
But still it's too much power 10 be
concentrated In any one shop. and the
operation necessarily generates an
opposition that must In time over
throw the absolutist, infallible claim
ant who yields the power | can re
member when the Republic welded
just such a power, when the owners,
the Knapps. had the say as To the
location OF the Merchants Exchange,
when they settled the fate OF the
bridge. when Democratic conventions
would adjourn until the leaders found
IN the Knapps would support the
slate, when the Knapps forced the
bar association reinstate a disbarred
crook whom they favored, when the
Democratic party leaders nominated
Ter mayor q man that even the dele.
safes who nominated him didn't vote
TOR ar the election, simply because the
knapps insisted. The Republican.
now khe Republic, was as powerful
Ia the eigbteen-seyenties as the Post.
| Dispatch Is now, maybe more So II
/ grew 10 be too powerful and then il
began 10 decline. The Post-Dispatch
/ should remember that history repeats
! Itself IL is accommodating enemies
and II isn't making friends save
among those who like to see other
people roasted" or hammered" It's
advocacy OF men and measures raises
lup opposition in larger power. In
! time its enemies must outnumber its
! friends. Ali OF which doesn't mean
that a man should not do a right
4 l.a.f.. ~. 4 a.
patch favors 1t, or should do a wrong
| thing because the Post-Dispatch is
against II. All mean TO say is that
! the Post-Dispatch exercises such dom.
ination in this town. and in the exer.
cise Of that domination Injuries the
feelings and occasionally the reputa-
lions OF so many people that IL is be
coming unpopular in spite OF the fact
that everybody must read IL II is
somewhat the same with that great
newspaper. the Star. In Kansas City
Toe people read them. the advertis
i erS patronize them, but masses OF
people feel towards them exactly as
did that very human Athenian who
voted 10 Danish Aristides because he
was tired OF hearing him called "the
just The Republic may go a little
too far in justifying the house of dele
gates in passing or failing to pass
measures because the Post Dispatch
criticised or even attacked the dele
gates, but IL is true that the Post
Dispatch Is in danger of loss of pres
tige because OF its power and the ex-
ercise OF il. That exercise may be all
for good but a community in the
long run is likely to resent strongly
being dragooned into goodness even
by brilliant newspaper - Mirror, st.
Louis.