Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-10-18
A Beautiful Utopia.

In our letterbox, TO winch we are giving
space today specially for that purpose. will be
found interesting communication signed by
Mr.. c. II. Malchien in the nature Of plea to the
newspapers of Omaha to agree on, and give
united support to, the different candidates they
consider best for election to office. Mr.. Mall
CHEN. who is the office manager OF our biggest
department store, insists that whether a man is
a republican democrat, a progressive or a So
cialist should make no difference II he is honest
and conscientious and has the ability to fiji the
position he is striving for, and suggests further
and quite truly that It is just as important to
newspapers to have good clean men in official
places as TO the public. Let the newspapers
get together. pick out the best men who desire
to for office and let them lay their findings
before their readers" is his plan, with the infer
ence Of course, that any slate so agreed upon
will be cheerfully acquiesced in and approved by
the voters
Now, I'VE appreciate the compliment and the
well-intentoned purpose of these suggestions,
and sincerely wish we could persuade ourselves
that the people OF Omaha would be willing to
delegate their right of self-government to their
newspapers but we have to face the cold logic
of facts and experience. The elder Carter Harri-
son was once elected mayor of Chicago not only
without the support. but in the face Of the oppo-
sition Of every English language daily in the
city. In Omaha more recently the proposition
to buy the Auditorium, heartily supported by
two newspapers and not vigorously opposed by
the other, and endorsed by practically all the
business and civic organizations of the city, was
decisively beaten. Just all of our daily news
papers are united behind most of the School
board candidates selected for us by so-called
citizens committee. and still it will hardly be
safe for those Of these candidates. who have com
petitors, to count on a unanimous election In
other words unanmty of newspapers does not
necessarily make unanimity unanimous public
sentiment any more than unanimity of doctors
lawyers or department store managers on any
question would produce the same frame Of mind
among all their clients, patients or patrons.
So far as The Bee is concerned it has been
its policy and will continue to be It's policy, to
support for public office the men who seem to
be the best equipped, and the most dependab BILE
to carry out the policies which we believe will
best promote the public good. The Bee will not
give, nor will it withhold, its support simply be-
cause some other newspaper is for or against
candidate or proposal. The support OF other
newspapers for candidates we favor will be well
coined, but their opposition will not deter us
from advocating what we believe to be right. and
it must be plain to all that no other course will
command public respect and confidence. It
must be plain, also. that there win always be
disagreement, not constant, but occasional be-
tween newspapers between individuals be-
cause they reflect the Engagements OF the COM
munity among whom they have their readers
Just as competition is the life of trade, disagree
ment, discussion, rivalry and craftsmanship are
the forces that propel city, state and nation
along advancing lines of material moral and
political progress.