The Sentinel=record., 1914-06-23

papers are not asking the state 10 make publications simply to provide | revenue for the Press. but they are asking the state to publish in the newspapers the information which the people should have, and which the people want; information which often escapes newspaper comment because it is shielded from the public for va rious and ofttimes mysterious, reasons; information which will put the grafter to flight and result in an enormous saving to the taxpayers of Arkansas by diverting thousands of dollars an nually into the treasury of the people, from the hands of thieves and plunder- CTS and other unholy channels of no benefit to the state
 Ignorance Vs. Publicity.
 Ignorance and darkness make the path of the plunderer easy and wide Publicity and enlightenment make the public official, who would be crooked in the darkness, tread the straight and narrow path of honesty to his con stituents. The paramount issue in the consideration of Act No 3 is THE NEED AND VALUE OF PUBLICITY. | If the people are to continue manifest ing an interest in public affairs, 1 THERE MUST BD PUBLICITY. If they seem dsinterested now, THERE ISN'T ENOUGH PUBLICITY. And | when the people lose interest in pub lie affairs, taxes increase plunderers l prosper, revolutions rage and anarchy replaces a peaceful and stable Govern l ment.
 Publicity is the fountain of eco | nomy; it is the surest cure for extra vagance Publicity checks and eventu- ally destroys graft: it preserves unto
 the end of time the peace and honor | of the state.
 | The Value of f..
 | "Tf Act No. is adopted by the peo- | pie, the State of Arkansas will save
 each year from graft and extravagance far more than the expense of publicity.
 and the state will reap an abundant | harvest in the education of her peo- | pie, in the enlightenment of those who | do the voting, and in the creation of a good, healthy sentiment and good 1 wholesome interest in public affairs" :" In this connection, the brief points
 out that the prposed law fizs the rate
 of publication at one-half the legal
 rate Full legal rates are authorized | by the Constitution, and the words 1 "one-half" could have been easily omit | ted from the bill But the newspapers
 could. as a rule, handle such puhlica- | tions at half the legal rate and this is 1 about their customary advertising rate.
 It wasn't a question of graft for the
 newspapers, the brief points out, but
 question of making it possible and
 profitable for the state to furnish the
 information the people demand. Speak
 ing of the duty of the Press in such
 matters, the brief says
 One of the very best reasons why
 the newspapers should be paid for this
 service is that it might be possible for | designing individuals to suppress pub | lications that were not ordered and
 paid for by the state county, or city
 An editor is human, and he may have
 his friends now and then to protect
 for personal or other good reasons. | uis best advertiser may be involved
 fin the list of fraudulent tax assess 1 ments, and the temptation might be
 strong to omit mention Of the fact and | thereby enable the fraud to continue, | whereas, if the law required the publi-
 cation and the editor was properly
 paid for the service, his publication of | the matter would not be constructed
 as a breach of personal or business l friendship. Newspapers will, however,
 continue to publish the news, but their | reporters are all human and liable to
 err It is important in matters official,
 fin which all the people are interested, 1 that absolute accuracy be guaranteed, | and the best assurance is in official
 publication, by order of the state, coun-
 ty or city officials, as the case may be.
 The Free Education of the People.
 "The people of Arkansas have seen
 fit to make liberal appropriations | every year for the maintenance and l upbuiiding of her public schools. The
 country school, the city school the | high school. the agricultural schools, i the state normais, the university and | other like institutions are liberally 1 provided for by every session of the | Legislature. The people approve, be- 1 cause they believe in the cause of
 education, and they know the state is l reaping abundant returns from this in- vestment. Act No. 3 is carrying the
 same principle a little further. It | provides for the constant education of | the people on their public affairs in
 which, as tax payers and loyal citi- zens, they are vitally interested. Act 1 No. will cost a trifle annually, in | comparison with the expense of free schools, yet it is doubtful if free schools are very much more im- portant to the welfare and future of tho commonwealth than the thorough enlightenment of the people at all
 times on public affairs. Free educa- 1 tion must be maintained at any cost, in public schools where training for citi- l zpnebfD and tbrntfgh Drhl{cftv in th a