Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-17
lIRCE ELEVATION
OF PUBLIC PRESS
Members OF Military Tract Association
Hear Speakers Plead for
High Standard.
ytrAsAyT MEETING IN ALEDo
rlaim News papers Should Lead In Ad-
vanclng Civic and Moral Inter-
ests of Communities.
lBy STAFF Representative

sfejo July 17-Plans for eleYatlng
cha standard Of newspapers and MAX
.ra them serve the best interests Of
enc communities IN which they are To-
.sta4- we're considered at the 53rd
sa-rf-arruaI meeting Of the Military
~vaet Press association which was
held At tie Merchants hotel at AIedo
yesterday
Dr. A. E. Moody, pastor Of the First
Pres y1erian church, in his address on
sservtge and Worth" spoke Of the great
,regence which the press has, and
urged that it always be ezerted in the
right direction. He said that news
papers are doing q real service for hu-
man!ty, that the world could not do
without them, and that men who make
them should carefully and wisely use
the power which Is placed IN their
hands
The Newspaper and Civic Affairs
was tile theme ably handled by Sher-
man W. Searle, editor OF the Rock Is
land Union. He said that papers
should not be afraid TO take part in
betterlng local conditions. He declar-
Cd it TO DO the mission Of the press
to point out TO the public the things
that lead to civic betterment and prog
ress. lie admitted that it sometimes
took a great deal Of courage TO do
this and that it was easier to eidestep
issues and refuse to take a stand but
that the paper with backbone was sure
in the end to gain the confidence and
esteem Of the community, so essential
10 the life and success Of any publ
cation.
One Of the hest talks given was that
BY a. F. Hunt of the Alexis Argus, who
discussed The Country Newspaper. d
Others to be heard were D. E. Farr,
Aledo. who talked of The Local News
paper from the Merchants Standpoint
aud Guy V. Petit, Reynolds Press, who
told Of the advantages Of membership
IN the State Press association.
James Mckinney. AIedo. former con-
gresham, was called on for brief
talk. in which he discussed the news
PAPER and It's relation 10 the CONNER
ciaI. religious and moral welfare Of the
community. An address Of welcome
was given by c. ". DetwiIer, mayor OF
this city, and Elmer T. Selby, pTesi-
dent of the association, responded.
An interesting feature was a short
talk given by Horace Bigelow Of this
city, aged SO years. He organized tbs
Aledo Record, from which the present
Times Record developed. in 1857, and
TWO years previous to that owned the
Oquawka Plain Dealer. He had com
p!ete files of the Record with him from
the time Of its founding to the present
time and the old papers excited much
comment.
Pass Resolutions.
AT the conclusion Of the addresses
short business session was held. 4
committee. composed Of S. W. Searle
Rock Island; e. J. Clarke, Rosevtlle
and A. Frazier Hunt, Alexis, was ap
pointed TO draft resolutions on thu
death Of John R Camp, for years edi
tor Of the Bushnell Record and foTmel
president Of the association, and alst
thanking the Aledo Retail Merchants
association for the hospitality shown
the visitors.
The resolutions on the passing 0
AIr- Camp were as follows;
Whereas. since the last meeting o
this association. death has taken JONI
r. Camp, a charter member and for
mer president of this organization, ant
for over 80 years connected with tn
Bushnell Record as apprentice, print
er. editor and publisher, and
Whereas, IN the loss Of John +
car,n country journalism Of IlllnOt