Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-08-09

NEWS OF NEWSPAPERS.
Journalism the Chief Weapon
Of Democracy.

FROM all 6NuICSS wv NollcL w AltioAtia.
dean of the school of journalism of the
University OF Missouri.
The service of constructive criticism
falls within the. province OF the press.
Mistakes will be made in the conduct OF
the war-1nistakes have been made in the
conduct of the war. 1t is the duty OF tha
press, freed from the meshes of p%artisan-
ship and without thought OF selfish ad-
vantage. to point out in the broadcast way,
such mistakes and thereby to guard as
far as may be possible against their res
currence. individuals temporarily holding
public officc-clothed with a little brief
authority or large-will wish to be free OF
publicity and of criticism. The press must
not grant them this freedom. 1t will not
grant it. Methods of taxation, of the dele
cation of power, of the raising of revenue
and of its disbursement. questions as to
the aim and purpose of the war and of its
continuance are of vital interest and im-
portance 10 the American people.
Supreme Task of Press.
Here again the press has a plain duty
to perform. Publicity will cure evils in
war time no less than i'm the piping days
Of peace. A single eNample-in the en-
forcement of the selectivc draft measure
young men within the draft ages We're
asked to answer Il question regarding eN-
emption, a question unfortunately ex-
pressed and which at the last it was
VO0Slll w :" NP1A' WY
When tho question was honestly answered
i'm accordance with the registration blanks.
we We're gravely told that reply thereto
constituted cowardice on the part of those
who replied. Again. statements sent out
from Washington Numbered into the
bureaucratic error of announcing that
registration totals should equal certain
census figures. These figures however
were estimates made on the census Of
1910, pure guess work as to the probable
growth of states in population from 1910
to 1917, an estimate manifestly impossible
to make with any degree of accuracy. On
such census bureau estimates charges Of
Stacker states and slacker~ communities
We're u~nwarrantedly made. 1t is in con-
nection with such practices as these and
matters of much larger consequences, in
volving property and life and liberty itself.
that the press of the country must do the
service of constructive criticism. Bureau
cracy as we'll as autocracy is the enemy
of democracy.
No more important battle in behalf of
democracy has been waged in recent years
than the struggle in congress against the
enactment OF the censorship provision of,
the espionage bill. AS members of the
profession of journalism, charged with
solemn responsibilities in this grave hour.
we may not congratulate ourselves upon a
complete and we'll reasoned victory. I'm
fortunately the victory was not Won upon
,llle lIalH Issue VI luc iICS0OIl VI IN RICSS
Fundamental to a democracy-but was
i'm some measure the result of the desire
OF certain members of congress to oppose
b bill presented by one of the agents OF
the people i'm office in Washington. Vic
tory did not come upon the broad ground
OF the constitutional pr%erogative of the
press, but to a degree upon clouded and
partisan issues. Fortunately, however.
we a " a constitutional provision upon
which the press may stand. Let me quote
from an old which is still tho
supreme law in the United States. made
for times of war. as for times Of peace.
Congress shall have no power" says the
| constitution of the United States, Ito pass
| laws abridging the freedom of speech or
of the press"
1.-The people of this republic, it may be
| said in passing. declined to ratify the con-
stitution until this addition thereto was
| agreed upon.
Publicity Aid in War Time.
Back even to the constitution is the
| fundamental right and necessity of pub
lie opinion to express itself-without which
there is no democracy. We come here to
| the Interior power. The statement of its
sovereignty needs 10 apology. Not only
! the honor and dignity but the very exis-
tence of a democratic state depend upon
it. To preserve and promote them. by
| the creation of a ound and wholesome
! public opinion, is the supreme task to
| which the press must summon its every
resource. Let no so-called necessity OF
war be permitted to be a cover for re-
dictionary measures. 1t hath not yet been
proved that a republic armed to the teeth
and bent only upon material things shall
endure. 1t is the spirit of nations, as of
men, that keepeth alive.
Would Have Prevented War.
If the press OF Europe had been for a
century free to print the news uncolored.
by government influence, if it had been
free to discuss in public the Vaccinations
of diplomacy, this hideous war would not
have come. Certainly national antagon-
tsms were increased and racial hatredfs
embittered by the International news
served out by official or semi-official
sources. the Wolff agency in Germany.
Reuters in England, the Havas in France
the Correspondent Wilhelm in Austria,
the Stefanie in Italy, the Ministry Of the
Telegraph - frankly official lin Russia,
and others In other lands. The news aa
thus circulated was seldom the actual
truth 1t was what the governments
wished the people OF their own nations
and the. governments and people of other
nations to hin was the truth. Let US
permit no such frightful ;blunder to be
made-even under the specious plea Of
military neceasity-in this republic. Many
others than Bismarck manipulated thu
news Wal took place in the open be-
cause-thanks to an enslaved and compla-
cent press-the preparations therefore
were carried Of in secret. Censorship was
an accessory before the colossal crime Of
war even II 1t was not a principal In
bringing It about.
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Freedom Never Is Downed.
i A0nRfNR E6u,oWd n II II o.z---