El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-07-12

protect himself from exposure Of his per.
sonal misdeeds, it 10 sacrificing and ren0urC.
ing the aforesaid sacred and inviolable right
and duty of telling the truth to the people
about their servants.
As Judge William Howard Taft said In
the case Of Judges, for instance, 'sThe OPP
Iportunity freely and publicly to c~ritfcise
their actions is the only practical and avail
able instrument in the hands of a free PEG.
pie to keep them alive to the demands of
the people whom they serve"
This has been the steadfast policy Of this
newspaper-to tell the truth about public
officials or men seeking to become public
officials to keep them alive to the demands
of the people whom they serve or desire to
serve. 1t is the great mission of the pub
lie prints; and the newspaper that fails to
live up to it is delinquent In its duty, fall
ing short of its opportunities, curtailing its
usefulness, becoming a mere mechanical In
strumentaIity, with no more moral force
than a linotype or a telegraph wire.
A strong element in this state stands for
the covering up Of official or politi
cal misconduct; for the dissemination under
all circumstances of the fiction that because
3 man holds public office he ceases to be a
common, t%wolegged mar like the rest OF
u.s." that the king can do no wrong; that
respect for public office is founded on the
monstrous faIlacy Of this fictien. Men OF
brains and ability will tell you in effect
that h safety Of the civic edfice depends
ca putting white paint on pillars that are
rotten at the core; on pe~bble-dashing
cracked foundations, on looking crosseyed
at a tottering chimney to make yourself be.
lfeve it is plumb.
Such men consciously or unconsciously
take the position that sound government and
justice depend on observance OF the com,
mandment, Thou Shalt Not Be Found Out"
The New Mexican has a different Idea,
No newspaper that has been a force for bet.
ter government but what has had a different
idea. The idea is that there is only one
standard OF conduct, one of decency, one OF
manhood, one Of honor, for the private citi.
zen. and the man who wears the badge OF
Office. That idea is that the man honored
with public Office is doubiy charged with up
holding this standard; doubly responsible to
his fellow citizens for his official and per.
sonal behavior; that he must expect the
closer scrutiny, the higher his Office; and
that the higher his office the greater the
right of the people to expect scrupuloiis in.
tegrity, to demand it, to know through the
medium Of the press II 1t Is lacking and thus
to exercise that deterrent pressure which
is the best assurance of a continuance Of
that integrity.
Publicity is the safeguard of American
free institutions. Concealment is their most
dangerous enemy. Grant that one official
is immune from exposure or criticism and
you have sacrificed the foundation principle,
thrown away the only instrument that as
sures official integrity, lost the only means
of enforcing official conduct that will merit
and receive public respect and confidence.
The New Mexican stands on the platform
that a newspaper cannot be prevented from
telling the truth about office holders or can
didates; in their official or unofficial capaci.
ties. In SO far as lies in our power we shall
endeavor to demonstrate this fact; and es.
.peciaily upon the younger generation of vot-
ers and citizens, young mel who aspire to
public Office, we urge that they resist with
all their force the dangerous theory that
respect for established institutions is Sc
cured by whitewash.