The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1917-08-09
NEWS OF NEWSPAPERS.
! Journalism the clief Weapon
of Democracy.

journalism the Cl,ief Weapon 4
Of Democracy.
~
From an address by Walter Williams,
dean Of the school OF Journalism of tho
University OF Missouri.
The service of constructive criticism
fails within the province of the prose.
Mistakes will be made in the Conduct OF
the wer-mistakes have hees made In the
condhctso of the war, 1t Is the duty OF the
press, freed from the ~tiesfies OF partisah-
ship and without thought OF selfish adj
vantage, to point out in the broadcast way
such mistakes ard thereby to guard as
far AZ may he possible III ,iinst their rrv
currenee. individuals temporarily holding
public office-clothed with n little brief
authority or large-wiII wish to be fres OF
publicity and OF criticism. The press must
not grant them this freedom. 1t will not
grant ii. Methods of taxation. of the dele
cation of power. OF the raising Of revenu
and OF its disbursement. questions as to
the aim and purpose of the war and of it's
continuance are of vital interest and inn
portance to the American people.
Supreme Task of Press.
Here again the press has a plain dnty
to perform. Publicity viii cure evils lin
war time no less than in the piping days
of peace. A single eSample-in the EN-
forcement of the seiectiye draft measure
young men within the draft ages were
asked to answer a question regarding ex-
emption, a question unfortunately eX-
pressed and which at the last 1t WIS
sought to withdraw or explain away.
When the question was honestly answered
in accordance with the registration blanks,
we we're sravely 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
euiSfYatjDn totals ShpYl1d ppIts1 nartaip
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 Stacker communities
were u~nwarrantedly made. It is in con-
nection with such practices as these and
matters of much larger CONSEQUENCES in,
yolving 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 well reasoned victory, TN
fortunately the victory was not won uJ,on
the plain issue OF the freedom Of the press
fundamental to a democraey-but was
in some measure the result of the desire
of certain members of congress to oppose
a bill presented by one OF the agents OF
the people in office in Washington. VIC
tory did not come upon the broad ground
of the constitutional ~prerogative of the
nroS huf 70 a &Harran anon p1nIIEa6 q MI
partisan issues. Fortunately, however,
we nave a constitutional provision upon
which the press may stand. Let me quote
from an old document which is stiu the
supreme law In the United States. made
for times OF war. as fort Init as OF peace.
Congress shall nave no power" says the
constitution of the United States, ito pass
Jaws abriiging the freedom of speech or
syof the press"
The people OF this republic. 1t may be
said in passing. declined to ratify the con-
st:tution until this addition thereto was
agreed upon.
Publicity Aid in War Time.
Back even TO the constitution Is the
fundamental right and necessity OF ub-
lie opinion to express itseIf-without which
there is no democracy. We come hereto
the interior power. The statement Of It's
sovereignty needs no apology. Not only
the honor and dignity but the very ex!s-
O. ~ itss-4 gN4SS NSRStt aIFbIIf
it. To preserve and promote them, by
the creation of a sound and wholesome
public opinion, is the supreme task to
which the press must summon its every
resource. let no sO-calfed necessity OF
war be permitted to be a cover for re-
dictionary measures. It 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.
II the press of Europe had been for a
century free to print the news uncoiored
by government influence. II it had been
free to discuss in public the machtnatIons
of diplomacy. this hideous war would not
lsssss come. Certainly national antagon-
isms We're increased and racial hatreds
embsttered by the International news
served out by official or semi-official
sources. the Wolff agency in Germany,
Renters in England. the Havasi in France,
the Corresponding Wilhelm in aAustria,
the Stefanie in Italy. the Ministry Of the
Telegraph - frankly official-in Russia,
and others in other lands. The news al
thus circulated was seldom the actual
truth-t was what the g~oveFEiaents
wished the people of their own nations
and the governments and people OF other
nationsfsto thing was the truth Let us
permit no such ~frfghtful blunder to he
made-even under the specious plea Of
military necesstty-in this republic. Many
others than Bismarck manipulated the
news. War took place in the open be-
cause-tharksst TO an ensiaved and compla-
cert ss pses.s-t he . epafatioH therefore
rrre carried on lnssecret. Censorship was
mn accessory before the colossal crime 81
war even u It was not a principal tn
bringing Il about.
Private Property Of Autocrats.
From the. Omaha World-Hernid
ERcw tie. aNtocyatsl OF Russia robbed the
peOs,le liz very plainly shownssby the
aHsourit&s q property the car ard Il
srarFd dukes he'd Hf-their own names. It
rs the provisional Russian.
gotessssfp1s1It nssse;zNcd yaIped at