The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-10-04
TO OUR FRIENDS. THE EnToRs

HTo OUR FRIENDS. THE EpiToRs.
Greetings to the editors. OF Montana
and to their wives sisters and sweet
i shearts'
RI Aisseula stretches the clad hand of
proud and delighted 10 have them as
guests at their annual convention and
She nurses the hope that they will
leave with pleasant memories Of their
visit
Since the days of Benjamin Frank
lin aho founded the first real Ameri
Il can new slss pei. the Pennsylvania Ca
1ctts there was never a time when
the work of ,he editor was so vitality
i important 70 the security of this
eiou Never were editors al courage.
sor II needed by country in dis
| tress. Never did the call OF duty ring
SO strong 10 editors rs At this hour,
| when cur people. thrust suddenly into
a great wax. find traitors within
their gates and the trail OF the sym
pathiaiug eopperheads reading into the
! highest council chambers.
Franklin who Was our first and
1 greatest editor. WAS also the first to
recognize the Importance CT unity
Ten years before the Declaration of
Independence he pleaded TOR con
federation OF the colonies when the
war with the French was in prospect.
The people showed little interest but
Mr.. Franklin kept pounding away in
his editorial columns and finally. as
a result OF his energy, there was Il
congress at Albany OF the four royal
of New York, Pennsylvania and
Maryland. That was the beginning OF
the union of the thirteen colonies and
fto Benjamin Franklin, the editor.
more than to any other man. not ex-
ceptins Washington. are VIC indebted
for citizenship in this great republic
| 1
) and for the people.
Franklin knew the value of re tier
alton. He kept standing in the col
umns of the Gazette, the slogan
UNITE OR DIE.
Where could we find a better slc-
: gan for this nation at this hour?
Later n ai5reccipy ho fret ,n,,
tinental congress on July 1. l776.
y Franklin, who was a wit as well as a
philosopher and editor said to his fel.
low delegates: I'VE must all hang
together. or assuredy we ahall hang
separately"
The thought of unity was ever in
his mind, as it should be in the minds
of all of our people at all times but
especially at this time when our lib
# critics are threatened by the enemies
at home
o To arouse our countrymen to the
f danger of division. to unite them to a
single purpose, to drive the "copper"
heads slackers and pro- German sym
: pathizers. the cold, calculating, selfish
Il politicians and office holders from
f their lairs and stretch their hides ON
t the walls-that is the work OF the ed
I ltor and. believe us, it Is a mans
work. It is the work of every one of
the men assembled in Missoula today
d and the state looks TO him for full
n performance of his duty.
The newspapers of Montana have
! had worthy part in the upbuilding of
O this commonwealth. Their editors
- have, with few exceptions. been fear
less men who have struggled hard
against business adversely to maintai In
c fixed ideals Of good government and
II high citizenship. If life Is better be-
p cause Montana has been cleansed of
+ It's evils and made PROGRESSIVE and
S | forward looking, it is because its ed
Il itors have led the way If 1t is to be
g saved from the dangers that are
threatened by breeders Of disorder and
anarchy it will be because the editors
c will rise TO the sacred obligations of
& their raiiing