The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-03-15
SCISSORS AND PASTE.
Imposing on the Press.
Manufacturers Record }

(mduutdCtuTeT ReCOrQ.)
when the government come to
realize the power and dignity of ad-
vertising to convey it's message direct
to the people?"
The foregoing is the closing para
graph from. an article by Mr. Will
liam III. Field, vice-president of the
Chicago Tribune. in recent issue of
Printers Ink.
Mr.. Field has asked an interesting
question. but we are afraid that it
will be long time before satisfac-
tory answer is given to it.
The United States government has
never recognized the dignity of ad-
vertising properly, but it has persist
emily, through all its various depart
ments. sought to impose upon the
newspapers of the country by asking
for l imitless space provided there is
no charge" The newspapers are con-
stantly receiving from the govern
ment requests for printing this, that
and the other. provided it is done
without charge" which is beneath
the dignity of the government, and
no such requests should be made by
any government department.
1t is proper that information
should be furnished by the govern
ment when it is of character which
will interest the public, leaving to
the individual newspaper the ques-
tion as to it's publication, but no de-
partment should for one moment
ever send any newspaper a request
that the matter be published. pro
vided there is no charge" The gov
ernmen might just as well ask the
maker of pig-iron to furnish his pro-
duct, provided there is no charge"
or to ask the cotton grower, the
wheat grower or the mechanic. or it's
clerks, or it's officials, to furnish
cost as to ask the same of the news
papers.
Nevertheless, the newspapers are
in their patriotism constantly Civ
of the things without which the gov
I ernment could not float Liberty
bonds nor carry on the "ar. Other
patriotic people are giv' their time
to the same work, but they do not
give the product of their factories or
their farms. For such products as
the government needs 1t pays, and
pays literally, except when 1t comes
to newspaper space. and then it eX-
poets the newspapers to give their
time, their. money and all of the
space upon which their existence de-
pends. freely ard literally and with
out dollars expense to the govern
ment and to this il adds constant
hampering restrictions which make
life almost a burden to every pub
Usher.
The government is constantly
struggling to strangle the newspa.
pers. 1t deals with them, to a large
extent as though they were proven
criminals. and should be suppressed.
| instead of recognizing that they are
the very life of the nation, and that
without their heartbeats the nation
would soon be dead
The government puts upon the
newspaper business all the hamper
ing restrictions that petty officials
can devise. and now it proposes, un-
less the bill is repealed, TO put pre-
MUM upon sectionalism by doing its
utmost to destroy nationalism
thro&gh the lessening OF the circula-
tion of national newspapers. Carried
to its logical conclusion. the newspa-
| pers OF broad national circulation
will be destroyed by this bill or they
will OF necessity have to put the cost
upon their subscribers.
In this way the government, while
ant" gonizinG the newspapers with
strangle hold upon their throats, is
at the same time doing its utmost to
! scctionalize the country's thinking
and to sectionaliZe its information
rather than to nationalize its life
Curious Strategy.