Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-07

for patriotic endeavor which will pay
immense dividends in the years to
come,
THE BAD INFLUENCE
Newspapers are like people, for
newspapers are made by people caught
up out of the procession of humans
which includes all sorts. As that pro-
cession moves along crowded side
walks on the way to work in the morn
ing, its units separate; men or women
drop out of the line here or there.
Some of them go into stores, some in
to towering of1ce buildings. some into
musty laboratories, some into newspa-
per Offices. And because the news.
paper is the publics handbook Of cur
rent Information and current opinion
the people who make newspapers
merge their personalities into the
printed page, and the newspapers they
make are good or bad In intent, pur-
pose and effect as the people who
make them are good or bad.
To the reader, some newspapers are
like old friends. Then there are other
newspapers. Names on the title page
may change without changing the
newspapers policy. The Chicago Her
aid, last in long line of newspapers
which included The Times. the old
Herald, The Record, The Inter Ocean
and various hyphenated names. had
It's place in the esteem of newspaper
readers. while 1t was conducted by
James Keely. Some Of its views were
not shared by all its readers, Of course,
b. but they came TO feel acquainted with
Now It has gone the way Of bad bus.
mess ventures. The Hearst money
has purchased it and the Hearst 1nfiu.
ence has merged 1t with the Hearst
Chicago Examiner. The hand OF Ar
thur Brisbane has taken the editorial
helm and the sensational, penny-grab-
bling, prejudice-pandering mark Of the
Hearst Brisbane policy shows in every
splotchy, poorly printed page of the
new publication.
Brisbane is the continents champion
demagogue. He is an agitator Wheth-
er he wills it or not his influence is in.
imical to good government and san.
ity. And only today he comes for
ward. in the newspaper over which he
has but recently obtained control, with
al eultOIldl Which, s0A Voe W hius.As'eS
the fact
On its face It Ia friendly, harmless
bit Of advice to farmers, urging them
to organize, as labor, capital, educa-
tors, lawyers and doctors organize But
under its thin veneer of friendliness 1t
is a cunning appeal to prejudice and
a fine bit Of ammunition for that
vicious organization which Brisbane
and Hearst already have espoused I'M
der cover. the Nonpartisan league.
No one objects to farmers organi.
cations. There are many Of them and
each f1lls a place for which 1t Is fitted.
Some cover the whole field, OF agrtcul.
ture; others have to do with distinct
and separate branches, like dairylng,
grain raising, stock feeding. New or
ganizations are forming as reason for
them appears, and they do service
to their members and to society They
serve to broaden the view and the In
fiuenCe OF the farmer. to widen his nor
lion and to bring him into active COM
munication with men engaged in other
lines Of activity. The automobile, ROAD
improvem ent, the telephone, rural mall
delivery and other modern convent
ences which have been extended from
the cities to the rural districts are w1p-
ing out the miles which used to sepa-
rate the farm from the city and break
ing down the barriers that used to sep
arate the farmer from the city man.
They are learning that their purposes
are similar, their likes and disllkea
much the same, their interests inter.
woven. They are forgetting the old
~,f,l ~, nine.
bound in former days.
But Brisbane wants to fan class
hatred. Always he and Hearst have
profited by doing just that. Always
they have followed the course OF the
demagogue. And Just now, with the
country needing all its powers and
strength Of cooperation, common 10y
atty and com4pn citizenship. they are
urging the farmers to organize for DO
litical warfare against every other
class Of citizen. These paragraphs
from the Herald and Examiners edt-
torial of today are typical:
The labor unions are represent
ed by Mr.. Gompers.
In short, every class-educators,
bankers, manufacturers, mer-
chants. railway men, lawyers and
labor organizations-is represent
ed in the high places OF authority.
But where are the representa-.
tives of the most numerous and
the most useful class Of all
classes?
WHERE ARE THE FARMERS?
This appeal to prejudice is made
within few days after the appearance
of A. C. Townley, head Of the Nonpar-
tisan league, before the senate military
committee TN Washington. It's entire
text, no doubt. win be circulated far
and wide by Nonpartisan league organ.
izers az an argument to wiring mem.