Williston graphic., 1919-05-15
new. ACT MAKES
A FREED PRESS
Printing eiiI, Passed by Farmers, 10
First Move to Make Certain Free.
dom Tor Newspapers Of state.

OF all the reform measures passed
by the farmers at the last session OF
the legislature, none has received more
attention and more unfair interpreta-
don than the law affecting newspapers
and commonly known as the printing
bill or the official newspaper bill. The
occasion for this attention probably
has been the fact that it affected the
newspapers, and the newspaper men
Of the state, interested in their own
business, have given columns to its
discussion and to it's denunciatiOn. In
most cases those who oppose 1t and
decry its terms are like children who
do not know what is good for them
and wall aloud when the remedial
medicine is placed to their lips.
The Law Is Good One
Despite this reluctant attitude Of the
newspaper men of the state, the law
is a good one, not alone for the tax
payers but for the newspapers them
selves. There can be no argument
against that part of the law relating
to these points:
The saving and benefit of hav-
Ing one official newspaper, in
stead of three in each county;
The election Of that newspaper
by the people, rather than hay
ing it appointed by gang-control-
led officials;
The publication in that news
paper of all county and state no.
tices now required by law to be
published.
These three points no ultra-gang
newspaper has as yet dared to ques-
ton or controvert. A sulky accept
ance of the inevitable is noted and a
curtailment of the amount Of pie
available is looked forward to with
forebodings and dismal mein.
What the Row Is About
But in more or less resignedly ac-
cepting this deprivation of the politi-
cal plums that have garnished the
newspaper mems table since statehood,
does not mean that the newspaper
man will stand stoically by and see
other sources of revenue interfered
with. Perhaps the farmers are run
aing this state but they are NOT run
ming the newspaper business, Hence
the hue and cry is raised entirely
about one feature of the bill and that
Is, that portion which requires all
legal notices Of every sort required to
be published, to be published in the
official newspaper designated by the
people.
That part Of the law will take
away from those newspapers friendly
to the lawyers and the great interests
that patronage that they gained by
''being good" The newspaper that
fought the farmer was recognized
by the lawyer with legal notice to
print and by the loan company with
a real estate mortgage notice to pub
lish. In other words the newspapers
were supplied with the "sinews of
war" by the farmers enemies and
were, enabled to keep up hostilities in
definitely.
If the law goes into effect-and it
will !-the lawyer cannot ''place' his
business where it will buy him any
political or partisan advantage. 1t will
buy him just the publicity the law
provides for, and no more. The big
corporation cannot "place" it's patron
age with the newspaper that supports
Big Business in order to encourage its
slanders upon the farmer. 1t must
place it's business where the voters say
and it will get exact value received,
and not q shadow more.
The Ultimate Result
What will be the outcome? First,
when newspaper becomes candi-
date for official paper, it will and it
must assume the attitude of a cahdi-
date for office. It must seek to gain
the goodwill Of the voters, to espouse
their cause and to placate their illwill,
If such has existed. How many news.
papers will fail to desire the honor
and the emoluments resulting from
having gained the designation Of Off
sial paper of the county? Very few,
These newspapers, anxious to secure
that honor, will be more careful to ac-
cord with the will of the majority and
if defeated in one election, will shape
their course to the next so as to be in
position to gain votes. Thus we shall
have a more general desire to serve
the majority and that is true de-
mocracy. .~..
Second, we shall have newspapers
freed from domination of lawyers and
politicians. This ''big gum here has
In his hands the giving out Of large
quantity of legal printing. If he
frowns upon an editorial endeavor, we
know that the coveted printing will 60
to the other fellow who has fawned
upon him better and who has known
how to
Bend the pregnant hinges
of the knee -..
That thrift may follow fawning."
That is true autocracy. Relieved Of
that necessity, newspaper men may
stand erect and tell the helpless and
disarmed tyrants to go where the
kaiser has been consigned to by q