Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-08
GOVERNOR GUEST
OF PUBLISHERS
He and Lieutenant Governor
Beidleman Address Closing
Dinner of Convention


of honor last evening at the dinner
which brought the meeting of the
Pennsylvania State Editorial Asso-
| citation and the Associated Dailies OF
Pennsylvania to close. The din
ner was served in the large dining
room on the second floor of the
Penn Harris and was attended by
some sixty guests.
Judge C. II. Bressler, of Lock
Haven, retiring president of the
State Editorial Association, was
POSTMASTER and in his opening ad-
dress outlined the difficulties of the
newspapers during the war, the
tremendously increased costs of
publication and the hardships placed
upon the publishers by the dictates
of Washington. He said the news
pers, and particularly the country
newspapers, had volunteered at the
outset of the war for whatever might
be needed of them and that they
had educated their readers and did
great work in making successful all
the war drives. He said he believed
the papers also had a very large
part in changing public opinion with
regard to the advisability of passing
the good roads loan and paid a high
compliment to Governor Sproul,
whom he introduced, for the excel
lency of his administration and the
wisdom of his politics.
Governor Sproul, who received a
great ovation at the hands of the
publishers, said he was happy to be
present, as his first job had been in
newspaper office. One time,
down in Christiania, he and a husky
colored man turned off the entire
edition of the newspaper by hand
when the little engine that ran the
press refused to work. I'VE put a
handle in the flywheel and turned
the machine by our muscle" he said,
"and [ was happy that the publisher
had lied about his circulation"
His Lifcwork
Newspaper making, the Governor
said, he considered his lifework. He
is part owner of the Chester Times
and said that, he gets more fun out
of writing news story for that pub
lication than anything else he does.
First / bought paper after my
father endorsed my note" he said,
"and soon | found [ would have to
go into some more profitable buSi-
ness to make both ends meet. Then
l. bought a farm and l had to en-
large my outside business still
more in order to get money to keep
the farm going. But always l have
thought of myself as a newspaper
man.
The Governor said the newspapers
of Pennsylvania can do much to
educate the people as to the folly of
the foreign radicalism now being
introduced from abroad. I'VE have
little to fear in Pennsylvania" said
the Governor, because we have a
way here of getting together, talk
ing things over and reaching COM
nonsense conclusions. And we
have public sentiment that is pa
triotic to the core and would stand
for no nonsense at the hands of rad
icals who come here from abroad
and do not understand our ways or
our institutions"
Mr.. BeidIeman's Speech
George W. Wagenseller, of the
Middleburgh Post, introduced Lieu
tenant Governor L. E. Beidleman,
who in the course of his speech said
he felt that what the newspapers
need more than anything else dur
ing the reconstruction period is
courage to print what is right,
whether or not it may be in full
accord with popular sentiment. He
cited Governor Sprouts action in We
toing the bill to forbid the teaching
of German in the schools as an eX-
ample. THE Governor knew the
bill was based on hysteria and that
commonsense dictated that we
should know what our enemies are
talking about" said Mr.. Beidleman,
so he vetoed the bill, even at the
risk of being misunderstood. The
newspapers should take the same
course"
Governor Sproul was elected an
honorary member of the association.
MIR. SadIer Endorsed
At the afternoon sessiof of the as
sembled publishers some important
Circulation" and George J. Campbell,
others being strong approval of the
constructive and consistent sClicy
of the State Department of Highways
with respect to the program of perm
anent road building with special COM
rendation of the firm attitude of
Commissioner Sadler in refusing 20
permit political or other influences to
interfere with the fixed policies of the
department as outlined in his public
statements"
Other resolutions declared that all
advertising required by law to be
published should be printed in Eng
lish newspapers only and that the
United States Government should pay
regular advertising rates for adver-
tising matter.
Walter II. Sayory. a widely known
publisher. discussed the newspaper
outlook in the most optimistic vein
and declared among other things that
the best advertisement Pennsylvania
ever put out was the fifty million
loan for improved highways. He said
nothing the publishers could get be-
hind would ever result in so much
good as enthusiastic support of the
road-building program. Mr.. Savory's S
address was of the most practical
character and very interesting.
Harry L. Johnston, of the Altoona
Mirror. made a hit with a construc-
tive address on the theme Local
News as Circulation Builder" II. c.
Carpenter, OF the Lancaster lntelli-
rencer. discussed advertising and
Circulation" and George j. Campbell,
of Pittsburgh, went into the leSlsla- =
tion as 1t affects the newspapers and
also pointed out important phases OF
the conduct of the newspaper from
the legal standpoint. ]. III. Zerby
~ PottsvilIe. told of his experiences
in the matter of safety appliances
insurance and newspaper annoyances'
A legislative committee of the state
EditoriaI Association was appointed
consisting of L. ]. Stackpole, OF Har-
,;,huro. Georpe i. Campbell. of Pitts