Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1919-11-19

heavy responsibility. There is enough
publishing business in Ashland to
support one fairly good newspaper.
There is not enough, nor has there
ever been enough, to support two.
That is the reason the Record plant
has been moved away.
But in a city the size of Ashland
many individual and political inter
ests clash, resulting in what people
call factions" Each faction, of
course is anxious to stand in with
the newspaper and nave it support
its personal or political contention.
To do that would be fine for the
factionalist but it is death to the
newspaper The other faction is
bound to have publicity and not be-
ing able to- get it in one newspaper
ii establishes another, which event !
ually becomes a financial burden to |
both advertisers and subscribers and !
because it has but a part of the to-
tai business the newspaper is not
financially able to produce a publ |
cation that is credit to the town.
There is but one logical way out.
The newspaper must reduce its ac. \
tivities to purely a business basis. |
There is no reason why it cannot be \
done. The proper. function of a
country newspaper is to supply its
readers with all the news. That is }
what they pay for and that is what
they should have. No newspaper can
live on subscriptions alone. The
price is too low for that. Therefore
newspapers have found by selling
space to advertisers they gain the
means of paying the expense Of pub
lication and at the same time give
the advertiser more benefit than he
pays for. In other words it sells
advertising to support itself and
make money for those who buy the
advertising space There its respon-
sibility to individuals ends.
For more than forty years before
the present owners of the Tidings
came here Ashland, every two years
had elected councilmen, mayor and
other city officers, members of coun- b
ty court, legislators They got along
well without our dctation before we
came, and it is our opinion that
there is no danger of the town going h
to the eternal bow-wows if we keep
our hands off now. At least that
is what we are going to do.
The Tidings advertising columns
will be open to any individual with
legitimate cause and to every po-
litical faction at the regular adver-
tising rate, so long as those buying
the space assume responsibility for
il by making public their identity.
So, go to it. Fight, if you must
For our part we intend to keep our
hands off, print the news, reseive
subscriptions and sell advertising
space.
The Tidings is a corporation.
Corporations have no politics. They
are organized. Standing always for
advancement of the community we
flee. 1t is their province only to per-
form the functions for which they
are recognized. Standing always for
a high moral tone and the proper
advancement of the community it
will leave all the personal and po-
litical spites to citizens who like tu
indulge in factions and politics. The
Tidings advertising columns are
open to all of you. But, you must
assume responsibility for what you
say in your advertisements. You will
not be allowed to mask your iden-
tity and leave this paper to appear
to be responsible for what you are
trying to do. In other words, your
advertising relations with this pa
per must be legitimate. Editorial |
opinions are not for sale.
This much because Ashland is now
a one newspaper town and it is
proper that citizens be given to
know our policy under the circum-
stances. Neither will this policy
prove mollycoddle. The Tidings will
always have opinions on matters that
effect the city and will stand stead ,
fastly and fearlessly for the upbuild-
ing of the community.
We have no enemies to punish OF
special friends to reward. We desire ;
Just to publish good newspaper,
one everybody will want to read. l.
Our greatest ambition is to helpi
make Ashland such large and pros
porous city that we be required to
publish sixteen pages every day to '
accommodate the business. We have
absolute faith that in the not far
distant future it viii be so.