The Alaska daily empire., 1920-11-11
REINSTATEMENT AND OFFICE HOLDING

The days of partisan newspapers which thought o elections in terms of offices long past away We still have few of them, doubt but they are not among the great journals of the country. very le" great Journalists ever enter politics with of1ce-hodlng III view This is said in spite of the circumstance that the candidatos for President of both of the. major partfes iu the recent campaign newspaper owners and editors and both have been frequently candidates for office President Elect Harding served two terms in the State Senate, t-GoVernor ana ore as Senator before becoming his partys nominee for the Presidency He defeated once for Governor of his State Gov Cox the defeated Demo cratic nominee the Presidency, was twice elected to Congress and three times Governor of his state He also was defeated for Governor once.
 However these records of newspaper owners anG editors are exceptions the rule There are other notable exceptions Gov Allen and Senator Capper of Kansas for instance But a general rule news papermen preferred the preceps of the venerable Henry Waterson and the late Harvey Scott wat terson declared that public office is badge Of serv- tude" while successful journalist must be absolutely free Scott always declared that journalism was the most jealous of professions, and would stand for no trifine on the part of those who entered it. Both of them slight experience in public office Waiter son served one term in Congress and declined re election while Scott Collector of Customs for one term. and then quit.
 It may strange to those not engaged In journalism that the successful men in the profession and business where politics is studied and discussed more than in any other eschew onice-holdlng, put there is a psychological behind it. There s no business in the world that depends upon the prosperity and general welfare of the country in which it does business than newspapermaking and which demands more close application t. business and the promotion of the general welfare The personnel of the public service office holdn. and the like, mean little in the lifetime of news paper, general prosperity and good government a great deal. Therefore. it is nose natural that a newspapers attitude toward politics should be gov erned by what it conceves be for the general good-prosperty for the people and safe and sound government. It is not strange, under the circun- stances that most the great newspapers lot. to enter fights between asprants for office. They usually do not do it unless they believe they al serving the public by doing but fortunately, they usually do hesitate to act with vigor when the, do believe the public welfare is involved
 There is another very good psychological reaso: why those whc control newspapers rarely aspire tc public office and that is that in this country pubo offices are so often held for those who regular and great newspapers do usually attempt to regular" There exceptions the rule, of many of them, but the rule is independence. Tn, three greatest newspapers in New York instance which usually support Democratic candidates tn oppose the New York City Democratic organization i, municipal contests. There very few of the grea metropolitan newspapers which have not frequenu opposed candidates of the party which they general support national issues That is why most of tn newspapers of the large cities refuse to part label