El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-02-19
MUST NOT SWERVE A.
REAL. NEWSPAPER FROM ITS DUTY


Every awhile something develops show Just
II how thin skinned the public really IS
You may agree with all the time and you are
"a fine fellow" Disagree with him publicly matter
how honestly and you are the other sort
peculiarly Of the newspaper business. Ad-
vocste what likes and you his friend and he
say much for you Disagree with him and you
are all wrong The real newspaper never sweryed IRON
its path Of duty however, by criticisms Of its action
the duty Of newspaper to weigh the facts we'll
take stand for the ught and stay there The honest
newspaper does this.
The honest newspaper is not served by personal affl
Iatous nor friendships nor by business pressure
cations There much Of reciprocity n business lines
thar the business frequently cannot understand this
When cannot bring newspaper TO his way Of think
ing he apt TO think it personal matter He IS
understand that the mutual give and take Of
business cannot be permitted to enter into the conduct OF
a Newspaper.
The newspaper has duty to its subscribers II agrees
70 give them an the When It suppresses news to
satisfy the whm Of friend, either for business or per
sea reasons that paper is ebezzug from its readers
has taken their money under false pretenses When It
allows itself to color its news, II is even more guilty
The subscriber must first The duty to the reader
IS the fst duty OF the paper for without the confidence
the reader, the worth Of newspaper IS destroyed It
becomes organ instead Of newspaper
A newspaper can live and be respected with but one
policy and that policy must be honest There VIII be
criticism from chose are by the truth but its
publishers and editors stand for what Is right regard
less Friendships cannot be considered IN the newspaper
business.
Newspaper goes to many thousands Of subscribers, all
If whom disagree things and no two Of whom
agree everything even the fundamental prncipes OF
politics religion and economics NO newspaper can op
pose its subscribers long with policy that obnoxious
70 most Of them Nor, that matter, It expect
verv one Of its readers to agree with It at al times So
thing newspaper do. That thing IS
TEL the truth al times in its columns far as
humanity possible advocate its editorials what It
believes be all times for the best interests Of the
community the state and the nation
Sometimes the charge is made that newspapers are
dominated BY their advertisers This falls flat on nves
CATION Every large daily newspaper has hundreds Of ad-
esers who represent every interest IN the
Community These interests vary the same degree as
the interests Of the individual subscriber The business
interests Of any city do not rule attempt to levy pet
requirements the newspapers and they could not be
respected If they did and the paper that permitted 1t
would lose its influence Very naturally the ous-
interests OF city would oppose radical ana IA
grant policy attack the part Of the newspapers which
would tend disrupt community morals disturb credits
OF undermine the integrity Of hanks Nobody would OF
should expect them not oppose such policy as this
But no honest newspaper would do this Except TO expect
Of newspaper legitimate and constructive policy, the
business interests 90 not dominate and could not dominate
any respectable pubEcatinz
The E Paso Flrld mas stood in ne past and win
tnue sand N the future for whatever leems TO be
Worthy Of possession OF acooup 1shent BY TINS c9l s
state and the country at large Furthermore It VIII coz
time has DONE 10 oppose anything anywhere Shca
believes TO Be infmcaI to the common welfare to the
public morals legitimate interests Personal friend
ships Influence have place IN the conduct OF the
honest newspaper and business men politicians and others
VII get very far BY considering It personal matter
vhen z newspaper takes stand for the ught news
paper rightly conducted in which the people have faith, Is
bEger than any personality connected with II Men come
60 newspapers honestly conducted on forever
Supported praised by their readers The faithess
1euspapsr falls ike the man who allows himself 10
be swerved By personal preJudices and friendships
In developing more sensitive world consciousness the
American newspaper must blaze the trail It is the peel
liar duty Of the press be the pubics conscience
IN nations large ours wherein assembly o. al
the people physical impossibty, social consciousness
can Be expressed through the newspapers better than IN any
ether way And newspaper that falsely reflects the
Best that IN its special public beTays that public Just
as truly as diseased mind pitfalls for the body God
has given It to direct
Newspapers must keep the faith with their people. To
this they conserve and into polished accom-
phuent what has been Cleaned Of good IN the past and
the newspaper must lead not follow great man once
sd would rather live IN country that was governed
BY its newspapers than which there news
papers. The why It is safe to trust the public
affairs to honest newspaper is because not the owners
M. 1.