Albuquerque morning journal., 1921-05-07
REPRESSION.

We feel moved to again refer to the matter
of repression in the discussion of public ques-
tions The New Mexico system, for thirty years
has been to grab the avenues of publicity and
shut off the fellow who dsagrees with you. Re-
sulting from it has been almost complete
atrophy of public sentiment A little combination
of special interests and big politicians have work.
ed their will without public sentiment which
could make effective protest, Consequently, the
state has been exploited for the benefit of the
few and progress has Jagged.
The journal is edited a different theory.
We want to agitate the public mind. We want
people to think and to decide whether they de-
eide the way the Journal thinks best or not.
We content if alert and conscientious pub
lie sentiment be reused to take public mat
44ters in hand We readily coneede that may be
wrong in our Judgment upon specific question.
We are willing and glad to have the people do
the deciding. Others have done that for them
too long already.
~~ The people not make wise decisions unless
they have the facts on both sides of any con-
troversy upon which to base opinion. To re-
press one view point in order to help editorial
policy, is to attempt by force to compel the public
to coincide with that editorial policy.
Those who happen to agree with the policy
of this paper in a particular case, are prone to
feel that should not allow the other man to
present his arguments through columns. If
tomorrow these people should chance to dis
agree with and should wholly repress their
viewpoint they would consider us as grossly
= unfair.
What the public needs is all the facts and ar
q fguments. Then it can inteigenty decide. We in
tend always to give the chance for these facts and
arguments to be brought out. We will combat them
editorially strenuously fit but
will not repress them This has been our attitude
toward the mining interests. WeSinvited them
and again, to our columns. That they
would not proof enough of the weakness of
their position.
In the present controversy the recall we
propose giving those favorlng the recall every
this despite view that they dead wrong
and doing the worst possible harm to the laborng
We expect their efforts at defending their
position to prove their undoing We do not be-
eve that they successfully support their posi-
ton.
The strike lockout, of the commercial print
of Albuquerque, repressed the publication of
the Workers Chronicle, local labor organ fa-
porable to the recall. 1t being printed by
of the affected firms a commercial-job. AL
though refused to mix in the present printers
controversy by allowing any job work to be done
in our office did open linotypes to the
Chronicle in order to enable it to publish. We did
this is a spirit of fairness and to prevent the re-
preston of the paper, though it has been quite
uniformly hostile to our views.
Some people call this ''stradding." We en-
phatically resent any such implication. The Jour
nal is against the recall with all its strength.
We merely concede the right of the other fellow to
be fully heard in defense of his position
We have doubt but that the wisdom of the
people will prevent the recall when they have
heard the whole story from every angle.