Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-10-28
COUNTRY PAPER
GUARDS NATION
BY WRIGHT A. PATTERSON.

ESP, tHe Siildll lpNl anu the SHluii
city-are the backbone Of the Ameri-
can nation. They are the communities
to which the nation turns in time of
distress and emergency. They are
even more than the backbone of the
nation. They are the bulwark of our
modern civilization. Just al the close
of the World war Mr.. Balfohr, for
eign minister Of Great Britain, said TO
the writer in London that the entire
civilized world must look to the small
towns of America to preserve for the
world the civilization that 1t had taken
centuries to build, because the small
towns represented a substantial solid
ity that the tremendous upheaval Of
the war had not affected, and il was
only such a foundation that would
preserve the structure of civilization
The cement that keeps the people of
these country communities together
working and thinking along uniformly
sane and safe lines. that makes of
them that substantial solidity" on
which world civilization can rely for
a foundation, is the country press
the village the small town and the
small city newspaper.
Country Paper Wholesome.
The country newspaper goes to its
readers devoid of that sensationalism
that is so prominent in the metropoli-
tan papers. 1t carries to its readers
the news items that represent the joys
and SORROWS of their friends and
neighbcrs, and keeps the hearts of the
people of the community beating In
unison. 1t goes to its readers with
that sane and kindly advice on local,
state, national and world problems;
advice that is the result of thought
and study beside the hearthstones of
the nation, and not in the selfish marts
of trade or the brightlights of city
frivolity. 1t goes with the influence
Of a known and respected member OF
the communicates editor back of its
every word its every opinion. II goes
to people. the people of the country
communities and the farms that are
more capable of thinking along sane,
unselfish and practical lines than are
those who are surrounded by the
selfish and many times evil influences
of the large cities.
But the influence of the country
newspaper goes far beyond the COM
munity In which it is printed. Ma
tional legislators in the halls of con-
gress realize that this influence is n
power to be reckoned with. That
when the country press speaks in uni
son on any national subject II is but
voicing the sentiments Of that mighty
force the people Of the country COM
munities. the people in whose hands,
saws Mr.. Ralfour. rests the destiny of
world civilization.
FIGHTS for Entire Country.
The country press represents and
fights for those things that are Of
value 10 the country communities,
realizing thai in doing so It is fighting
for those things that are best for the
nation and for the world 1t works
and fights 10 uphuild the country com
mnnity. 70 prevent its falling prey
to the selfish greed of the cities. 1t
champions tie business. the social the
educational. the agricultural, the In
dusttial interests of the country com
munity not from any selfish angle. but
from Tie broader viewpoint Of ma.
tional good.
Some three or four months ago
there was before Congress a bin ON
which the press of the country was
divided. The magazines, the big ma
tional weeklies, The farm press and
the metropolitan daily papers were ON
one siff
were on the other side. The passage
OF the bill would mean creating AN op-
portunity for greater Capitalization
of the merchandising OF the nation In
few large cities with a consequent
injury 10 the small cities and towns.
and to the people of these cities and
towns and the farms surrounding
them. The country press fought for
the defeat of the bill, and in the end
the members of the committee in
whose hands the fate of the bill rested
listened To the country press because
they realized that the welfare of these
country communities represented the
best interests of The nation as
whole, aud the bill was killed.
During our participation In the
World war the country press stood
stanchly and unselishly back of the
nation. Ii did nothing to create dis
sension among the people during the
time of emergency, but II did carry TO
its readers Il continuous message of
patriotism and national unity In each
community il wiped away much of
fractional lines, and created an Amos
phere of intense Americanism that
welded the American people together
regardless of place of birth or az
cestry.
Value Not Always Understood.
But the people of the cities do not
always understand the value of the
country press. With the increased de
mand for war supplies there came a
demand for decrease in the con
sumption of the ordinary needs of
peace time. Among the things the
consumption of which must be cut
was paper. A city man was AT the
.,ftl ,,,I don. t.f,t nnt hnt Ia tf.R