The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-08-03

The duty of the press to the
! IpubIic is epitomized in the single
word Service
All else that may be said on the
subjeet IS only an elaboration and
9expianation of the basic idea that
1.-The, term service embodies.
If the press does not sincerely
land zealously serve its public it
falls short of its true mission and
sbeconses an improbable and un-
worthy servant, a parasite or the
fbody-politic as deserving of con
tempt as a Goddess priest or an
unjust Judge
This is an ideal conception of the
press when doing its allotted work
I'm a civilized land and for an en-
snghtened people who have the in
!te:hgence to appreciate such ser
svice and the character to inspire
It. But ideals are ever difficult OF
iahsolute attainment, and never
more so than when the press holds
itself strictly TO the performance
Iof its full duty, In all respects, to
Eehe public 1t serves. Unfortunate
tIy the press is not an Inspired spir-
it unhanpere5 a-d 1nburdened
with a ealnal body. human
worldly ambitions and human fraii-
ties. and even those servants OF the
press who aim high fall below the
marx Sordid considerations or
adverse circumstances 50 frequent
" obt-ude in this, as in all other
syocations, that the eyes even OF
those VINO have beheld the insplr-.
ed vision of worthy service for ser,
vices sake. are dimmed and they
stumble as they grope toward the
light. or their feet stray from the
straight and narrow pathway.
In existing conditions the man
ner in which the press performs
It's duty IS, at the very best. a
compromise, and opinions differ
radically as to how the press may
within the limitations that hamper
and cireumscriDe its activities.
most effectively serveS the public,
There are two antagonistic
schools of thought respecting the
procedure to besfe enoWed in serving
the public. One asserts that the
ress shoald reflect public senti-
ment: the other that the press
should lead ana mould public .opin-
ION. or at least. influence the trend
sof thought that Affects the pubic.
The desciples of both. schools fall
frequently info error and thereby
do t1esr public an i'll service I'M
stead OF conferriag benefits. But
those who essay to lead. M
saaence OF educate the public have
sa clearer conception OF the true;
ION OF the press than those
who seek first to catch the drift of
the preHailing sentiment and then
echo or reflect tt Despite the
fact that selfish and unprincip1ed
men have often seized upon and
degraded the press to- advance
their own schemes and to further
their personal ambitions, the press
that represents an idea, stands for
something definite and strives by
the sOyl1dt11C ioASS oA 11l1faSA S~LAO
Icogent argument TO attain a GER
tain sad, is more TO be respected
and s;sould be preferred above
that other species of journal that
seeks merely 70 ingratiate itself in
the good graces Of its public by
holding ap to It reflection Of its
Tephemeral sentiments and preju-
.dices-
There is no such, thing as pro-
.sress. Improvement and advance
ment. material or spiritual. in
.;l1ass, and the press that only re-
fleets pubic sentiment, as it ap-
pears on the surface, is a bar to
civic progress, since it represents
.ony the average Of It's puElic and
does not rise above the common
place. Advancement and better
ment in manners, morals and ma
'terial conditions among people
are results, not causes, and are the
legitimate offspring of thought
transformed into action. Thought,
real living thought, it iseadmitted,
is the product of the conscious eff
fort OF mind. and mind is individ