The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-11-01
BY WRIGHT A. PATTERSON.

The country communicative VII
Iage. the small town and the small
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 at the close
Of the World war. Mr.. Balfour, 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 ii 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 it 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
q foundation, Is the country press
the village the small town and the
small city newspaper.
Country Paper Wholesome.
The country newspaper goes to It's
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
ard sorrows of their friends and
neighbors, 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. 1t goes
to a 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
munfty in which it is printed. Ma
tfonal legislators in the halls of con-
greSs realize that this influence is a
power to be reckoned with. That
when the country press speaks in uni
son on any national subject 1t is but
voicing the sentiments of that mighty
force the people of the country COM
munities, the people in whose hands
saws Mr.. Balfour, rests the destiny OF
world civilization.
Fights for Entire Country.
The country press represents and
fights for those things that are OF
value TO the country communities
realizing that in doing so 1t Is lighting
for those things that are best for the
nation and for the world. 1t works
and fights to upbuild the country com
munity, to prevent its falling prey
to the selfish greed of the cities. Ii
champions the business, the social, the
educational, the agricultural, the In
,fus4 rial interests of the country com
munity not. from any selfish angle, but
from the broader viewpoint Of ma
tional good
Some three or four months age
there was before Congress a bill OF
which the press of the country wa:
divided. The magazines, the big na
tional weeklies, the farm press ant
the metropolitan daily papers were on
one side and the country newspaper
were on the other side. The passage
| of the bill would mean creating an op
| portunity for greater GENERALIZATION
/ OF the merchandising of the nation il
/ a few large cities with cOnsequen
| injury to the small cities and towns
and TO the people of these cities AM
towns and the farms surrounding
| them. The country press fought TO
the defeat of the bill. and in the EN-
the members of the committee L
! whose hands the fate of the bill reste
/ listened to the country press becaus
they realized that the welfare of thes
country communities represented tn
best interests of the nation as
whole, and the bill was killed.
During our participation In tn
World war the country press stoo
stanchly and unselfishly back of tn
nation. Ii did nothing to create di:
sension among the people during tn
time of emergency. but IL did carry [
its readers continuous message c
patriotism and national unity. In eac
community il wiped away much {
fractional lines, and created an atmo:
phere of intense Americanism thf
welded the American people togethe
regardless of place of birth or al
eestry.