The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1922-01-09
KEEP 1T OUT OF THE PAPER.

After years al the editorial desk, the average newspaper edi-
tor sometimes wonders just what sort ot a newspaper would be
published II he were to listen TO all the daily pleas that he Keep
this out OF the paper. bury that on an inside page, go easy ON
this other item, tone down Ibis story ON an eminenty respectable
story that will hurt business. refuse to publish another when
might let some OF the people know something that some OF the
rest Of the people think they should not know-and SO on ad
libitun and ad infnitum. also ad absurdum.
After carefully considering the proposition one can come to
no other conclusion than that If he acceded to all these requests
instead Of pleasing everyone. that would please no one. Nothing
remains. therefore, but to establish principles for the publication
OF a newspaper and go ahead in accordance with them.
This newspaper delights in hearing from its friends, From
their verbal and written expressions it knows whether it is meet
ing the publics needs in the way OF a newspaper, whether its
standard is appealing to the people, and whether its method OF
expression is thoroughly understood by its readers. Recently a
valued friend wrote us that it seemed to him that we were "un-
corking a lot of unnecessary stencil in printing a daily contribution
bv the noted or notorious highest paid editor in the world whose
writings are calculated to lead or mislead the ignorant masses"
Now our friend is a real and a valuable friend, and his reply
to our answer has proved again that he is such, but his letter
raises a point so frequently raised in the newspaper business that
we are printing our reply SO that it may answer the question VI
of Won could sit for a few hours at the EDITORS desk and
see the flow Of opinion as to what a newspaper ought to publish
and what it ought to advocate, you would, perhaps, feel a little
more sympathetic toward the publication of opinions with which
you personally disagree and with which we ourselves, in many in
stances disagree, but which represent the various and sincere
thoughts of thousands Of American citizens just as sincere and
loyal as you or we. Besides its functions as a recorder of news
as it happens, and as the expressor OF its own opinion on men
and affairs, the newspaper has a function as a free public forum
in which may be published the different and honest opinions Of
men. Such features as that you mention are never published
without credit to the person writing them, which indicates that
Tic WSld lotI nbOS Hl bNeNo'ulIN HhploN eh0ii Dl tN1 wv
express the opinion and feeling of many Americans and receive
the commentator Of ten of our readers for every one who con
dennis them.
1--WE believe the time is far gone when a newspaper can or
should publish what it wants the people to know. We have a
great public duty; it sometimes gives us sleepess nights to decide
what should be published and what should not, for of course there
are limits Of decency and public policy, even to the expression Of
honest opinion, but we are frank to say that we believe the con-
stitutonal guarantee Of the freedom Of the press involves not
only a privilege for the newspapers but a duty to be fair to even
those who may be dianetericaly opposed in their political, reli-
gious or economic belief"
It is odd that the function Of a newspaper Us a free public
forum. IS a vehicle for the expression Of the IDEAS Of the people.
is so little understood. Its work as a news carrier and as an
editorial force is commonly recognized. Too many readers fail
to recognize the third class of matter and either regard it as news
or as editorial matter for which the paper is standing sponsor.
Very frequently this is the opposite of the fact.
Regarding the requests that news be kept out Of the paper
for personal reasons one can only say that the editor is charged
with a public duty in this regard. lie cannot be false to his
readers OF the community, and yet he cannot fail to recognize
his responsibility as a man and a citizen for the character Of his
paper. In general the requests for the suppression Of news are
based on purely selfish and usually trivial reasons. The editor who
fails to print the news that is fit to print and give the people the
truth is false to his professional code and to the public. Yet the
editor who prints matter in such a way that it can be miscon-
strued has a heavy responsibility. The are times when the ends
of mercy are met by the omission Of a news item which is not Of
public interest and which would do more harm than good. But
these instances are the rare exception. The fact that they exist
is an overworked excuse for all those who want mfavorable items
about themselves suppressed-Fort Worth Record.
MI. Wells is now so famous that almost everybody knows that
his first name is Herbert-or is it Henry Chicago News.
If one were to swallow the dope handed out by the socialist
orators, he would be convinced that capitalism is the cause Of all
crime, but at that it appears that there are plenty Of crooks con-
nected with the soviet government OF Russia. A press correspon-
dent recently reported the trial of 81 attaches Of the Russian state
department, on the charge Of theft Of state property, all being
found guilty. And as showing the mldness of the penal methods
of the bolshevists, it is interesting to note that 10 Of the convicted
men were sentenced to death by shooting, the others being sent
to prison for varying terms.
It begins to look as though the man who said 1927 will re-
ward the lighters was right Certainly the p~eacemakers haven't
had much luck SO far.-Ardmoreite.