The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1922-03-18
NEWSPAPER ~SLANDERERS.

Two years ago, in the height of prosperity when everything
in the world was apparently lovely, the man with a hammer had
a hard time to make enough noise to attract a crowd. But since
that time, probably as a result OF the depressed state OF mind
caused by The economic slump in the country, a peculiar psychol-
ogical condition has developed. In this new era of petulance,
fault finding and i'll temper, all that anybody needs to do to win
applause and secure a following is to knock sometime or some
body. So harmoniously does the noise Of the hammer fit in with
the general temper OF the times that few take the trouble to notice
or r. care h' whether %r.1 the sn no Ike blows are Just or 3, unjust. G9xsrn l
to the church itself-al are furiousy assailed, with or without
cause, while the unthinking crowd cheers approval.
1t was not to be anticipated that as plain a mark as the press
would be passed up by anybody who for any reason might find it
to his advantage to discredt it. Consequently, indictments against
the press are quite as plentiful as they are against the banks. the
courts, the merchants, lawyers and everybody else. The dema-
gogue or office-seeker whose theories or deeds will not stand the
light of day, like the cutte-fsh, Immediately beclouds the waters
press which is the tool of the Interests" Every p~ropagandist,
with a private axe to grind, raises a similar cry, letting it out
better believe him.
It was Edmund Burk who, when the American colonies were
being bitterly criticized in the British parliament, declared, q
don't know how to indiet a whole people" What the British
statesman said might well be considered ~thoughtfully by all who
take seriously the wholesale assaults made upon government.
banks, business, the press and other institution of our own times.
It is very true that there are crooked, disreputab1e men in all
lines OF business and in all professions, even to the ministry, but
to assail a whole class of men for the shortcomings of a few is
manhesty unjust and s1anderous. In the main, both the metro
pohtan and rural newspapers are conducted by men of high char
acter and tine ideals, who are doing their duty as they see it, as
they endeavor to render the public the service which it is their
business to supply. In honor, intelligence and patriotism, we be-
heve the journalists OF the nation will stand comparison with the
bankers, the business men, the lawyers, politicians OF any other
class.
In the midst OF so much slanderous complaint against the
newspapers, it is extremely refreshing to hear one strongly dis
sent1ng note. In the introduction of his two-volume work "The
Social Unrest" recently published, Rev. Lyman P. Powell. D. D..
LID widely known as a lecturer and writer, makes the following
observation: Never as today has the public press SO faithfully
fulfilled its mission to spread before its readers the news thew
ought to have. Never has responsibility been SO keenly realized"
It is a fact that there is a yellow" press, sensational sheets that
pander to low tastes, and there are also subsidized papers that
are conducted chiefly for propaganda purposes, but, in spite Of the
presence OF a limited number OF publications of this sort. the press
as a whole is doing better than ever before what DR., Powell saws
is doing: endeavoring to faithfully record the facts which make
up what is called news" and to- interpret the events Of the day
in their bearing on the political, intellectual, social and moral we'll
OF the people. Particular newspapers may be Justly subject
to condemnation but the press" is a composite thing which i
be Unfortunately criticized without doing gross Injustice
The modern press is by no means perfect and it welcomes con-
criticism which is calculated to improve it, but any gen
assault upon the integrity of the newspapers as a whole
be attributed either to ignorance or to sinister motives on
he part Of those who find that TRADES against the press make It
for them to mislead the unthinking. AS a rule it is adj II
nsable to investigate the traducers themselves before swallowing II
heir wholesale SANDER. Every newspaper man has his own ideals II
what his publication should be and few there be who ever
Measure up to their own standards, but the vast majority of them
re daily devotlng all their energies to the nerve-wreokinp grind
t fulfilling their mission, "unawed by influence, unbribed by gain.
-O- -
Cigarette Causes 100000 Blaze" headline in the Dallas
There's something for smokers and all others who use fire
arelessly to think about. According to authorities on the sub
carelessness of one kind or another, is by far the most COM
ION cause of fires. 1t wouldn't take long for America to save
nough money to pay her war bills if proper attention were paid
the problem OF tire prevention. aa-1