Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-10-03
THE COUNTRY WEEKLY"

THE COUNTRY WEEKLY"
There is a story of little boy who
was asking his mother:
ma, do you ever tell lies?"
NO." mama said, ''no-that is. once
in while l may have to do So"
The boy, persisting:
docs pa ever tell lies?"
And Ma said:
well, mo- mean, o, off and on he
may"
The boy then:
you mean to say. ma, that most
everybody tells lies?"
And then she:
I'm afraid so, Tommy; people dc
tell lies-feel that they have to-once
in great while. Why?"
"Why, Ma? Yes, because then it
must be pretty lonesome up in Heaven
with only God and George Washington
there!"
Now, ladies and gentlemen am
not in the habit of telling lies, that
is, it is not my business, but l do feel
pretty lonesome up in Heaven-which
is down here in Iowa Where the Tall
Corn Grows-sitting here all by my
lone self and thinking of the wit
that sparkles; the words that flash;
the splendid meal that satisfies; the
wisdom that floweth from the tongues
of gifted orators; the counsel that eX-
perience suggests-and all of it at the
festive board provided by the ASKOV
AMERICAN.
1t is a matter of very deep and
genuine regret to me that 1 find my
self unable to be present, for l should
have liked nothing better than to sit
among you all and enjoy the lustre
bestowed upon the gathering by men
of such distinction as are but rarely
gathered in communities the size of
Askov-enjoy the lustre, 1 say, re-
fleeing sadly that l could have added
nothing to it.
There is no particular message that
want to convey to you, but since l
am indulging in little long-distance
chat, l may as well make use of the
opportunity to say to editors, CORE
spondents, officials, readers-in short,
to all who have anything to do with
the newspaper profession in general,
and with the ASKOV AMERICAN in
particular-that there seems to me to
be no work of any kind and descrip-
ton that affords the individual as
great pleasure, as enduring fascina-
tinn &c tb at of journalism IT koopc
the older ones among us young; it be-
slows sagacity and experience on the
young; it opens a world of possibili-
ties; it keeps you in constant and
close contact with conditions and per-
sons with which, and with whom, you
otherwise might never have any re-
lations; it widens your horizon; it
stimulates your energies; it broadens
the scope of your knowledge; it gives
you a deep insight into human nature,
and it teaches-and that is the great
est lesson of all-tolerance and pa
thence.
These are just few of the virtues
of newspaper work-a few thoughts
that occur to one who has been "in the
game" for more than a quarter cen
fury, and who still loves it as though
he were a cub reporter eXcitedly fill
ing his first assignment.
We have in the United States all
kinds of publications: We have maya
zines, monthlyaand weekly, and daily
papers, and they all have a special
mission to perform. Such as modern
society is, that mission must needs
be of dual nature, that is, first, edu-
cational, and, second, commercial
The primary task of the press is to
inform, to educate, to diffuse light;
but this work should not be done in
such way as to entail sacrifices on
the part of those who do it, and for
that reason it is necessary that this
paper-educational work be car
ried on upon a basis of sound business
sense.
Our greatest need just now is to
effect close cooperation between the
idealistic and the materialistic mis-
sion of the press.
But then we also have a section OF
the press which is unique, the so.
called Country weekly" When we
turn back the pages of our history,
we find that this newspaper type has
played part in the forming of ma
tional character, morals and habits
that can very well be compared to
that played by ''the little red school
house" The Country weekly" has
been factor of Unreasonable influ-
ence, and-do you know why? Be
cause it has been in closer, in far
more intimate, contact with the peo-
pie than any other institution. There
is no highfalutin' aloofness about this
kind of paper. 1t is the most genuine
ly democratic power for good in our
rural communities. Had l the power,
or had our lawgivers the right
honestly think that the reading of at
least one Country weekly" should be
made compulsory for people-in the
cities.
You may talk about your big dailies
and the wide outlook they give you
on the whole wide world. All very
well. We need it, for we are afflicted