Imperial Valley press., 1940-10-04
DEMOCRACY HOLDS
A CONVENTION
a Newspaper Week EditOriaD


We would like to take you to demop-
stration of Democracy. We would like
to take you to a publishers convention,
where the men who run the nations news
papers tell one another how they're do
ing their job. We're selfish in the wish
that we could take you along. We're
selfish because we would like you to
know that the newspapers of this corfi-
try deserve your militant support to the
Last bitter battle.
You've heard crackpot theorists spout
ing the credo that sixty families doml-
nate all the newspapers in the country.
You've heard men like Secretary of In
terror Harold L. Ickes below charges
that the newspapers are servants OF
wealth and tools of economic royallSm.
You've heard New Dealers PROFOUND the
false reasoning that since the news
papers are controlled by Wall Street
anyway, they might as we'll be controlled
by the government.
So we would like to have you come
along with us to a publishers conven-
tiOn, where the men who own the news
papers talk to one another without re-
straint about the things they do and the
beliefs they hold We would like you to
know, as we know. that Democracy is
safe in the hands of these men, and will
be safe so long as they are left to run
their own newspapers without domlna-
tion from either government or economic
group.
Take a look at the things you would
see, and consider the things you would
hear, if you could attend the convention
with us.
Probably the first thing that would
strike you would be the thought, "Why
these fellows aren't any different than
any of half a hundred of my friends
at home. There's nothing extraordinary
about them. They're a pretty average
bunch of Americans"
And you would be one hundred per
cent right. The only thing distinguish
ing these men from any other group of
the same size is their wide knowledge of
what is going on in the world-and even
that is not their fault It's part of their
business to know, so that they can pass
on their knowledge.
TO READ -.
Between the time this first impression
made itself felt, and the time you sum-
med up your impressions into one, you
would hear the speeches these men have
come hundreds and even thousands of
miles to hear What are they about? Ser
vice-to you.
Here's one typographical expert who's
talking about How to Make Your Paper
Easier on the Readers Eyes" And over
there is one who will talk about, Honesty
in News Reporting-the Only Safeguard
for Free Press" And yonder is one
who will tell his listeners to, "Serve Your
People and the Profits will Take Care of
Themselves
Now you're getting near the place
where you have general idea of the
ambitions these newspaper publishers
strive to achieve. You're getting ready
for that final impression So you watch
and listen to them in their personal dis
cussions after the convention sessions.
And you find them arguing hotly about
politics, lambasting cowardice in private
and political life, debating economic
theories. You see that no two of them
agree one hundred per cent on the coz
troversies of the day You find out they
represent as many different opinions as
could be found in any other group of a
similar size.
And you go away thanking God they do
for disagreement is the right of a free
democracy-and YOU know now the press
of this nation is free.