The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-10-02
Time For The, Press To Take Stock E.

Time For The Press 10 lake St0ck -.
Newspapers throughout the United States
are celebrating National Newspaper Week.
ire American press has much to be thank
FIJI for in this great country. More than any
thing else it and the people should be tnanK-
full that both are free.
We have heard freedom of the press SO
much that the words have become trlte ana
almost without meaning. In the celebration
of National Newspaper Week we are apt to
yawn over the words and pass on without
a thought.
II il a fact that we take most for granted
what we have never been without. 1t takes a
threat of loss in order to more deeply ap-
preciate the real freedom we have In TINS
democratic country of liberty-loving people.
The preservation of a free press is an alb
solute necessity if we are going to remain a
free people. Among the press of the WORLD
ours alone is free. Nothing goes into the news
papers of Berlin, Rome, Russia, Japan, ana
even Britain, that does not pass rigid censor
ship of the government. We cannot read news
from those countries without trying to weigh
truth against propaganda. The American
press is to be congratulated that it tries TO
present both sides of a question to It's rea-
ders. Frequently the editorial policies OF
a paper are in direct conflict with those OF
hiehly-paid feature writer's and
for whose efforts the paper pays.
But this comment was not meant TO De
entirely a recital of praise for the merits OF
the American press even though they Tar
out-number its faults.
We feel that the American press, parti-
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establishments, have failed in SOM respects
to live up to the high standards set by our
forebears. Too often publishers OF these pap
ers have not felt the necessity OF presenting
comment and inspiring constructive thinking
in their communities. TN often they have
been content to take a negative attitude on
questions vitality affecting the welfare o.
Their communities, state and nation.
Not that we propose that editors should
70 on an editorial crusade about anything
or everything. Nor do we have any illusions
that it is up to the press of the nation to
save the country from going to the dogs. But
we do believe it can help.
The most dangerous enemy to our Ameri-
can way of life and democratic form of gov
eminent is the apathy and indifference Of our
people. Our people do not appreciate their
religious freedom enough 70 go to church
and worship God. We do not appreciate our
political freedom enough to go to the polls
and vote for the men who represent us in
office, men who will shape the destiny of
our country. write its laws, levy and spend
billions of dollars which it will extract from
our citizens of all walks of life.
The threat of the failure of democracy
lies entirely with the people. If someone
doesn't take the lead in trying to make our
people stop and consider how they are run
ming or not running the country we are apt
to wake up sometime without any privilege
or freedom of any kind.
If this isn't a crusade worthy of the Am
erican press we do not think anything could
be.
A press that refuses to think about where
we are headed as a nation, a press that re-
fuses to criticize a President because he
heads their-party, a press that condones ev-
cry act of a man because it is too indifferent
or too lazy to do otherwise, that press will
never be worthy to save a nation.
If the press of the south and the nation
cannot show the people where we are head
ed and arouse enough interest in them to do
something about it then we have failed as
the greatest Institution in the world besides
the home and the church.
1t is time for the press of America ana
those who control it to take stock and see
how worthy we are of remaining free.