Milford chronicle., 1955-02-04
WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS ARE
INFLUENTIAL


One of the oldest, strongest and best in-
stitutiOns in American life is the weekly
newspaper. Almost anyone will agree that a
town without a paper doesn't amount tO1
much. The weekly is a running record OF
histOry-of life and DEATH of tragedy and
achievement, Of change and progress. It is
fighter of battles in causes 1t holds TO be
right-in politics, economics, civic problems
of many kinds. 1T is close to the people who
read it and whose activities make it. More
than any other factor, probably, it binds the
community together, providing purpose, CO.
herence, and direction.
Yet, like so many other good and essen
tial things, most of us take the country pa
per for granted. Year in and year out,
without fail, it comes to US each week. It's
not likely that many think of what life would
be like without it.
Now and then, however, the weekly gets
some of the credit it deserves. That has hap
pened on several occasions in recent months
An interesting example is found in bill ln-
trOduced by Senator Daniel of Texas, on be-
half of himself and Senator Johnson, the
new majority leader, providing for the es-
tablishment of a National Library Of Week
ly Newspapers. A companion bill was intro
duced in the House by Representative Cen
try of Tyler, Texas.
In a speech on the Senate Floor Senator
OdLlCl SdlAs 44Alo O4A WQuAU AACAE W B4C
serve that great portion of the true history
of our Nation which is recorded in pioneer
weekly newspapers and in currently pub
Ished weekly papers of the United States
During the early years of our Nations his
tory we had only weekly newspapers. Even
today, the educational social, political, anc
religious history Of great portion OF oul
population can be found only in the files OF
these weekly publications. There are thou
rsf vrroorIrT files which have
been preserved. Others have been destroyed
and in the future there is likely to be con
tinued loss Of this valuable historical mate
rial unless something is done to encourage it
preservation"
Another tribute came from a big-dail.
neWspapermaE-LlOyd Taft, son of the lat
Senator Robert Taft, and assistant publish
er Of the Cincinnati Times. He told pres
association gathering that big city paper
talk more and more about editorial infiuenc
and exercise less and less of it, while week
lies continue to gain an advantage
An extraordinary example of this inflU
ence occurred last November in South Care
lima a state in which nomination on tn
Democratic ticket has always been tants
mount to election. Due to certain politics
developments, a feeling grew that this tim
the voters were getting a bad deal. A can
paign was started urging that voters WT1t'
In the name of j. StrOm ThurmOnd instea
of marking the ballot for the regular Demt
cratic nominee for the u. S. Senate. TIL
campaign was supported by 73 of the state
S6 non-dailies, along with all but two Of tt
16 dailies. Even though Governor ThurmOT
is a popular figure in the South, success seen
ed impossible-no u. S. Senator had ev'
been elected by write-ins the established p
litical organizations were naturally 100 p
cent against the movement, and South Car
lima ballOting methods make the write
process mechanically difficult. But the pre-
shot the works on ThurmOnd's behalf. Tl
result: There was an avalanche Of Write-ll
and he won by majority which, under Il
circumstances, was all but unbelievable
143444 to 83,525. The papers were so d
cisive a factor in bringing this about tn
Editor & Publisher wrote: when J. Stro
ThurmOnd took his place in the Unit
States Senate he could have raised
good right hand, if he were so inclined, al
sworn truthfully that he represented
Fourth Estate"