Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1957-10-08
Newspapers Serving Public
Every Day In Many Ways

your editors ties, but you always
ask and depend upon his help in
getting new roads, bridges and
public buildings in your commu-
nifty. And your newspapers help
for community projects is always
forthcoming simply because if
you're prosperous, then your news
paper is prosperous. And, likewise,
though you may be a trifle hard
up, as a good citizen, you always
respon to your newspapers plea
in behalf of your community driV-
es, your church drives and even to
help a single citizen who has run
astray of fortune.
You may be a man of peace, but
your newspaper, in bringing you
accounts of the abridgment Of your
fellow mans dignity, can turn you
into a man of war and you will
send your sons into bloody battle.
You may swear by the man in the
White House, but your newspa-
per's accounts of corruption in
Federal Government can cause
you to send him into private life
to write his memories.
You may have had a great sale
in your store, but if your newspa-
per the next day informs you that
General Motors and other big bus
mess leaders are slipping in the
stock market, you Immediately be-
gin to think of business retrench-
ment. You may not like the way
your daughters bridal gown was
shipped off on the society page,
but that doesn't stop you from try
ing the new recipe in the adjoin-
ing cooking column.
You may prefer four-in-hand
ties, but if your wife notes from
newspaper advertisements that the
well-dressed man of today wears
bow ties, then you'll turn up in a
bow tie, even if she has to tie it..
And you'll even forget to take it
off until after you have sneaked a
look at the sports pages to see if
Mickey Mantle has hit another
home run.
But all of this does not tell the
complete story of the free Ameri-
can newspaper. It does not content
itself with the printing of the gov
ernment handouts and the surface
facts even in the matter Of corrup-
ton and political privilege 1t must
go all the way and root out the
evil for the great benefit of the
American people, because, under
the precepts of free government,
the free press is the sole sentinel
of the peoples, freedom and the
perpetual guardian of good gov
ernment.
So, living up to this great tradi-
tion of the free American press
and its responsibility to the free
American people, the Chicago
Daily News went all the way in
exposing State Auditor Orville
Hodges embezZlement of $780,
900 of the Illinois peoples tax
funds. And likewise, the Portland
Oregonian and the Scranton Times
and Tribune also went all the way
in ripping the cover off the con-
spiracy of hoodlums, the Team
sters Union and local government
officials in national racket-stud-
ded scandal that landed in Con-
gress.
So, living up to the great re-
enonsibilitv of assisting the free
Justice of free people, the New
York Journal American, too, went
all the way, through its exchange
of letters, in the capture of the
mad bomber" who terroriZed the
city of New York.
So, living up to the great obli-
CATION of preserving the inherent
right of the American people to
know about their government, the
Burlington (Vt) Free Press. the
Nashville Tennessean, the Mime
apolis Star and Tribune, the Fargo
IN. Dakota) Forum and the Kan
sas City Star went all'the way in
sponsoring legislation which guar
antees the people of their States
open government records and open
government meetings.
And these are only few of the
many examples of how the free
American press of 1857 went far
beyond the call Of duty in measur-
ing up to the great traditions, OBJ
legations and responsibilities of