Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1889 — Newspapers and Politicians. [ARTICLE]

Newspapers and Politicians.

The editor not only suffers from the general business stagnation, but is obliged out of devotion to his : ause to incur aotual expenditure of money and make business sacrifices, besides neg’ecting his legitimafe business. If the truth could be known, says the McGregor (Iowa) News, not half the editors in this State have been paid their legitimate printing bills for campaign committees. This is to some

extent true of othet s, but especially so of editors It is a credible fact that a large majority of American citizens do not, as a rule, go into politics for the money there is in it. Of editors this is especially true. If his party is defeated and driven from po*er the editor, if he is true to his principles, must not only retire from office, if he happens to have one, but he must go right on with a cheery face, a bright smile and h stiff upper lip, defending a for a time unpopular cause. The average business man §oes about his business, hides his efeat by trying his utmost to make his customers think he cares nothing for defeat or has no politics at s ake. So fares not ye editor. Then there are those hollowminded persons who ’treasure up the fallacy that a political editor should not hold office. We are not prepared to claim that all the great men of the nation began to climb the ladder of fame eut of the attie of a country printing-office. But we believe an editor can be a partisan and a gentleman. We relieve he feels the spur of devo ion to principle in any rust as keenly as any from (he ranks of the more mercenary c; 1!ings. We are aware that there are black sheep in the editorial flock, who use their power for the pulling down of humanity, and often assail and do wrong to good men. .iut the people who can trust a man to furnish mental food, gqpd or bad, for their families or their children can trust the same man ;o perform some merel clerical service for them. The former is by far the greater resporsibility to intrust any man with. Tften there might be added to the “black sheep” li t a small class who hold their principles, at merchants do their goods, as purchasable commodity, and they generally do the party which has purchased such affiliation a vast sight more harm than good.

In his latest charge to the grand jury of his court, judgs Woods has this to say: “In all eases affecting the election franchise the acts complained of must haye had reference to the choice of representative in o ingress, else the court has no jurisdiction, hut sec. 5,514 makes it PRIM! facie sufficient proof in this respest if the acts done had reference to tickets or ballots on whioh the names of candidates fer congress might appear. “The practical effeot of this provision, in states where, as in this, the names of candidates for local offices appear upon the same ticket with those for representative in congress, is to make it possible to drew into the federal court well uigh every accusation for offenses likely to r e committed at an election when|a representative in c ngress is voted for, but that, instead of this, a great majority of the ordinary cases should be left to the disposition of the loctl courts, seem to me to be in every way more desirable. Besides the burden upon this court, which may easily be made so great as to pravent the prompt disposition of other business and the additional expanse to the public and to individuals caused by bringing parties and witnesses from distant places, other considerations of public policy and individual interest make if preper that you exercise a consid rate and discriminating judgment whether a case, though technically maintainable, should be prosecuted in this court. As a

rule, it seems to u e—though I give it only as advice, and leave you to a free exercise of your own discretion— the federal j urisdiction should noi be invoked unless the crime affected or was intended to affect the congressional eleotien,” ete. The above would indicate that the federal net had cai tured too many republicans at the last term, aud judge Woods is in no humor to have it repealed. lie does not seem inclined t<> display the same seal he exhibited in the cases of Co / and Bernlianior. Why 9