Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1917 — WHY PICK ON NEWSPAPERS? [ARTICLE]

WHY PICK ON NEWSPAPERS?

■ The fact that one newspaper or chain of newspapers chooses to deIvote its space free Of advertising ! payment to the appeals of the navy is no reason for demanding that [the small weekly and daily newsipapers throughout the country shall accept government advertising ffee. In congress three gentlemen who are politicians first and newspaper owners afterward declared that the newspapers of th© country should print the advertising of the government and charge nothing for it. We are sure that every newspaper editor, no matter how small his income or how great his difficulties with the present extortionate charge for white paper, would gladly accept this suggestion—if other citizens would do the same. There are thousands of editors in the United States whose total 'profit in a year is less than the 1 price that an ammunition maker [charges for one single big explosive : sheik These smaller editors, working many pf them for less than the [pay of a good day laborer, would like the ammunition makers, the bankers and the others to offer what they ‘have to the government WITHOUT CHARGE if the newspaper editor is expected to give without charge the only property he has for sale, which is his space and his white paper. Will the congressmen who ask small editors to work for nothing also work for the government without any salary—because they love the government so—during the .war period? When they and the others who get government money and government contracts shall have announced that they will charge the government nothing and work free of charge (Ait of pure patriotic affection it will be time to ask the local editor to donate his space ifree of charge. It would be rather humorous to • say to a copper producer: “You [must show your yiatriotism by selling copper to the government at a profit of ONLY 300 PER CENT,’’ and say to the country editor who ' rrrakes a bare living, “You must show YOUR PATRIOTISM by charging the government nothing at all.’’—Chicago Examiner.