Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1907 — “Be Some Place,” Brother Miller. [ARTICLE]

“Be Some Place,” Brother Miller.

The Mt. Ayr Pilot is now being edited by a young man named Leslie Miller, who has the indication of a talented newspaper man jndged by his paper of the last few weeks, bat he has made the mistake of a great many newspapers in the hands of yonng men by declariug neutrality in the matter of the pending saloon fights, based on divided sentiment among the people of the community and the patrons of the paper. The highest ideal in the news paper shonld be its freedom trom influence outside a positive conviction and the highest duty of the editor should be that of arriving at a conviction in all matters by un-

derstanding the case at issue. He should never fear offending a patron by a fair discussion of a proposition nor by a positive statement of his own belief. The snbscriber is not expected to be of the opinion- -of- the writer and right there comes the real pleasure «f realizing that one is wielding an influence in a community, because he meets the reader and presents. WL argument calculated to convince him or at least satisfy hifn that convictions exist.

The licensed saloon is an issne on which every person should have a conviction, and the newspaper shonld take delight in setting the mistaken world aright on the ques tion. Probably the editor of the Pilot really believes that the saloon is a blot to that otherwise clean and moral little town and he should join forces with the effort to rid the community of it and have the satisfaction of having hsed his best efforts to convert his readers to his way of thinking. Mt. Ayr will be better without saloons and the surrounding towns will be better and the rehabilitation of many a home and family will be a sufficient reward for having aided in the movement. Most people are either “for or against,” and the between, or so called neutral position, can not be satisfactorily maintained.