' ' ?
VOL. 52, NO. 24
TODAY and
?ANf. PARXtBTp^i^/ Ll
SOO.BR I Dtit
NEWSPAPERS 13.00(
Every thoughtful observer wh.
visits Ameripa from abroad ib
amazed to discover how much the
, people of the United States know
about what is going on, not only ir
their own country but all over the
world. The American people know
more than the people of England
. Germany or Russia know aboul
what's going on in their own countries.
The reason for America's wide
knowledge of events and public af
fairs is that we are the greatest
nation of newspaper readers to be
iounrl anywnere. More of us call
lead, more of us are eager for information?and
we have more
newspapers.
Few even among Americans realize
that there are more than 13.001
newspapers published in the United
States. About 2.000 of them arc
daily papers, the rest weeklies 01
semi-wceklics. That doesn't count
the enormous number of magazine;
of all kinds, of which we read more
than do any other people. No wonder
we are so well informed.
FREEDOM opinions
The German or the Russian or tile
Italian can read in his newspapei
t nlv what his government wants
him to read. No editor in the totalitarian
nations dares to print anything
which criticizes the govern
nienl. Most of them have to submit
every line to some government
official before it gets into print.
Nothing of the sort is possible in
America. Government may not liki
what a newspaper soys, hilt it can"',
do anything to stop an editor from
printing any news or opinion he
chooses to print. So long as he does
not libel anyone, advocate the overthrow
of the government by violence
or incite people to Hot -5T
crime,- or use indecent language,
anyone who has access to a printing
press can print whatever he wants
to print.
rThe supreme court of the United
States has just ruled that this freedom
of the press, guaranteed by the
constituticn .extends to pamphleteers,
who may not be restrained
from distributing circulars, band
bills or any other form of printed
matter. This is a restatement ol
what is perhaps the most funda]
mental of all our liberties, the right
to express our ideas and to tell the
truth as we see it, without let 01
hindrance.
POLITICS truth
Politicians who want to make
themselves the tulers of the people
rather than their servants, dpn'i
like newspapers because they ar;
too likely to tell the truth abou
what's going en behind the political
front. Every attempt ever made ii
Atncrici to suppress or control tin
press has originated in politico
cliques or gangs who were up tt
some skullduggery that they didn't
want the voters to know about.
Up to about 150 years ago every
newspaper was owned or controller,
by politicians with an axe to grind
The first newspaper to set itseli
free from such control was the London
Times. Its founder. John Wal
ter, figured that if he could gel
enough small advertisers so that ii
wouldn't ruin him if a few dropped
cut, he could run an honest newspaper
and print the truth aboul
public affairs.
That was the beginning of the
real freedom of the press. There
are still a few newspapers tied up
with political backers, but ninetenths
of American papers are free
The freest of ail are the ones thai
have the most advertising.
CONTROL "legals'
When Huey Long was makinp
himself "Kingfish" of Louisiana ht
got his hand-picked legislature tc
pass laws of many kinds intpudec
to cripple the newspapers. Some oi
those laws were upset by the supreme
court, but one which still
stands on Louisiana's statute book!
is held responsible for the orgy 01
financial crookedness in the stat?
since Long's death.
This law abolishes the publicatior
of so-called "legal" advertising
jviosi states require all proposals involving
the use of public funds, ta>
lists, bond issues and the like, to tx
advertised in newspapers in everj
county. Those things are the pub
lie's business. The Long schcnru
kept the public completely in th<
dark as to how much money the
politicians were collecting from tfcs
people and how they were spending
The procession of political graft
ers that has recently started for th<
Louisiana penitentiary is evidenci
that the people have waked up t<
the fact that they were being rob
bed, and how. But until the stab
tesumes the publication of officia
reports of its financial matters
there's always a chance of "some
thing being put over.
ADVERTISERS whim'
Every once in a while somebodj
comes out with a book or a .naga
zine article trying to tell people tha
advertising ' is an economic waste
that if it wasn't for the cost of ad
vertising they could buy thing!
cheaper. The precise opposite hap
/ATM
An Independent )
BOONE, WAT.
pens to he true, as everv publisher
and every advertiser knows. If it
wasn't for advertising no concern
could do a large enough volume of
business to sell his product at reasonable
pricesSome
of Hhose same wrong-headed
critics contend that newspapers
are under the domination of advertisers.
I've run several newspapers,
and have studied the inner workings
of the business for years. I've
never encountered an instance ot a
" newspaper adapting its editorial
policy to the whims of its adver>
tisers.
> One newspaper I worked on hud
a large advertiser who disliked the
' the paper's attitude on a certain
i matter and pulled out his daily full
page advertisement. A vear later
' he offered advertising copy again
. and the publisher refused to let him
t into the paper.
| DEWEY DEPICTED AS CHILD
VVHU WKI'lES TO "SANTA"
. Chicago, Dec. 7?Thomas E. Dewi
ey was depicted as a small boy writing
to Santa Clnus for the Rcpubli
can presidential nomination, in a
cartoon yesterday in the Chicago
Daily News, which is published by
I Frank Knox, 193G Republican nomi|
nec for vice-president.
In a cloud over Dewey's head was
his vision of Santa, with the head
t of the Republican elephant, carry;
Ing a sack labeled "'40 Nomina.
tion."
John Q. Public was peeking
around a corner and remarking:
"Now isn't that cute."
The Washington monument cost
. SI.31)0.000.
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Veekly Newspaper?Established in the Year Eightet
AUGA COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, DEC. 14,
ByQar'v , 9BSE(H^^ ? * vBHEKt -*Sr *' >&\
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ESSO?a gasoline that
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t?'nccrr" This is the font time it has ever been given in the oil
fvjf-T, ~rf^|T . The award was made for Esso's many advances in d
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new high in knockless appreciate this formal recognition of Esso Leadershi
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1939 ?
:OVE CREEK I1
HIGH SCOOPS S
do i
mc
The Cove Creek high school Pr(
nonthly, the "Wacovian" is slated to slu
ome from the press on December tw
5. This issue, a special Christmas 1
diticn. will contain many features
)ertaining to the Yuletide. The J
December issue is the second a ]
hat the paper has made its appear- P.
inoe this year. The third printing At
vill take place about the iniddV? of
fanuary. re<
Harold Mast Honored Dc
Harold Mast, talented young cur- tic
oonist of the "Wacovian" stulr\ was tol
ecently lauded by the state depart- w;
nent for his work in conne 't'pn cri
vith that publication. In a letter I ?
o Principal S. F. Horton. voiric w;
Hast was praised by the officials
or having given to the state a dis- Vi
inctively new type of artistic work, mi
Debaiinq Club Prepares for Meets an
For the past several weeks. Cove to
^reek students have been preparing C*
cr the triangular contests of the m<
^orth Carolina Debating Union, of
rhe high school has entered the
tate-wide contests and will partici- \\7
Date in the meets to be held next
ipring: the query as stated by the
oficials of the union is, "Resolved,
L'hat the Federal Government
Should Own and Operate the Rail- tin
oads." Students now engaged in a en
:tudy of this Question are Harold 3(i,
Vlast, Foy Parker, Geraldine Binglam,
David Love. Billie Harmon 16'
md Walter Thompson. da
Parent-Teacher Association 1 Ql
The Parent-Teacher Association, i
m
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THE (Esso) S
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SECTION B?EIGHT PAGES
irganized here recently, will hold
next meeting on Thursday. Denber
14. A program committee
ided by Mrs. ltoby Greer was apmted
by Mrs. C. I. Billings, presiit
of the local unit, at the last
ding two weeks ago. A varied
jgram will be given entirely by
irients at the next meeting some
o weeks hence.
LIKES SPECIAL EDITION
Following are some excerpts from
personal letter received by Mr. G.
Hagaman lrom Rev. J. Norton
kins who is now in Kumford, Va.:
"I read with much interest the
:ent special issue of the Watauga
imocrat celebrating the complein
and approaching opening of the
aacco warehouse in Boone. It
as a good piece of work and a
adit to all concerned. I am sorry
zarmot ho in Rrtorto mhnn
irehouse is opened for business.
"We are spending the winter in
rginia. in the vicinity of Richand
and find it a very pleasant
d agreeable location. There seems
be quite a number of Nortb
irolinians in and around Rich
and. so we do not have a feeling
being total strangers."
PA ENROLLMENT AGAIN
HITS THE 2,000,000 MARK
Washington, Dec. 7.?WPA enroll?nt
totaled 2,023,551 in the week
ded November 29, an increase of
,033 over November 22.
Not since August 9, when 2,,052,
3 were enrolled, officials said toy,
has the roster passed the 2,O.GCO
mark. The record high of
50,000 was oil November 1, 1930.
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