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Show PAY AS YOU ENTER EACH succeeding legislature has seen fit to take a hack at the newsoaper profession in Utah, and ' the last regular session was no exception, although the majority of the bunk failed of final passage. pass-age. Many state officers follow the lead of the legislature. During a political campaign free and unrestricted un-restricted political propaganda is expected by the would-be officeholders. office-holders. When elected, it is the popular spirit, in the way of re ciprocity, we presume, lor tnem to put more teeth in newspaper libel laws; when it is a question of economy, the first thought is to make the newspapers suffer first. We presume that this thought comes about through the fact that the newspapers have been so free in printing candidates' press agent ' stuff. If newspapers could afford to print this dope for nothing, why not .let them do the rest of the work free. Years ago it was more or less the rule that editors have free passes to all shows and passes on railroads. Today the idea is reversed. re-versed. Railroads and shows demand de-mand free publicity, but also demand de-mand cash for their services. The politician has come to the same conclusion. With his super-ego, he believes that it will be a great news story to tell the waiting world that he is a candidate for office. Wiry print free the junk these aspirants pay the press agent ag-ent to write for them, to befuddle . . the public? -The daily papers of .. the state are the worst offenders ..nd are mainly to blame for this condition of affairs. Horse feath-. feath-. : rs and all seem to go as "news" to fill up. That a man is a candidate can-didate for office is fair enough, . ..- But let it go. at that. Why print .. free two columns of his press . o gent's stuff to prove he once . ' .threw a nickel on a Salvation .- Army tambourine and up to date never killed a friend. If a newspaper has some financial finan-cial angel. ..behind it, where cost, .doesn't., count,, it can print the free dope; if you are on your own you can't; it is very necessary - that the-' columns of the ' paper ,: bring 'to a certain amount of rev- :dnu'e; this fact is strikingly brought .to light the first 'of every month. This -rule was followed by the News ' at the' last election and made -us about' as popular with the free-publicity candidates as the v proverbial ; skunk at the Sunday afternoon tea party, but the same I procedure will be followed at the . coming election this fall and those to come in later j;ears. |