—Lancaster Farming, Saturday. October 13. 1973
10
aflft
Newspapers:
kttaUalic
Free Choice
f
Newspaper Week, Oct. 7-13, will be met
with its share of “so what’s 7 " but for those
who like the taste of freedom, it is a time to
pay tribute to one of the most important
guardians of free expressions.
The importance of a free press to a free
and independent people has been em
phasized more strongly in recent months
than in many a year. Never before has the
need to preserve freedom of expression
been greater, and the newspapers of our
nation have been the bulwark of defense of
this freedom
Newspapermen have been up to a lot
lately. “Big stories” are appearing all over
the country, as top journalists dig into the
muck and dare to peel the wraps off dif
ficult stones. Journalism is proud of these
unafraid reporters who are telling what is
really going on.
But “big stories” are only a small part of
the newspaper world. Little, unheard of
newspapers all over the country are doing
their share to serve their communities, not
only through their pages, but also through
the many community-minded, personal
activities and services of their publishers,
editors, reporters, and printers.
We believe, as a weekly newspaper, that
one of our mam purposes is to be the
■'conscience" of our town, and to tell the
truth about it, in as positive a way as we
can.
This means telling happy stories as well
as sad ones. We feel that no newspaper
gives a really true picture of its community
We should remember, as a Field En
terprises Educational Corporation
publication points out, “Children are not
born with inherent good taste in their
choice of books. They will remember the
good ones longer and with greater
pleasure than the rest, but they will not
choose them without considerable
guidance from some adult in whose
judgment they have confidence."
The Journal , of American Insurance ,
notes, “The ... preference for the clog or
platform sole shoe 1 has resulted in a
dramatic upswing in th'p numbed of women ’
injured in falls. Foot specialists'Warn that
the girl shod in high platform fashion rpns
a much increased risk of a twisted, ankle 1
‘The platform shoe ,is ' supremely
Sure, it's idealistic. It’s also practical. For how
can a people govern themselves if they don’t know what’s
going on? Freedom of speech is a mockery unless you
knoM what you’re talking about. Your own personal
freedom depends on freedom of information. That’s why a free
and fearless press is one of our Constitutional rights.
We Believe
Grassroots
XXX
unless it tells about the good things people
do, as well as the trouble they get into.
At the same time, we believe it is our
duty, as well as our right, to tell people
what" our local government is doing, to"
solicit support for local governing bodies
when they are right, and to point out their
mistakes when they make them.
We do not do this to win prizes or ac
colades. In fact, we’re more accustomed to
brickbats.
We do it because we delieve in the
Constitution and “freedom of the press.” If
we lose this, none of us will be free for long.
Newspapers are written by people, as
capable of making mistakes as anyone else.
But by the very nature of their job, jour
nalists are bound more than the average
person to be very sure of their facts, to dig
as deep as they must to get at the whole
truth, and to write these facts so that they
will not be misunderstood.
By the same token, journalists should
bind themselves NOT to write rumors or
half-truths, or to allow themselves to be
fooled or used by “vested interest
The press is an extremely powerful thing,
and if its freedom is to remain justified,
then journalists must make sure that
power is not misused.
Newspapers cannot think for people.
They cannot always find solutions to
problems.
But they do keep readers in the thick of
things, and able to cope.
Opinion
dangerous,’ warns Dr. Monroe Jacobs,
president, Podiatry Association of the State
of New York. Designer Laura Tosato
agrees: ‘With the speed of life what it is
today, clogs are dangerous because they
don’t hang on.’”
“You have not converted a man because
you have silenced him.”--John Morley
According ,to a California Taxpayers' ■
Association'publication, “New Jersey is the
first state, to start a public service institute
■ designed to tram public officials, the in
stitute Will,'work, to train officials at, all
levels Of state and local government to giVe
i''them'the skills and .abilities needed to'
' administer government”' It’? dbout time 1
jt /
ii
}f.
XXX
XXX
NOW IS
THE TIME . . .
To Beware of Frost
A mid-October frost should not
be a surprise to many
folks in this part of the country
and should do little harm to farm
crops. However, livestock
producers with acreages of sudan
grass or sudan-sorghum hybrids
should beware of frosted forage.
We repeat the warning that these
crops, after a killer frost, should
not be fed to livestock or grazed
until they are dead (5 to 7 days),
or after being made into silage
and fermented for at least 30
days. Frosted sorghums may
contain sufficient prussic acid to
poison livestock.
I
To Feed New Corn Carefully
Some producers may need to
feed new corn before it has had a
chance to dry out; this can be
done with caution. First the
amount in the grain ration should
start low (25 to 30 percent) and
then be increased gradually;
also, if the new com is to be
ground, it should be ground often
and fed out daily; otherwise, it
will heat and mold in the pile or in
bags. When new grains are in
troduced gradually, there is less
danger of bloating or scouring of
the livestock.
To Care for Young Stock
Dairy herd replacements are
expensive to buy and worthwhile
to sell; therefore, every
dairymen should make a special
effort to do a good job of raising
heifers. The demand is strong
and prices are very favorable.
Special pens or sheds for the
young stock are advised where
they will have a chance fpr
WHILE WE
WERE ENEMIES
Lesson for October 14,1973
Background Scripture: Romans 5 1-11
Devotional Reading Romans 5 15-21
A woman was pleading with
her husband to change his mind
and invite their estranged son to
return home. The father and son
had quarreled and the father
ordered the son out of the house.
The youth could return, he said,
when he admitted
he had been in
error
The son, how
ever, although he
was willing to re
turn home, still
believed that he
was right in the
dispute and, there
ie fore, refused to
admit any error.
The father and son were both ad
amant and the mother did her
best to effect a reconciliation. But
the father remained steadfast in
his decision: there would be re
conciliation only when the youth
returned in penitance.
“Worthy" of reconciliation? ’
The stand is familiar to
us. Many people are quite willing
to forgive another when that per
son indicates in some way that he
. or she is penitent It is 9s though
. a person must earn or be worthy
' Of forgiveness and reconciliation
1 Under this approach our,love is
(Conditional' iipon someone’s de
serving it. ' |
Once again, as we pomtisd out;
last week, this is basically' a'pre-
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
exercise and get plenty of quality
roughages. Plans for calf stalls
and heifer barns are available at
our Extension Office.
To Check Fire Extinguishers
The growing season is almost
over and barns are full of the
summer’s harvest. Fires are
costly at any time but especially
at the beginning of the winter
feeding season. We urge farmers
to invest in several fire ex
tinguishers, if they don’t already
own several, and be prepared to
prevent the spread of any fire.
Old extinguishers should be
•checked and serviced in order to
be worthwhile. Every member.of
the family should know the
location of this equipment and
know how to operate them. Fire
prevention is very important and
good extinguishers at the right
time and place could save
enormous losses.
American Viewpoints
Christian approach to religion.
The basis for love in this ap
proach is a legalistic one. Salva
tion, reconciliation, the favor of
God: all these are dependent
upon the worth of the individual
man or woman. And that “worth”
is determined by certain laws,
rules, and regulations.
The whole meaning of the Gos
pel of Jesus Christ, Paul realized,
is that we must go beyond legal
ism and base our religion upon
the grace of God. Paul must have
startled the Hebrew world with
his audacious observation: “While
we were yet helpless, at the right
time Christ died for the ungodly”
(Romans 5 6). Christ’s sacrifice
was, not for men who because
they lived by the law thought
they were “good,” but for those
who pbviously were “not good ”
The meaning of grace
In other words, Jesus did not
wait for the world to repent be
fore he poured out his love: “...
while we were yet sinners Christ
died for us . while we were
enemies we were reconciled to
God by the death of his Son . ..”
(5‘8,10). Even while we are still
sinning against him, Christ offers
us his love. We do not have to be
“good” first in order to qualify
for it We do not have to meet
certain legalistic specifications to
grasp it.
Actually, this is what' “grace”
means- the undeserved love of
God.” Therefore it is not a “sal
ary” to be' earned, but a gift We
are ne'vpr worthy‘of his love, but
he gives, it to, us ■if we will but
receive it
So it! is to be also with our love *
for one another. We'are.called to ■,
'give our love, not'only to ! those
who are tootthy; but stlso to ttyose
who in Our judgement ai:e unde- .
1 serving of so great a'gift' '
' <tosed on outlines copyrighted by thi 1
f 0/visi«ni Jef Christian Education, National
Coondil he Churches,of Chwst.m th»US,A
ineleosed by Press Syviea.} ; , j l '