Illinois newspaper directory. History of the Illinois press association

Illinois Newspaper Directory and HistoryIllinois State Register, on "The Relations Between the Editorial Room and the BusinessOffice." A discussion of the editorial page on syndicated newspapers was held byJohn V. Riley, Rockford Star; A. T. Spivey, East St. Louis Journal, and H. H. Bancroft,Jacksonville.W. V. Tufford, secretary of the Inland Daily Press Association, Clinton, Iowa,opened the afternoon session with a talk on the necessity of newspaper organizations.He declared that no publisher could figure profits without national advertising and thatfree publicity was killing national advertising to a large degree. The Association, hethought, was of value enough to merit its existence from the fraternal standpoint. Howeverit made possible a uniform rate of advertising and assisted publishers greatly incutting down their overhead expenses, he went on to explain. The county organizationsare of the greatest value but they are the hardest to start and the hardest to maintainbecause of petty jealousy, he said.In discussing the problems of the weekly paper S. P. Preston, Gillespie News, saidthat getting and keeping efficient linotype operators and shop help was the countrypublisher's hardest job.Harry Bell, Whitehall Register-Republican, gave a pessimistic view of conditionsin his community and asked the assembly for advice on how he could have a betterpaper and make more money. M. F. Walsh, Harvard Herald, heartily disagreed withhis view of conditions as he thought the outlook in that section of the state wasthe brightest it had been for years."Women and the News" was taken up by Miss Laura Weilepp, Bloomington Pantagraph,who spoke on "Inside," and Mrs. H. A. McKeene, Springfield, on "Outside."The question box was conducted by H. U. Bailey, Bureau County Republican, Princeton.At four o'clock a special meeting on Women in Journalism was held, Miss Weilepppresiding. At the same time the Editorial Writer's Association meeting was held, JohnH. Harrison presiding.On Friday evening a banquet was held in Great Hall, Wesley Foundation. SenatorThomas Rees, Illinois State Register, Springfield, was the toastmaster. Miss Elsie Duhrgave three vocal selections.The address of the evening was given by Oswald Garrison Villard, editor of theNation, New York City. In making a plea for independence of the press he said in part:Villard on Independence in 192 5"The battle for freedom from partisan political servitude has been so nearly wonthat even the New York Tribune has been known to bolt acts of the Republican Partywithout thereby undermining the foundation of American journalism or Americanpolitics. But while we have progressed greatly in this direction, there has grown upof late years a new bondage—to government and government propaganda which is oneof the contributory causes to that public loss of faith in daily and weekly journalismwhich the most candid of us must admit. That this altered attitude to our governmentis shared by sections of the public does not alter the gravity of the change or minimizeit, for it is exactly the reverse of the attitude of the founders of this country towardthe men they placed in office, and of the policy they wished succeeding generationsto follow."We have begun to hedge the President about with something that almostapproaches divinity. It is peculiarly the pleasure of many of our military patrioticsocieties to exalt the dignity of high office just as various organizations are building upa worship of the Constitution of the United States as if that document, written fir a