IKE UUU.xE, SltJl. I A. 3. SEYMOUR mm The Tribune R.C. Hoiles, our founder, talks about faith and liberty Tim Timmons Publisher Gene Powell Jr.
EJttor AnsooMKntrsnum A I 0 A VIEW Recalling R.C. Hoiles on this special day does what each and every individual has a moral and ethical and just right to do. I have faith that men who have faith in moral principles live more abundantly than those who believe there are no eternal, moral, just principles that govern human relations. I have faith that gaining understanding of nature's laws is the best way to be useful to one's self and to his fellow man. These are a few things I have faith in.
If ah atheist is an individual who contends there are no eternal principles and that everything happens by choice, it is hard to conceive then how an atheist can believe he has any inalienable God-given rights. The only philosophy he could possibly have would be that might makes right and that the end justifies the means. In looking up the word 'faith in the Concordance, I was surprised to find that -it was only used once, in the Old Testament and was used 234 times in the New Testament. Yes, I have faith. I do not see how any man can live without faith.
Raymond Cyrus Hoiles, Nov. 24,1953 The Tribune's parent company, Freedom Communications fnc, was founded in Ohio by a man of strong princU pies and morals, Mr. R.C. Hoiks. On this day 43 years aso, he wrote what he referred to as his articles of faith: They are as timeless today as they were then.
I have faith in principles, in truth, in sequence, in order, in -cause, in action and reaction, in the Commandments, in the Golden Rule, in Natural Law, in God. I have faith that the Commandments and the Golden Rue will promote goodwill and peace to the degree that they are obeyed. I have faith that whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. I have faith that to the degree we have free trade and no immigration quotas will we have peace and goodwill amongst men. I have faith that our country would be better protected by voluntary soldiers rather than by drafted soldiers.
I have faith that our government would better protect every person's inalienable rights if it was supported on a voluntary basis rather than by taxes. I have faith that there is both a spiritual and material profit or loss oiles' vision clear on these pages 1878-1970 tions without evasion about what they are advocating. I have faith that man is perfectible even if he is fallible. I have faith that man lives a more abundant life when he lives by the sweat of his brow than by gifts. I have faith in work.
I have faith that is is more blessed to give than to receive. I have faith that the meek shall inherit the earth. I have faith that there shall ever be friendship among the good, but never be friendship among the evil. I have faith that life Is good, I have faith that men would more nearly reap all the produce and more nearly approach justice under the competitive, free, private, enterprise system than under any other system. I have faith that a government is a good government that only a government.
In 1935, he moved to California and purchased the Santa Ana Register, which remains to this day the flagship newspaper of Freedom It was at the Register that he shared his philosophy objecting to coercion of any type, including the government's power of taxation. Hoiles 'rightly believed the only legitimate function of government is the protection of its citizens against fraud and force. He was hostile to big government and coercion or aggressive force used against anyone except in self-defense. Hoiles believed freedom was a gift from God, not a political grant from government, that man is created by nature to be free, and that personal freedom is limited only when it encroaches on the liberty of another. He advocated integrity, self-responsibil-.
ity, respect for individual freedom, community and lifelong learning, core values we still hold dear to our hearts in this company today. Although critics viciously assailed him, his core philosophy not only withstood the test of time, but showed he was ahead of iimes in manyiof Hoiles' vision did not promise a perfect world. Rather, he believed that a R.C. in every voluntary transaction. I have faith in the immortality of influence and the immortali- ty of the race.
I have faith that material profit when accompanied by spiritual profit is a blessing to all mankind. I have faith that in free enterprise the gain or profit of one is the gain of all. I have faith in free competition. I have faith that we will be better educated by voluntary, competitive schools than by government schools. I have faith that com- getition will create oth material and spiritual development.
I have faith that free competition or an unhampered market in both material things and ideas is a blessing to all mankind. I have faith in myself and my wife and my children and grandchildren, and in all men who will answer ques ownership of the Lorain and Mansfield papers. A few years later he purchased the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum. "When I was working on a newspaper that I did not control, I used to wish that I was in another line of business," Hoiles said later. "I thought it was much more important to be manufacturing something of a national nature than producing a local newspaper.
The newspaper I was connected with at that time did not particularly stand for any principle, so it was difficult to be enthusiastic about the newspaper business. Now I believe that the newspaper business is one of the most important of all businesses. It is a business that can do a lot of good or a lot of harm. It cannot, do very, much good unless it is consistent and-stands for principles that are in harmony with natural moral law." But in 1932, a bomb was detonated on his porch and he got out of the business for a few years. It was during this time that he refined his libertarian philosophy based on the Ten Commandments, the Declaration of Independence and the golden rule.
From these he hisi'single code, of conduct," believing that if the initiation of force is wrong for an individual, it is also wrong for 1 1 pmessr (Harbor by Imperial Japan, the Register was one of only two newspapers we know of in the nation that opposed the internment of more than 100,000 Japanese Americans by President Franklin Roosevelt and California Attorney General Earl Warren. R.C. pointed out that two-thirds of the Japanese-Americans were born here. -Drawing on the Bill of Rights, he said people cannot be imprisoned and their property seized without a fair trial by a jury of their peers. Six decades later, we're proud to continue his tradition by opposing the internmentin the wake of the Sept.
11 attack of more than 1,000 Arabs and Muslims of foreign birth who currently are being held without trial and in many cases without benefit of legal counsel. Even though none of the new detainees is a citizen, the Bill of Rights is granted specifically to all "persons," not just citizens. Although both Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11 attack were murderous assaults on ourcountry, it is still imperative that these should be times of ensuring that our Ail-American guarantees are implemented to the fullest. After the war, R.C.
continued his lifelong battle to protect the freedom and dignity of each person until his death in 1970. We still meet people who fondly recall discussing liberty with R.C. Even those who opposed him, especially on such prickly issues as public schooling, remember his fondness for fair debate. Some words of R.C. remain our guiding force: "A newspaper that carries controversial editorials and will permit its readers to challenge its policies not only benefits the editor and the publisher, but it benefits those who do the challenging." Today, The Tribune celebrates Founder's Day in honor of the birthday of R.C.
Hoiles, the man who founded Freedom Communications, our parent company. Born on Nov, 24, 1878, R.C. grew up in Ohio, where he got his start in the newspaper business. In fact, he founded Freedom in the Although Hoiles took Freedom across the country 'and eventually wound in Orange County, it was his good imidwestern roots i from which our com-Vpanygrew. Today, Freedom is nation's 12th largest media company, with newspapers, television stations, and online 'operations.
Deep reading in phi-losophy and politics convinced Hoiles of importance of and limited gov- ernment. The foundations of his libertarian beliefs were the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, the Declaration of Inde-. Spendence and the Constitution. He often took on the local powers-that-be. "A newspaper has a because it is the most economical method of exchanging ideas," he wrote.
"A newspaper is afraid to discuss things that are sacred cows' to the majority will be afraid to handle news that might cost it advertising or subscriptions." He also said, "A newspa-. per that is afraid of closing subscribers of principles is of little value to or anyone else, tit might make dollars its publisher loses own self-respect his own soul." This year's Founder's Day is poignant ijbecause it was 60 years ago that R.C. the Orange Register through one of its hours. In the of the Dec. 7, :1941, attack on Pearl Freedom Wire Freedom Communications, parent company of The Tribune, was founded by a man with an unbending vision that no human being should live shackled to the chains of tyran ny.
Raymond Cyrus Hoiles, R.C. as he was called most of his life, was born on this date in 1878. Still, 123 years after his birth, his legacy continues at 28 daily newspapers, 37 weekly publications, 18 magazines and eight television stations across the nation. Born with good mid-western roots in Alliance to a farmer, Hoiles was instilled from an early age with a thirst for knowledge and a strong sense of self-responsibility. By 1905, he had acquired a one-third interest in the Alliance Review, which was owned by his brother.
The siblings eventually bought the Lorain Times Herald (1919) and Mansfield News (1921). Hoiles and his brother had a falling out, however, when Hoiles wanted to speak out in the Mansfield paper against the oppressive influence. of -labor unions. Hoiles gave up his interest in the Alliance Review In exchange for complete society in which each person respected the rights of others, and was given the chance to succeed or fail on his own, would produce a world in which each person got what he deserved. Holies died in 1970, but not before expanding his company to 16 papers in seven-statesrnJust-three years later his brother helped purchased The Tribune here in Seymour.
Holies' belief in personal liberty is represented by the torch of freedom, seen at the top of this page. Properties like The Tribune will continue to tirelessly fight to keep it brightly lit, despite efforts by those who would subvert- personal freedom in the name of the so-called "common good." Some may call us extreme for the views we take on this page. We have to agree with Barry Goldwater, who said in 1964, "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." Through commentary pages we promise to continue to fight for the individual freedoms of men and women. We will continue our vigilance in denouncing the hired help lives and vow to uphold our firm belief in the greatness of a 'free society.
T'rtf-hVwi-fo liMliitu i jnrZ iUIUrd PSknore By Brace Tlnstoy 0SvOcteifc 0 ii in All submissions to The Tribune must be accompanied by the author's name, address and phone number. We may reject or edit any submission. Credits or bylines may or may not accompany published submissions. By submitting a letter or column, you assign to us all rights, title and Interest In the submission, Including all copyrights and related moral rights. mm 7s vcrzi.
