The Small Town Newspaper – (PIP #100)

By Louise Peloquin

     “Peek into the past” of L’Etoile number 100 brings us full circle. The seven-decade newspaper never skirted its priority, placing Lowell happenings in the limelight, as the last seven centennial PIP’s showed.

The two editorials below offer food for thought about the role of a small town, foreign language newspaper. L’Etoile editorials were most often unsigned, demonstrating director Louis-A. Biron’s wish to promote teamwork and solidarity and not single stardom.

In the first editorial after acquiring L’Etoile, Biron shares his vision – PIP #2, “Judging us by our work.”(1).

     His gift for recognizing and encouraging talent is apparent in PIP #3, “Leo with Louis at L’Etoile.” Jack Kerouac’s father honed his printing skills as an active member of Biron’s team where he multitasked as gifted printer, translator, reporter, writer. (2)

     PIP #4,  “A little star dust caught”,  presents Biron’s daily routine at 24-26 Prince Street. (3)

In PIP #5, “Every day a star is born”, we can almost hear the hive of workers buzz with state-of-the-art Linotype machines as Queen bees. No single man in a cushy corner office ruled over others. They all breathed the same air, shared the same quarters, labored towards the same goal – putting out a local daily newspaper in French. In doing so, they actively contributed to Lowell’s development and are forever a precious part of its history. (4)

The “PIP’s” started in September 2023. We thank Dick Howe most warmly for continuing to include them in his blog.

__________

L’Etoile – April 16, 1925 editorial

THE SMALL TOWN NEWSPAPER

     In “The New Editor and Publisher” of New York, William Allen White has recently given small town newspaper editors interesting advice. He starts by stating:

“Treat local events and you will soon place opinions on international questions second in priority. Large metropolitan dailies are more qualified to talk about these things.”

     He continues:

“Indeed, the local editorial is the weak point of a small town newspaper in the United States. This is precisely the only place where there is never any contradiction.

Certain local issues for small town readers imperiously require the editor to express an opinion. However, some readers are interested in important events taking place across our borders or abroad. Therefore, if they want an opinion on these matters, they will be able to find it more precisely in large metropolitan dailies, weeklies and numerous widely-distributed press outlets. A few editorials each month on national topics will save the small town editor’s reputation and will give him the air of a national writer. However, he will have to simultaneously approach local stories, the ones most likely to attract and to touch the reader. There also will he command respect.

The most welcome editorial is the one which, concerning politics, adjudicates responsibilities and grants justice to two opposing parties. The political partisan enjoys reading the expression of a sound opinion but if the editor has a few good blows, he must go at them with fists flying. If not, he had better remain quiet.

If there is not the least shade of partisanship in the small town newspaper editorial,  it will certainly be noticed by both Democrats as well as Republicans and the editor will have the opportunity to be authoritative when read. May he seriously treat municipal and public utility affairs in no uncertain terms, setting aside all personal and individual concerns, but keeping only the public interest in mind….”

     Above is a summary of Mr. White’s advice. It is also a tad practical for the foreign language newspaper which, nevertheless, has vitally important topics to discuss, most especially concerning the readers whom Mr. White can hardly know or understand.

__________

L’Etoile – April 28, 1926 editorial

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS

     A draft of legislation presently in front of Congress aims at banning all foreign language newspapers. That is going too far. There is reason to believe that Congress will always have a majority of members with enough character and common sense to push back legislation which is so contrary to the principles of real democracy.

     There have been indiscretions in some foreign language newspapers published in America. In certain cases, there have been attempts to propagate communist doctrines but it is necessary to make distinctions. Banning the publications which sow tares and preach the violent reversal of the established order is very good but leave in peace those who demonstrate a loyal spirit towards American institutions. This would be the most elementary justice.

     The few existing foreign language newspapers with communist principles are well-known. No one harbors any illusions about them or takes them for what they are not. On the other hand, there is a mass of foreign language newspapers which never tire of giving lessons of the purest patriotism. The totality of foreign language newspapers in the country belong to this last category. Here is what we read on the topic in a National Press Service bulletin:

     “It is manifestly unjust to punish the innocent when attempting to reach a few guilty people. With the reduction of immigration and the little inclination of the second generation to read a language other than English, the problems of foreign language newspaper editors are already considerably complicated. But the foreign language newspapers persist and they should persist. There are a great many of foreign birth, loyal sincere United States citizens, who count on the foreign language newspaper to be informed about the progress of their adopted country. The number of these people is so significant  that it is impossible to consider other than with alarm any attempt to destroy the news outlets which are the only ones within their reach.”

     These remarks give the tone perfectly except that perhaps it would be necessary to have reservations about the tendency of the second generation to prefer reading in English, at least within the French language community. It is also true that, in certain cases our second generation is more familiar with English than with French and that is regrettable. However, there are a great many representatives of this generation who have fully maintained the use of their native tongue and this fact is remarkable even among many of the third generation. It could be the same for the following generations with our system of parishes and parochial schools and without abdicating their rights of using French at church and at school. (5)

  ****

1) PIP #2 – Judging us by our work:  https://richardhowe.com/2023/10/03/judging-us-by-our-work/

2) PIP #3 – Leo with Louis at L’Etoile: https://richardhowe.com/2025/10/07/leo-with-louis-at-letoile-2/comment-page-1/#comment-107241

3) PIP #4  – A little star dust caught: https://richardhowe.com/2023/10/17/a-little-star-dust-caught/

4) PIP #5 – Every day a star is born: https://richardhowe.com/2023/10/24/every-day-a-star-is-born-2/

5)Translations by Louise Peloquin.