Editorials pushed for change

Cape Girardeau might not have its beautiful parks, municipal airport, public library or current form of government if it weren't for the strong editorial stance of the Southeast Missourian.

During the past century, the newspaper has been an advocate for change in the city, pushing for streetlights in the 1920s, a city charter and ward representation for the city council and fiscal responsibility among government agencies.

Editorials in the newspaper have been written with a desire to offer helpful service and promote the good in the community, a charge from Fred and George Naeter, who purchased the newspaper in 1904.

A Dec. 31, 1925, editorial explained the newspaper's role in the community:

"The Missourian hunts for the good and shuns the bad. Unpleasant news gets a secondary place in these columns. Constructive news is what counts in the Missourian. A desire to see two blades of grass growing where but one grew before. A desire to see beauty mixed with utility, to see pleasure march hand in hand with toil, to see flowers growing where rubbish held sway, to see people enjoy life as they travel the route."

The Naeters wanted Cape Girardeau to be a good place to live and work. And frequently they made sure that civic beauty abounded.

The editorial page of the Southeast Missourian was an advocate for change in the community as the population grew.

In 1908, the newspaper, conscious of the mud and filth in the city, told readers about the need for sewers and paved streets. These were needed for the city to keep pace with the other progressive cities in the state and region, the editorial writer said.

The Naeters installed the first whiteway light on Broadway in 1911, and after much talk three light posts were erected in the city. A month later, they brought the first airplane ever to be seen in the region to Cape Girardeau. They lobbied for county farm agents in 1912 and helped find homes for 10 orphan children in 1914.

The Naeter brothers also advocated for construction of a traffic bridge across the Mississippi River. The paper urged government leaders to "make the proper street connections so traffic can flow easily through town to and from the bridge." Construction began in 1927. Over the years, the Naeters also pushed for lower tolls on the bridge once it became a business investment and succeeded in getting a commuter's pass for regular travelers between Missouri and Illinois. Eventually, the paper called for a toll-free bridge.

The Naeters were active in numerous community developments, from the start of the city's Chamber of Commerce to the ministerial alliance. In 1926, the Naeters pushed for a visit from evangelist Billy Sunday and declared the revival services "the greatest thing that had ever happened for the general good of Southeast Missouri."

But there were more projects to come that would need the newspaper's support. In 1928, the newspaper started a campaign for better sanitary conditions in the city; in 1931, it was a fight for better street lighting; in 1932, the appeal was for a park and plan to make the city more beautiful. The newspaper supported the construction of Ten Mile Garden between Cape Girardeau and Jackson along U.S. 61.

Parks were always a favorite editorial issue for the Southeast Missourian, regardless of who was in charge. The Naeter brothers pushed for purchase of a city park at the northwest edge of the city in 1935 and wanted permanent improvements for the fairground park once it was owned by the city.

In August 1932, the newspaper advocated restoration of Old McKendree Chapel, the first Methodist Church established west of the Mississippi River. A chapel association was formed and the building saved.

But the church wasn't the only building to be preserved under the Naeters' and the newspaper's watch. The Common Pleas Courthouse was preserved after the newspaper admonished the federal government and the city for not maintaining the building. Some confusion over ownership in a swap for a new post office created the problem, but the paper was quick to push for renovations.

In 1938, the newspaper began another community tradition with an annual art show. The front lobby of the newspaper building at 301 Broadway was transformed into an art gallery for a single weekend during the show, which ran for 45 years.

During that period, more than 5,000 pieces of art from 2,700 different artists were displayed. The show was first organized by employee Fred Dreher, and entries were invited from anyone. The Missourian took sponsorship of the show in 1947 and each year until 1973 invited guest artists to participate.

By the 1970 show, 339 works of art were exhibited in the newspaper's building during the show weekend. The artwork was mounted on pegboards set up in the building's windows and atop employee desks. The show drew 3,000 people and was a major event in town each year.

The exhibition was presented only sporadically during the late 1970s and ended after 1982. But the city's art community, inspired by the Missourian shows, began ArtsCape in 1993 as part of the city's bicentennial. It continues even today as a yearly event showcasing the region's best artwork.

Throughout their ownership, the Naeters pushed for community improvements. And the newspaper's editorial stance has been less confrontational and more supportive of community projects, said Joni Adams, a former managing editor.

Each year the newspaper asks for community support of the holiday campaigns Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly. As the Naeters hoped when they began work in the community, the newspaper would strive to make the city a better place.

And as much as the Naeter brothers admonished city leaders to think with progressive minds, they also made sure the readers of their newspaper were well-educated about state and national concerns and advancements.