Newspaper Page Text
weakness of his fellow mortals, is not to the point.
It is pretty certain that his heirs are not worrying
along this line. It may be safely assumed that if
the spirit of the showman has the privilege of re
turning to this planet, it must derive intense satis
faction from the numbers and distinction of those
who, by their business and professional methods,
subscribe to their belief in the fact that the wily
Barnum in the flesh knew whereof he spoke.
If Barnum was wicked, he had the saving grace
of loyalty to his best friends. Otherwise, he might
have taken us farther in to his confidence and re
vealed the identity of the chief vehicle upon which
he transported his fake wares to the market place.
Had his candor extended thus far. unquestionably
he would have named the American press. The daily
newspaper served Barnum well, but it was not a
labor of love. The account between tin* newspapers
and himself is square: the moral duty of either to the
public generally was never considered of import
ance, inasmuch as both believed that said public was
getting what it wanted, and was willing to pay there
for. The bulk of the press has extended its ad
herence to Barnum's truism until this policy now
overspreads practically every branch of its rela
tions with the reader. If the time honored motto.
“Honestv is the Best Police," survives in the aver
age newspaper office at all. it has been hung over
the desk of the religious editor. Assuredly it adorns
not the business office nor the editorial rooms, which
two departments are, in modern journalism, lik<‘ un
to Jonathan and David, so closely do they cling, one '
to another.
On April 22, in an address delivered at a joint
banquet of The Associated Press and the American
Newspaper Publishers' Association at the Waldorf
Hotel, New York City, William J, Bryan made tin 1
following charges in the presence of the representa
tives of over seven hundred daily newspapers of the i
United States:
“There is not an evil of which we complain that
could live for a year in this countrv if we didn't
hire editors to chloroform readers while their pock
ets were being picked. It is only after the .crimes
are committed and the postmortems held that we
get a look behind the scenes and know what has been [
done.
“The editorial page of today is often paid for
and editorials are printed that are not written in
the newspaper office. They are written by interest
ed persons outside. Senator La Follette found that
two hundred editors entered into a compact to print
as editorials stuff furnished by the railroads. The
way to purge journalism of this great evil is to form
opinion among newspaper men that will ostracise
the man who thus deceives the public.
“The man who thinks he can write an editorial
that is colorless deceives himself more than he de
ceives the reader.'’
Was there any manifestation of indignation or
an attempt to refute the truth of this arraignment,
on the part of any editor or publisher present?
None whatever.
Why the speaker did not make his criticism cover
the news, as well as the editorial columns, is diffi
cult of conception. Very likely it is, however, that
he had documentary proof of the one and nothing
more than common knowledge of the other.
It is interesting to speculate upon the problem
of what percentage of the lay readers, that is, the
THE REASON
unversed in present journalistic methods, paused to
consider and to wonder as to the why and the where
fore of the sudden and violent switch of “public
sentiment'' in this countrv as reflected bv tlit*
changed tone of editorials and news dispatches from
pro-Japanese to pro-Russian about the time of the
assembling of th<* peace conference at Portsmouth,
N. 11. It is sate to assert that nothing more re
markable was ever witnessed in this country's his
tory of journalism. Nor is this an intimation that
each individual publisher was “approached’' by the
subtle Russian financial agent. Such a course' would
not be necessary. The fact is. nearly every daily
paper in the smaller cities of the country singles
out one of tin* greater journals of the larger cities
as its mentor and guide, at least in so far as relates
to its attitude upon international and sometimes
national affairs. It might have been noted (hat
many of the lesser lights balked rather obstinately
in their editorial views for a time subsequent to the
“flop." but it was difficult to stay out of the fold,
by reason of tin* fact that such an attitude brought
their editorial and news columns in violent collision.
It may or may not have been of significance' that tin*
executive head of the press distributing agency,
which supplies the world's telegraphic news to an
overwhelming majority of the American newspapers,
had then but recently returned from a tour through
Russia, where he was granted an honor but rarely
awarded to foreigners, namely, an audience with the
“Little Father." otherwise Czar Nicholas 11.
It is very likely indeed that the situation was
pretty thoroughly understood by the Japanese
statesmen. But they were forced to keep their own
council by considerations diplomatic. Japan was
at the close of a war which had drained her money
coffers, and the time not propitious for inciting the
Japanese people to some act which might precipi
tate another struggle. Quite naturally, however,
resentment rankled and burned in the liearts of all
classes in Japan, with the difference that the fires
were banked in the breasts of the statesmen and dip
lomats. while they crackled and spurted little blue
tongues of flame upon tin* surface of the humble
proletariate.
On the other hand, the situation was misunder
stood by the Japanese of the class we describe as
the common people. This class is accustomed to
seeing the Japanese journalistic attitude upon inter
national affairs very largely directed ami dictated
bv the Mikado, or his cabinet. Hence, they hold
President Roosevelt responsible for the fluctuating
“public sentiment" on this side of the Pacific, labor
ing under the misapprehension that Hie latter wields
the power of a Mikado. Furthermore, they are dis
posed to “visit the sins of the father upon the sons.’’
at least unto the present generation, holding that as
the Americans elect their Chief Executive, his acts
are their acts. All which, summed up. means that
the Japs hate all of us because of tin* resounding
“knocks" administered over here during tin* peace
conference to Japan’s scheme of reprisal against her
erstwhile foe.
So. the United States must be licked; the deeply
thoughtful Oriental says, wait a while: the voice of
the commoner yells, “Banzai! We shall do it now —
n-o-w.” Some time we shall surely have it out.
It should be apparent to all who art' capable of
reasoning that it may be a trifle dangerous to persist
in our fondness for being humbugged.
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