The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-30
Warrington oOrresPcudents of the Great


furnish news, which they do, with more or less
reliability, for the benefit OF their readers; but
this news is so often tampered with in the in
terest of some political or commercial 'ring, -
that the truth is seldom fully told. 1t is sup.
posed to be an aim of journalism to expose
frauds or abuses of privileges in public posi-
fions, among public officers. Like many other
suggestions regarding affairs, this one is false;
for there is not reporter or correspondent
there who dares to attack any department with
ont previously consulting the interests of the
political or commercial ring which he repre-
Some there are, disgraceftil and unprincipled
Bobenlans, representing several different anti
podal interests, who both attack and defend the
same public officers or measures, For instance,
there Is one well known 10 the world OF news
pareIdom as an lndomitable worker, and to the
contingent fund OF the Senate as a successful
stamp extractor, who Is engaged by the Boston
Journal New York COnln,eTCtdL, New Orleans
Times and New York Independent, besides SUBJ
serving the interests OF several prominent Sena-
tors of mixed political kidney. To the New
Orleans Times, read by people who hate Gene
rails Banks and Butler, he telegraphs news cal
Culated TO please their predictions; and to the
Bos on Journal read by people who admire the
two great b. 4, he telegraphs othernews, arranged
10 add to their already great appreciation Of
Them ...
The most abiect view of this lunkeyism is,
however, found in the tyranny of Department
and Bureau heads, for they occasionally arro-
gate to themselves the power of excluding from
their offices all correspondents who do not
color dispatches in the manner dictated by
them. To be excluded from any department
results in being "Ueap in the publication OF
news from that source, and consequently great
effort is made by the reporters TO "keep on the
right sden of those autocrats. 1t is not neces-
sary that absolute exclusion should be ordered
in the case OF an obstreperors correspondent,
for refusal TO furnish news is equivalent, and
can be accomplished in more dignhed
manner. ..y . ...
All these facts preclude the possibility of
trUthtulness in Washington dispatches such as
are read by the millions of newspaper readers
over their breakfast coffee every morning. The
readers OF the tribune, Tunes, Herald, and World
would open their ewes with wonder, if for mo-
ment they could obtain glimpse at the diaboli-
cal Vaccinations which result in the pubiCa
tiOn of these kilograms. Little do they know
OF the labor performed in obtaining news and
The corrupt practices ana Influences resOrted tn
by the poor WretChes who manufacture that
most prominent feature of the metropolitan
newspaper, the Washington column"
- Guerlllas there are, who bushwack about the
Departments, listen at keyholes, steal copies of
orders, speeches, or opinions, and sneakngly
obtain news at the sacrifice of decency and
then sell it TO the highest bidder. Anew YORK
man trades news with Cincinnati man, pro-
yided the latter will agree mot to lei another
New Yorker have it.n Radical will trade
good Copperhead or Conservative item with
Democratic correspondent for one of "hs
".
sCTewing, cheating, and constant wde-awake
activity, results in success as a Washington cor
respondent OF a daily paper. For all this,
however, coed salaries are paid, with immense
chances Tor perqulsies.
The chief correspondents OF the New York
papers probably receive $4,000 a year, and in
the main, are gentlemen OF ability, with good
claims to respectabilty. Their understrappers
however, are, with a few exceptions, men of
little principle, who jump at a chance for
moneymaking, and are capable of almost any
imaginable measures for the purpose of pro
curing an 'item.n Always on the alert, well
versed in the habits Of our public men, and
Tiskng their necks sometimes, they manage to
keep posted regarding every crook and turn in
political, comm mercial, or social matters. Of
course they are indispensable to the success of
the washington column" and, strange to say,
very often make themselves indispensable to
some OF the prominent men of the nation.
Among other notable matters connected with
The subject under consideration is the influence
eXerted by correspondents IN procuring appoint
ments, pardOns, contracts, and also their con-
neCll0n with business men III New York and
other large commercial points To procure an
appointment, pardon, or contract, it is not
necessary to act directly with the power which
IS authorized to grant 1t, as the most effective
mode is to manipulate the private secretaries,
clerks, and attaches of the department from
which the favor asked for must emanate
Money is an effective organ in procuring any
thing; but there are vain, ambitious men
men who generally succeed in crawling INTO
places OF minor position and power-who are
Pratihed with a newspaper mention of their
names.
SO it is that correspondents make friends and
influence with the "powers that be- The chief
buglers OF Departments, and Cabinet Ministers
are sometimes amena0e to such influences, as
well as their suboIdinates, and on the
Johnnie tickle me; tickle me- do;
You tickle me- and / II tickle you
principle, astonishing things are effected. Itisnot
TO be imagined that the editors of the news
papers used in the tickling process, are aware of
these facts; for all editors are suUpOsod to he
honest, and would either put stop to it or pro-
Vlde ior ltlle tlcklng Tor their own personal
eradication. Sometimes these Great NIoquls
1nterpolate litrle tickle in the Washington
dispatches after they have been received from
the telegraph office, Snd they very often direct
Their agents to tickle thus and so, greatly to the
disarrangement Of the plan of said agents
One Of the correspondents is CLERK of the
Printing Committee, with a salary Of nearly
S2500 year; editor of the Digest OF the Mes.
sage and Documents for which he receives
$1,000; compiler of the "IndeX to the Globe y
also $1,000 job; and aTanges the "Congres-
siOnal Directory makes other cOmpIations
and does other odd jobs; so that. with his in
come from his press connections, he probably
clears $40, 600 q year.
Very naturally Washington correspondents.
who make it their business to get news, are
profitable friends of business men; and ven.
lure 10 say that not few wool, whisky, cotton,
or gold dealers and brokers have received tele,
grams from them since Congress met, IN advance
OF the publication of news, regarding proposed
changes OF tariff, revenue tax, or the disposi
tiOn Of public funds. Around the Revenue
Commission, the Finance Committee the Secre
fary OF the treasury and, in fact, everybody
and everything connected, no matter how ipdi
TeCtly, with the revenue of the nation veil OF
secrecy is thrown, which hides from the knowl
Ledge OF all but lew lucky friends or Paul Pryi
the intention of the Government This secrecy
may be beneficial to a few; but the masses LOST
by it, as 1t is not thorough, and the reporters