The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-05-14
The Star published the following report

Mr.. j. G. Woodman of Portland made
speech of considerable length in which he was
very severe on the projectors of the Notch
route and hit some friends as well as enemies,
as to the fortunes of the York & Cumberland
He would not help the Notch to dollar by
stock or loan in any event, nor was he able to
help anybody, but he thought the Rutland the
best one. He made an indiscrimpate attack
upon the newspapers that he declared were
bought up and manipulated by cunning men,
He referred to the people who favor the
Notch route and charged that they should
be made to subscribe at least three mill
ions Of dollars before they should dare to
ask help from any towns or anybody else.
He said they took $4,000 out of him on
the York q Cumberland and he knew the
business. He referred to the Notch and
pointed to the Wiley House, deserted for forty
years, as an evidence of the danger of living
there. He said that when the great avalanche
should come down and crush the cars and the
passengers who would be fools enough to trav-
ell there, the people would learn better than to
think of this wild scheme. Mr.. Woonman's
remarks did aot accord much honesty or wis
dom to those people who differ with him as to
the matters involved, although perhaps he
did not mean to be SO understood.
1t will be seen that these reports substan-
TALLY agree, and that the details furnished by
the Star are in harmony with the briefer no.
tice in the Press. Mr. Woodman however de-
MES the accuracy of the representation in the
Press, and we give him the benefit of the de-
NAL, simply remarking that the impression
which our reporter obtained from such of Mr.
Woodman's remarks as he heard was also re-
ceived by others who WIRE present and nearer
to the speaker. In saying this we do not call
in question Mr.. Woodman's veracity; he has a
Fight to define his own meaning, and we have
only to say that if it differed widely from the
report published in the Press and other papers,
he was misunderstood by quite number of
his hearers.
He proceeds to say that this misrepresenta-
ton was part of a deep plot on the part of the
Press to bring him and his arguments into
contempt, in order "to aid the projectors of
the Ogdensburg scheme TO get their hands in
to the city treasury for purposes of their own"
1.-THE Press" he says, knowing that could
write and speak, and present arguments not
easy to answer, and could not be bought off,
was willing to publish this scandalous libel
upon me, to undermine aud destroy my conf
dence with you the citizens of Portland, in
presenting this momentous question" 1t is
hardly worth while to reason with mailman
who supposes that paper like the Press could
afford for moment to consider, as business
proposition merely, a bride to lead the commu-
nifty upon which it depends for its existence
astray on vital matter like this. The prov
ince of journalist is to publish such informa-
ton as his readers need to enable them to
form an intelligent judgment on matters of
public concern, and to contribute so far as he
is able to the discussion which ensues. To
tail in either direction is simply runous;
to mislead the public by wilful falsehood is
stark lunacy. No profession is more strongly
bound to adhere to the truth by purely selfish
considerations; and in none is larger pro-
portion of honorable men to be found There
was time when journalism was but a step
ping-stone to something else; when newspa-
pers were the tools of politicians, and editors
We're otiice-seekers waiting for an opportunity
That reproach no longer applies to the profess
sion; its duties its career and its rewards are
distinctly marked out as in any of the OIL
der professions. 1t was our business tn
report the giSt of Mr.. Woodlands remarks
at the railroad meeting on the Both of Anril
and we did, according to the best Information
we could obtain. 1t is our business to report
now hiss unmannerly accusations, and we
have done so. 1t is not our business to retort
in kind and we refrain. We have published
every article on this subject which has been
offered for publication, on either side, except
Mr. Woodlands second contribution TO the
ARGUS. He came to us with the statement
that he had begun to publish a series of art
icles in the Argus and offering to transfer
the rest of them to the columns of the Press.
1t was not consistent with our notions of
professional courtesy to deprive the Argus
OF so valuable series of contributions, and
we advised him to continue the publication as
he had begun We take leave now to tender
HIN second piece of advice; and that is to
come 10 The point and discuss the railroad
question with such kowledge as he has, and
let the motives of his neghbors, of which he
knows nothing, strictly alone