The Labor enquirer., 1883-09-15
The Two Presses.
THE cAPITALIsTIC.

The real truth concerning the capital
istic press of America was uttered by a
prominent New York journalist at a
press dinner a short time since. The re-
union on that occasion was of men who
write and do the real work on the papers
the drudges. When the hackneyed
and ridiculous toast, ''The independent
Press" the journalist referred to, being
called on to respond, said he, did not
wish. to do SO, but the company insisted
upon it with loud acclamations. He
finally arose and said :
'There is no such thing in America as
an independent press unless it is out
in. the country towns. You are all
slaves. You know it, and l know. it.
There is not one of you that dares to ex-
press an honest opinion. If you ex-
pressed you would know before hand
that it would never appear in print. l
am paid $3.50 for keeping honest opin-
ions out of the paper l am connected
with. Others of you are paid similar
salaries for doing similar things. If l
should allow honest opinions to be print
ed in one issue of my paper l would be
like Othello before twenty-four hours
My occupation would be gone. The man
who would be so foolish as to write hon
est opinions would be out on the street
hunting for another job. The business
of a New York journalist is to distort
truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to yillity,
to fawn at the feet Of MammOn and to
sell his country and his race, for his
daily bread, or for what is about the
same, his salary. You know this and |
know it, and what foolery to be toastlng
and independent press We are the
tools and vassals of rich men behind the
scenes. We are jumping jacks. They
pull the string and we dance, Our time,
our talents, our lives, our possibilities
are all the property Of other men. We
are intelligent prostitutes..'
The gloom Of sorrowlul conviction fell
upon the company, and the overtruthful
journalist took his scat in profound
silence; and yet knowing this, we sup
port such press.
THE LABOR PRESS.
Helen Wilmans once printed this in
the Woman's World:
"Could the people who are now called
upon to act, but know the history Of our
labor papers-the struggles Of their pro-
prietors in facing world of iniquity in
their determination to be heard in be
half of justice, think it would spur
them on to a more desperate revolt.
These men haye denied themselves the
common necessities of life; they have
slept on their desks for want Of a bed,
and lived on 10 cents day, rather than
move backward one inch before the cap
italized element that sought their coun-
trv's ruin. If their history could be
written it would make a chapter in hu-
man herOism, net eXCelled by any
printed. These grand fellows-perfect
bricks of them, have held
back the peoples ruin, fighting step by
step and gaining ground slowly. They
have made themselves willing barricades
before your breasts, o. men who read
these words, and now that you are bid
den, won't you come and stand beside
them, bringing the full weight Of your
full influence? How can you refuse ?"'
also want to add a word for the eX-
elusive benefit of the men who take and
pay for captalistic papers.
l want to say to them that they are
like whipped hounds. AS a matter OF
fact this same press calls you hOodIums,
loafers, vagrants, tramps and the Flower
classes They are simply the paid
mouthpieccs of the lazy loafcrs who are
living in luxury upon your unpaid wages.
1t is their business to blind you, to pull
the wool over your eyes, to lie, to cozen
and cheat you on every hand.
And you like a dog, scourEed by the
lash stilEserve, support and fear them.
If you have one single spark of r"ur-
age or honor, YOU ought to repay their
enmity by equal enmity.
The man who takes kick deserves it.
The man who dares not refuse his
weekly tribute Of Is lard earned cents,
to his oppreosors is a sIave.-San Fran
cisco Truth.
. The AnaI~:matcd Association Of Iron