St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-17
NEWspAPER qualification.

1t must be that, in 1907, the Republican
newspapers Of to-day were prefgured in the
press of that period. Thomas jefferson said:
Nothing can now be believed which is seen
in newspaper Truth itself becomes suspi-
cious by being put in that polluted vehicle.
The real extent OF this state Of misinforma-
ton is known only to those who are in sit
uation to confront facts within their knowl-
edge with the lies of the day. really look
with commiseration over the great
body of nv fellow citizens who, read
ing newspapers, live and die in
the belief that they have known something of
what has been passing in the world in their
time, whereas, the accounts they have read
in the newspapers are just as true history
of any other period of the world as of the
present, except that the real names of the
day are affixed to their fables. i will add
that the man who never looked into news
paper is better informed than he who reads
them, inasmuch as be who knows nothing is
nearer the truth than he whose mind is filled
with falsehoods and errors"
The indignant Republican then suggests
that the editor might secure a reformation by
dividing his paper into four parts, the first
of which should be headed Truths the
second Probabilities, F" the third ''Possibili-
ties,'' and the fourth lilies" If this scheme
were adopted by the Republican press of the
day, substantially oil the so-called political
information inserted would come under the
final division. A couple of 'stieks' full
| A.; oil hat
under the other heads. Possibly it would be
an improvement on this suggestion il there
were a head labeled 'self qualification
and which would he found very convenient
during the present campaign. Such papers
as the TribuaeS Of New York and Chicago
could compare the scandalous charges which
they made against Blaine four and eight
years ago with the sickening adulation with
which they smother him at the present time.
In truth jefferson did not comprehend all
that can be done by newspaper, especially
Republican one, when it is running po-
! litical campaign. There needs to be to meet
the present situation, half dozen or more
additional heads such as scandal" ''libel,' ~
ignorance and other divisions too num-
erous to present in detail.
The country will agree that, in all essen
tial respects, the present campaign is one OF
the most unmanly, and disgusting in the
history of the country, and this, 1t is to be
noted, applies solely to the Republican
methods. The Democrats, to their credit,
have not descended to the nasty level estab-
lished by their opponents. They have had
the facts in their possession whereby they
could reciproeate in kind the charges made
against Cleveland, but their sense OF
! deeency Is too strong. In
their attacks ON Blaine, they
have confined themselves simply to re-
statement of the indictments of that person
as furnished by the Republican press of the
last decade When they affirm that he is dis
honest, unfit for the position, an adventurer
and an unsafe man they simply reiterate
what has been said of him by the opponents
of the opinion of the party Of which he is q
member.