The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-01-09
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND AND TIE NEWS


PRESIDENT CLEVELAND AND TIE NEWS
PAPERS,
no letter that President Cleveland has
written since assuming the presidential
chair HIS called forth so much newspaper
comment as the one recently made public
addressed to Keppler, one of the publish,
ers Of Plck, written in relation to a certain
statement contained in an indianapolis pa
per The President, aggravated by the
persistent misrepresentation Of so many Of
the leading sheets of the country, makes
use Of the following vigorous language: II
don't think there ever was time when
newspaper lying was so general and so
mean As the Present and there never was a
country under the sun where ii fOurished
as 10 this. The falsehoOds daily spread
before the people In our newspapers, while
they are proofs OF the mental ingenuity of
those engaged in newspaper work, are In
suits to the American love for deCenCy aud
fair play OF which We boast" Severe as is
the indictment laid In the Presidents
charge the public will not be surprised at
it or find fault with him for his having
made it, The great dailies, and even some
of the smaller ones, now seem TO vie with
one another in an attempt to present that
which Is the most sensational and which
will take best with their readers. In an
eagerness to accomplish this the question
of the truth Of the article offered for pub
LEGATION is the last thing considered, If con.
sidered at all. The important point IL,
''Will il take, and will it create talk ?"
Satisfied on these points the article is put
in print, even though il is contradicted
point blank in the next issue. The result
of this all Is that there Is steadily taking
possession of the minds of the people the
belief that "all newspaper men ara liars"
and that no attention ought 10 be given 10
that which is said by newspaper man,
In one sense the editors of this country are
wholly responsible for this state Of affairs,
and in another sense the public Is core
spousibe Editors in employing one set
OF principles As a guide for truth telling in
their private capacity As citizens, and al.
other In their public capacity as editors,
not only debaSe their manhood, but in
many instances deceive people Who know
lug them ~ be truthful rs citizens, argue
them to be such a. editors Especially is
this true In dealing with public men and
measures. Somehow it has come TO be
considered no sin 20 make Measurements
in newspapers relative to candidates for of
fee, or to misOuote or distort facts relative
to measures that should be discussed in
such way as to enlighten and not deceive
readers, and as legitimate result of this
course politics has grown distasteful to
many who otherwise would take IN inter
est in public affairs and elevate the tone of
public morals, The share OF responsibility
that rests upon the public Is, that the pub
lie tolerate and patrOnize such men. To
he sure, the people are ever ready to com
plain and to express the wish that differ
ent course was pursued, but at the same
time they willingly maintain them, seem
ing to forget that the only way such are
upheld is by the patronage bestowed upon
them by the public.
There Is no profession more honorable
than that of IN editor Of an honest and
legitimate paper No man can exercise
such su influence for good or bad In a com
munity, and hence ne man should De 80
careful in that which he
prints as the man who, in his capacity IS
the head of newspaper Is constantly
public thought and public nc
ton. The Presidents letter is not an I'm.
timely one. II must have required some
holiness to have written 1t and permitted
1t TO be given to the public, but one OF
President C!eye,ands strong characteristics
Is that he always has the courage to give
expression 70 his own convictions, even
though the expression Of them call down
upon him q storm of criticism,