The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-01-13
THE PRESIDENT AND THE PAPERS.
a Criticism of Clevcland's Criticism of
Certain Leading Newspapers.
lhr0n The GAnrkOkfs OhserrelA \

certain Leading newspapers.
(from the Charlotte O6server)
A few days ago the President wrote
a letter to Mr.. Kepplcr, one of tho
editors of the New York IucE, in
which he took occasion to say that the
newspaper of the present day was
wiltully meudacious.
The denial of the assertion is being
hurled back into Mr.. Clcveland's teeth
from thousand presses, from Maine
to Mexico.
1t was an unfortunate expression for
the President to use if he really meant
it.
Wayland, in his Moral Philosophy,
asserts that there is much more truth
In the world than falsehood.
In the everyday newspaper there are
thousand truths, where there is one
misstatcmcnt.
Indeed, as a rule, editors, corrcspon-
dcnts and reporters endcavor to get
facts and publish truths.
a newspaper writer who wonld do
anything else ought to be, and would
be, kicked out of the editorial room of
any respectable newspaper.
We do not know what Mr.. Kcppler
did, nor do we care, that called forth
the caustic letter from Mr.. Cleveland,
We only know that Mr.. Cleveland
has gone out Of his way to assail the
whole press of the United States.
He is the last man in the country
who ought to do anything of the kind.
The newspapers made him Governor
of New York, aud
The newspapers made him President
of the United States.
The cartoons, of even Puck, were
largely instrumental in determining
the final result which placed Mr.
Cleveland in the White House.
An election always is, or ought to
be, an expression of popular SOW
ereignty, and popular sovereignty in
America is but an expression of pop
ular opinion.
political election in this country is
therefore, when successful, regis
tered majority of the voters who have
deliberately come to conclusions as to
men and principles, as they are pre-
sentcd by the press.
We well remember when nearly two
years ago the managing editor of the
OOSerCer wrote down the names of
about fifteen gentlemen who were at
that time regarded as probable candi-
dates of the Democratic party tor the
Presidency.
The merits and dcmcrts of each
name was discussed and name after
name was scratched from the list.
The name of Grover Cleveland re-
NAMED.
lie was unknown to the public.
lie had been sheriff Of Erie county,
lie had been mayor of Buffalo, and
lie was the Governor of New York.
There are three thousand shcriffs i'm
the United States.
There are several thousand more
mayors, and
There are thirty eight Governors of
States in this country, and there was
niue better reason for nominating
Grover Cleveland, because he had
been sheriff, and mayor and was then
sittlng Governor, per Sc, than any of
the SIX thousand other officials to
which we have referred.
But the Democratic newspapers
thought we could win with Cleveland
at the head Of the ticket, and they
went to work and put him there.
The politicians fought and kicked,
nut the press won, as it always does.
Mr.. Cleveland was nominated, and
Mr.. Cleveland was elected,
lie was made candidate by the
newspapers, and
lie was made President by the news
papers.
When Mr.. Cleveland goes to sling
ing his caustic irony around he ought
to remember that "whom the gods
would destroy they would first make
madc," and that under the new dis
pensation while the old Roman myth
ology has been rclcgatcd to the shapes
OF the past, the newspapers of the
United States are even more powerful
than the "destroying" gods two thou
sand years ago.