Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-01-08
NEWSPAPER LYING.

New York San andoth democratic
journals are administering lashings
to President Cleveland. The cause
of it all Is that Kepler, the pro
prietor of Puck, was represented
by a Western journal as having
fallen out with the President on
account Of a disagreement between
them in respect to an appointment
of a friend of the former to a con
sulate. Mr.. Kepler's weekly pic
ture book having supported Mr.
Cleveland with all the force Of its
dlabolical caricatures, that irate
gentleman wrote the President
about the Western publication, re-
questing an explanation and dis
claimer. He did not ask for blood,
as is the custom with so many
rabid editors nowadays. To the
request the President returned a
reply of which the following is an
extract:
81 don't think there ever was
time when newspaper lying was so
general and so mean as at present,
and there never was country un-
der the sun where it tlourished as
| it does in 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 insults TO the American love
for decency and fair play, of which
we boast. while | am
sorry that any friendlineSs you may
have felt or exhibited for me has
been the cause of embarrassment
to YOU, | cannot refrain from say,
ing that if you ever become sub
iect of newspaper lying, and at
tempt to run down and expose such
lies, you will be a busy man, if you
attempt nothing else"
The New York Sun prints the
letter in full and thereupon remarks
that President Cleveland de-
nounces the newspapers of the
United States, without discrimina-
ton, as liars and the purveyOrs of
lies" And further on in the same
article the SUn says: GAN annoy
ing MEASUREMENT regarding him
self and Mr.. Keppler had been
made in a newspaper, he had read
other misstatements, and in his
irritation he said all newspapers !
were liars"
Other papers treat the mater
about as roughly as does the Sun.
Here is a paragraph from the
Richmond State :
= Are these the words of some !
Buffalo rough ? They may be, and |
yet they are the words of the Presi-
dent of the United States. Shades /
of Washington, Jefferson, and |
Adams He, the President, has |
forgotten his own beginning and |
all that he owes to the newspapers |
for acquainting the people Of the
country with his acts and making
it possible for him to rise to the
place he now fills
The State concludes that Mr..
Cleveland has not risen above the
ungrateful politician, and refers to
bis letter as serious blunder and
an exhibition OF folly and AFRO
gance.
An inspection Of the Presidents
letter will show that he does not
" denounce the newspapers of the
United States without discrimi
nation" and that he does not say
" all newspapers are liars"
Mr.. CLEVELAND Knows, as well as
the editor of the Sun, that there
are habitual liars among the news
papers of the United States. He
knows, as does every other fairly
well-informed man, that persons
are hired to write lies for news
papers.
But Mr.. Cleveland also knows
that most of the newspapers honest
~ elm to be truthful, both from
principle and policy. He might
have been more careful in the COM
position of the letter to Mr.. Keep
pier, but hastily written, as it
evidently was, it does not say any
thing that can fairly be construed
into an assertion that "all news
papers airs liars"
The explanation will ultimately
come that the President had acct
dentally fallen upon a copy Of the
Alexandra gazette just before
writing his letter, and had read
something from its Washington