The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-01-13
IDENTITY OF

IDENTITY or AUrn0RsH1P.
Hon. W. C. Cloudy, . prominent attorney
and politician Of Chicago. comedies to the
daily and weekly newspapers and monthly
magazines an omnipotency in making and
uumakiDg public men, that the press itself
might not have made, but that 10 neverthe-
less true-every word - he has stated 1t.
The press has taken the place Of oratoFs-
"thsir occupations gone" It il the univer-
sci method Of communication. 1ts opinions
for good or Ill is seed continuously sown on
fruitful soil, and out Of the composite har-
vest it is resovn with ever changing, and It
Is hoped ever improved, results. With such
"a influence, with 50 great power on the
destinies of men, and the lesser govern
men.s that aggregate the Great Republic,
it is in . sense to be regretted that . free
press cannot be maintained without embra-
cling in its ranks those who spread secition
Is others do loyalty - those who would de-
stroy, carelessly or maliciously, . good
reputation or . true principle, q we'll -
those who would defend and advocate them ,
those who would subordinate all things to
self interest Is we'll as those who devote
their best energies to the public good /; these
who are evil Is we'll Is those who are pure.
It is only 10 the pteponderence Of good over
evil in those who control the press in the
aggregate, and like prepopderence OF its
readers Who think and discern, that its in
auence for the better is maintained and that
impress made upon the time. Save the
method, voluntary or compulsory, suggested
by Mr.. Goudy, there is no way to clean the
seed, as it were, that Is ceaselessly sown
without encroaching on the freedom Of the
press, which is . bulwark of the Republic.
But IN the spirit Of bis suggestion, ceming
even IS it apparently does, from . Demo
cratic source, We heartily concur. he seems
to carry the idea beyond that which is essen
tial, but in the main We endorse the ides.
Impersonal journalism has serious defects.
The value of an opinion depends largely
upon the person who expresses it !; the cred
Utility of . statement likewise. The public
will naturally turn to and repose greatest
confidence In that opinion which appears
over the signature of n who is we'll in
formed, of good judgment and known
integrity in preference to that from an infe.
rior source, and the credibility of news will
be measured by the same standard, just -
in the personal relations Of life. Newsta-
per men especially know how frequent are
the applications to them for the insertion Of
communications and prepared news items
over An anonymous signature, or on the au-
thority of the newspaper, which contain
covert purposes perhaps unknown to the
editor, but designed - an imposition on the
public. By the rules of journalism he Is,
unless it shall be libelous matter, expected
TO keep secret the authorship. We have
never seen the propriety Of this rule. Every
mau is responsible for bis public acts, and
every maj should be responsible for his
public words, either written or spoken. We
have known many instances where . news
paper has been used by . correspondent to
say things he would not dare utter publicly,
which the newspaper perhaps had no knowl-
edge of, would not express IS its own opin-
ion, or perhaps did not concur in, and yet
which he demands by some kind Of assumed
right shall be published over Al anonymous
signature, and the newspaper held to conceal
his identity except under legal process.
This 10 wrong. The person assailed has .
better right to know who is the man that
assails him than the assailant has to demand
the airing of his personal grievances at the
cost Of the publisher. In private life no
man of any sense will answer an anonymous
communication; but publicity once given
. newspaper he feels compelled to
answer it, lest IL be construed that he admits
the charges, whatever they may have been.
He is III the position Of one Who is shot ct
from ambush, and not unfre quently attributes
the assault to other than tue one who Hade
it. Contributions Of . personally dlspara.
ging character, where the identity of the
writer is purposeiy sought to be concealed,
are in the highest degree cowar"ly. In the
prevailing custom It is not infreQuent that
writer's so conceal their identity lest the
afi King Of their signatures be construed as 3
desire for notoriety, and fer 10 n1terior pur-
pose; but the custom is wrong, and the diff.
dence i'll founded. An article in . paper is
In the nature Of . letter to the public. The
public has a right to know the author of it,
ii any credit is to be given it. This applies
to al opinions ard all state men,s If fact; for
while some may claim that opinions and
truths stand on their " merit, irrespective
of who utters them, the authorship so fire..
gives color acd import totbat which
is said that the authorship makes radical
difference in the weight and bearing they
have IN public opinion. While We scarce
hope TO see it universslized, the system Of
attesting newspaper work with the name of
the writer commends itself in all its aspects
Is one of the greatest advances tina, could be
made in journalism.
REQUIRING IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.