St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-12-12
NEWsPAPER TRUTH.


But are they not it's sources anC
reservoirs? Is it not enough to say
when challenged to produce proof o
an extraordinary statement, thai
you saw it in newspaper? Consid
er the array of facts which it mar
shals to prove the ingenious thesis o
the leading article Consider agar
the infallibility of the press. Nothing
is more impressive.
It's statements must be true, anC
the proof is that it is not constantly
correctingits own assertions. There
is, indeed, for it is a strange world
sometimes little trouble. A news
paper, for instance, says that Gov
ernor Palinurus, upon reaching home
from prolonged and busy day III
glass of pure ice-water, which he
drank with great relish, and remark
ed that it was as refreshing as the
dew of HermOn But another paper
says of the same incident that his
| EXcellency, upon reaching home, re-
peated gaily the remark of the Gov
ernor of North Carolina to the Gov
ernor of South Carolina, and adding
that the late Mr. Clay was called a
| perfect gentleman because, after tax
ing guest to the sideboard, he turn
ed his back while the guest poured
| from the bottle of old Bourbon, the
Governor filled a glass, and drank
| to the health of his administration.
| THERE'S here undoubtedly q difficulty
in recOnciling the versions.
ri Il
that Senator Jumbo is a statesman
of the soundest views and of the
greatest ability, and in another that
he is shallow-pated soldier of fort
une without principles or ideas, we
naturally wonder which of the two
journals will correct itself first. We
are kindly permitted to wonder for
some time, and indeed as long as we
choose, for neither seem to be con-
scious of false statement The les
son of the newspaper seems to be
that truth depends largely upon the
point of view. You may hear a
speech which seems to you excellent
and eloquent, and then learn from
your morning paper that a duller
and hatter address was seldom
heard; or you may have attended a
public meeting which was small, cold,
and bored, and then discover from
the daily Trumpet of Truth that it
was an enormous and enthusiastic
crowd, which hung with rapture up
on the glowing lips of the eloquent
orators.
When the paper comments or crlti-
cises, truth, of course, does not re-
quire uniformity of taste. The news
paper is primarily a repository of
news. Mr.. Theirs called it the worlds
history of day. He could not have
said an instantaneous photograph,
because that wonder was not then
invented. But the news seems to be
often cOlOred by the comment, as if
there were purpose not to tell the
truth as it was, but the truth as it
ought to have been to suit the gener-
al views of the newspaper. This is
point which truth does not consider
sufficiently. For it must be evident
that when a newspaper holds certain
opinions, and has made statements
of fact to support them, nothing can
be more unmannerly than that the
facts should persist in not agreGng.
The newspaper was invented to
supply news, to tell the world what
is happening. But the newsletter of
other days was wholly different from
the great journal of today, the chief
object of which is not to tell the
news, but to influence opinion. A
great newspaper is now a great adj
vocate. From its own convictions
orinterests it has taken retainer to
defend and maintain view or side.
1t treats the news, that is, facts, as
the advocate treats testimony. 1t
exaggerates and perverts, it ignores
orit condemns and ridicules the facts,
as seems best to suit its purpose.
Open any newspaper which in a
country where political parties exist
advocates one of the parties. It's
statements of facts and its trea tment
of them, and the consequent impress
sion upon the readers mind, are en-
tirely different from those of its rival.
The reader is a bewildered juryman.
and he recalls the charge of the rural
justice to the jury of the county:
Gentlemen, if you believe what the
counsel for the plaintiff says, you
will find for the plaintiff. If you be-
lieve what the counsel for the defend
ant says, you will find for the defend
ant. But if, like me, you believe
neither the counsel for the plaintiff
nor the counsel for the defendant,
gracious only knows what you will
find ~
Perhaps if the good suppliant who
requests the intercession of the Easy
Chair would improve the Christmas
season to call upon the great news
papers and beseech them to tell the
truth, and to comment and argue
upon it fairly, the entreaty would
produce an answer which would
show what the censor might not
have suspected, that the substantial
and important facts of every day are
fairly told in the newspapers, and
that the complaint really concerns
only their Improvement" and treat
ment. To that complaint the news
paper would reply that the worthy
reader has an ample choice, and if the
Trumpet of Truth is not to his taste,
he would doubtless find the Fixed
Fact more acceptable. And upon re-
Election the true Christmas feeling
would enable the suppliant to see
that the daily press, in its accumula-
ton of interesting information, and
in the variety, interest, and ability of
its treatment of great public ques-
tions, is just what it claims to be
one of the greatest wonders of the
From Editors Easy Chair,
by George William Curtis, in Har-
Der'S MaOaZine for December
STANLEYS STORY