The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-01-02

NEWSPAPER TRUTH AS REGARDED
BY THE easy CHAIR" OF HARPER's
MAGAZINE.
Just as the Easy Chair was descending
from the pulpit, in which it had been
preaching a Christmas sermon, it was
accosted by a supplicant with large
conception of its jurisdiction, who be-
sought it to speak to the newspapers,
and exhort them TO tell the truth. tt
tell the truth But are they not it.
sources and reservoirs Is it not enough
to say, when challenged to produc
proof of an extraordinary statement,
that YOU saw it in newspaper? Con
slider the array of facts which it mar.
shals to prove the ingenious thesis of thu
leading article, Consider again the in
fallibility of the press. Nothing is NOR,
impressive.
Its statements must be true, and thu
proof is that il is not constantly correct
ing its own assertions. There ", indeed
for it Is a strange world, sometimes
little trouble, A newspaper, for in
stance, says that Governor Pallnurus
upon reaching home from prolonged
and busy day in the executive chamber
poured out a glass of pure ice water,
which he drank with great relish, and
remarked that 1t was as refreshing IA
the dew Of II .rmOrI But another p tpe'
saws of the same incident that his Excel
lency, upon reaching home, repeated
gayly the remark OF the Governor OF
North Carolina to the Governor of South
Carolina aud adding that the late NJ
Clay was called a perfect gentlam be-
cause, after taking guest to the side
board he turned his back while thu
guest poured from the bottle OF Old
Bourbon, the Governor filled glass, AMI
drank to the health of his administration
There is here undoubtedly a ditficu ty
in reconciing the versions.
So, also, when we read in one paper
that Senator Jumbo is a statesman OF
the soundest views and of the greatest
ability, and in another that he s shall
law-pated soldier of fortune 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, aud indeed as
long as we choose, for neither seems TO
be conscious of false statement. The
lesson of the newspaper seems to be thai
truth depends largely upon the point OF
view. You may hear a speech which
seems TO you excel ent and eloquent, and
then learn from your morning paper
that duller or flatter address was sell
dom 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 upon the glowing
hps of the eloquent orators.
When the paper comments or critl-
cises, truth, of course, does not require
uniformity of taste. The newspaper IL
primarily a repository of news. MI
Theirs called it the worlds history of
day, He could not have said an instan-
toneous photograph, because that won
der 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
general views of the newspaper. This
is point which truth does not consider
sufficiently. For it must be evident that
when a newspaper holds certain Opin-
ions. and has made statements of fact to
support them, nothing can be more un
mannerly than that the facts should per-
sist in not agreeing.
The newspaper was invented to supply
news, to tell the world what is happen
ing. But the news letter of other days
was wholly different from the great
journal of to-day, the chief object of
which is not to tell the news, but to in-
fuence opinion. A great newspaper is
now a great advocate, From its own
convictions or interests it has taken a
retainer to defend and maintain view
or a side. 1t treats the news, that is.
facts, as the advocate treats testimony
1t exaggerates and perverts, it ignores or
it contemns 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. Its statements of
facts and its treatment of them, and the
consequent impression upon the readers
mind, are entirely different from those
of its rival, The reader is bewildered
iuryman, 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
believe what the counsel for the defend
ant says, you will find for the defendant.
But if, like me, pou believe neither the
counsel for the plaintiff nor the counsel
for the defendant, gracious only knows
what you will find !"
Perhaps if the good supplicant who
requests the intercession of the Easy
Chair would improve the Christmas sea
son to call upon the great newspapers
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 sub
stantial 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 newspaper
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 Fircd Fact more &C
ceptable. And upon rehecuon the true
Christmas feeling would enable the sup
plicant to see that the daily press, in its
accumulation of interesting information,
and in the variety, interest, and ability
of its treatment of great public questions,
is Just what it claims to be-One of the
greatest wonders of the world From
Editors Easy Chidr, by George William
Curtis, an Hdrper's Magazine for De-
cember.