Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-10-17
PLUTOCRACY'S PRESS
SUCH is THE so CALLED GREAT
NEWSPAPER OF AMERICA.

The Reading Public MisIed on Labor
Matters-How Il Prejudiced Public Sem
timent Is Manufactured-Patti One
Organization on the Back.
Will the time ever come when the
people will understand that the daily
press of this country is controlled by
plutocracy, and that it deliberately
strives at every opportunity to deceive
and befuddle the minds of those who
want to know the truth? In no other
country under the heavens is the press
so completely in the power Of the rich
as in America. Nowhere else is intel
lect as represented by editors so thor
oughly prostituted by the influence of
riches and power. In Great Britain and
on the continent the common people are
treated with respect by the leading
newspapers, and the cause of labor is
fairly placed before the reading public.
But here, with rare eXceptions-excep-
tions most of which hold usually only
temporary sway-the conditions of the
working people are misrepresented, their
aims distorted and their leaders lied
about. The truth is either suppressed
Or mangled when it would show en-
ployers and the plutocratic system up in
an unfavorable light. The declarations
and demands of organized labor are
Yidiculed, men and women who have
the honesty and courage to speak in
their defense are characterized as dema-
gogues, and labor officials are denounced
as anarchists or political shysters.
The exceptions to this charge the read
er may find for himself. But my knowl-
edge of the press of the country (and my
resources are rather large) does not allow
me to admit that there are half dozen
prosperous daily papers in the United
States that have for five years consist
emily taken an unbiased position on labor
affairs. l will agree that sometimes one
of these enemies will speak up i'll defense
of labor; but when it does there is usu-
ally political or selfish motive behind
it. Such defense is worse than opposi-
ton, for it deludes the people. Few
readers, when not directly concerned,
have "the penetrating eye" to see through
the hypocrisy. They see only the praise
of "honest labor" and are deceived into
the belief that "here is paper that is
fair" This occasional piece of deception
makes it easy for the fair" paper to
stuff lies concerning labor down its read
ers' throats for the rest of the year Who
that comes in contact with the great
"middle class" has failed to witness the
proof of this statement?
Every day l meet business men who
say, "The strikers did so and so the
walking delegate brought this trouble
on because of grudge he had against
the boss" and similar remarks preju-
dicial to labor's side in some affair then
on hand. l tell him he is in error, and
attempt to explain matters, but he either
refuses to listen to me or says, "Oh, you
are an anarchist, too, are you?" He has
read the lie in his daily paper, and he
refuses to admit that any one can know
as much about the subject as his fayorite
editor. 1t is the same way about an idea
in economics. How can man who has
never gotten beyond a salaried position
the great editor or the successful bust
ness MANI" The ignorance of the aver
age newspaper reader is only equaled
by the arrogance and unfairness of its
editor.
A majority of the daily press SCOTS at
any and all proposals for settlement of
the labor question. Some of them go so
far as to say there is no labor problem.
When an affair like that at Homestead
forces their attention they say there is
no labor question involved; it is only
anarchy versus law and order. Those
"great editors" who admit that there is
something wrong with our labor system
look no further than trades union tyr
amy and lawlessness" or the "bulldoZ-
ing methods of the walking delegate for
the cause. They refuse to acknowledge
that there is great underlying cause.
And when some one who has given the
subject investigation and thought puts
forward an idea looking toward an i'm
provement in the situation he is scoffed
at as a quack. | want to ask the un-
thinking readers of the plutocratic press
if they have found that their editors,
who are so ready to denounce and ridi-
cule the propositions of students of eco
nomics and sociology, offer anything be-
sides continuance of present condi-
tions as remedy for the ills of man
kind? Can you think it possible that
these intellectual giants, these men to
whom you give the palm as the corner
ers of all knowledge, are so little ac-
quainted with this subject as not to be
able to fully settle it for all time? Have
you mistaken tinsel for gold?
If you, my middle class" friend, who
think that the paper in which you place
such trust is disposed to be fair to the
workingman will put it to the test you
will discover your error. just go to
some striker-not a walking delegate
and after satisfying yourself that he
thinks he is right get his side of the
story. Write it up in as favorable a
light as the bosses side has been written
in your paper, and take it into the editor
with the request that he give it a fair