The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-08
THE PRESS IN POLITICS,

future in Lippincott's Magazine for
September, Col. John A. Cockerill says
the present work of the daily newspaper
is glorious Gin making it impossible by
complete publicity that palpably dis
honest and vicious men should get into
high Office, and over the check which
the newspaper has on the public officer
in a%cquainting him with what people
want or do not want" The Salt Lake
Tribune, correctly we think, takes ex-
ception to this rosy view of journalism.
1t says:
We know of no placs in the United States
whete the press is able to keep bad men out
of Office until tho tone of the American peo-
pie shall be uplifted somewhat. Because
it a newspaper attacks a VIGOROUSLY COR
rupt or inefficient man who aspires to an
Office, or who's by some mistake, has OBJ
tanned office, half the people are ready to
declare that it is persecution, and the other
half a willing to believe that the newspa-
per has some selfish and sinister designs in
making the attack; and men do not hest
tate to say on the street that no matter if
such a man is incompetent or worse. a news
paper has no business to assail him be-
cause it is a shame for a newspaper to hurt
the feelings of a bad mans family.
We believe every experienced journal
lst shares the feeling OF the Tribune in
this matter. 1t is one of the most I'M
pleasant duties of the conductor of a
public print to impugn the integrity of
men or point out their untitness for
places of public trust. No right-minded
newspaper man delights in assalling
men on other ground than their politi-
cal faith, yet it sometimes becomes his
stern duty to do so. A political cam
paign in which only party questions
need be discussed is a great pleasure to
every writer on the press, and it is the
fault of the people themselves that
newspapers are compelled from a sense
of duty to the public to depart from the
line Of general political discussion. But
what is to be done when political con-
ventions, manipulated by unscrupulous
and designing men, place candidates be-
fore the people who are unworthy of Of
fee? Had the Great Falls convention,
for instance nominated an honest and
upright man like Hickman for governor,
and a candidate for chief justice SO able
and honorable as William II. Hunt,
howevermuch The INDEPENDENT might
have differed from these men politically,
it could not do otherwise than bear
tribute to their high character and
worth, as it does to the integrity OF
Hartman and Rotwitt and Haskell and
other gentlemen on the ticket. But
when such candidates as Richards and
Blake and Hall, men deeply involved in
n OF the greatest political scandals of
the age, are thrust upon us, what other
course is open for the fearless and indie
pendent press than to tell the voters Of
the state what these men are, what they
have done, and why they are unfit for
the sutfrageH OF their fellow citizens?
1t is not a pleasant duty to undertake
to protect the state from such men.
Yet it is a duty nevertheless. And 1t is
a duty which The INDEPENDENT, at
least, proposes to perform fearlessly and
without favor from a sense Of the high
est obligation to the people Of Montana.