The representative., 1894-08-29
LYING NEWSPAPERS,

L Hc REPRESENTATIVE + mas OlQ-faS h
Toned ideas about the duty which a
newspaper owes to it's subscribers and
endeavOrS to adhere to them. A per-
son who subscribes and pays for pa
per places such paper under an i'm
pied contract to furnish it the truth
| as far as it is possible to do so. Some
times, of course, errors will be made.
This is especially the case with daily
paper because of the hurry incident to
It's preparation. 1t is often possible
to verify report, and the desire to
avoid being "scooped' on an import
ant piece of news often compels it to
make announcements which are after
wards found to be incorrect. If the
mlSrepresen tatiOnS of the papers eX-
tended no farther than this there would
be no great cause for complaint, al
though no paper which values it's char
| acter and influence will publish things
attacking mans reputation without
making an investigation or having
some foundation for it's charges. This,
however, is not the rule of the modern
| daily paper. 1t publishes the story
either to effect some ulterior object of
which its patrons have no knowledge
or to injure an opponent.
A case in point was the printing by
the Minneapolis Tribune on Friday
morning last of story that Mr.. S. NJ.
Owen is candidate for United States
senator. This announcement was ac-
panied by an editorial indorse-
ment in the same paper. Now, there
was and is absolutely no foundation
for this story. Mr. Owen was at the
time and had been for several weeks
absent in the East. If he were a can
didate for senator the Tribune had no
means of verifying the story. Those
who know Mr.. Owen are we'll aware
that the story could not be true. The
Tribune knew it. That paper deliber-
| ately printed and circulated the story
knowing that it was not true. Its OBJ
Ject IS, OF course, apparent to any body
who is at all familiar with the policy
under which that paper is conducted.
1t knows that Mr.. Owen is not that
kind OF man. If he were he would
be unfit to head any ticket and should
be repudiated at the polls. The Re-
publican party has a monopoly of that
sort of candidate in this state TODAY
The Tribune has been for weeks en-
gagged in the unsuccessful work of
compelling its own candidate To de.
clare that he is not candidate for
senator against Mr.. Washburn. The
REPRESENTATIvE has expressed the
opinion that Mr.. Nelson is such can
didate. In this opinion it is supported
by many Republicans, and, by impica
tion, by the Tribune also.
The Tribune would be onlv too Glad
II its fake story about Mr.. Owen were
true. 1t knows the demoralized con-
dition into which it's own party has
been thrown by the belief that Gov
Nelson is candidate at one and the
same time for two offices. 1t would
be glad if it could bring about the
same condition Of affairs in the Peo-
Pies party. The effort will be fail
ure. Mr.. Owen is candidate for gov
ernor and for no other office. He is
going to be elected. The Tribune and
It's party are thrown into condition
bordering on idiocy by this prospect,
for it knows that the result will be to
uncover a state of rottenness in the
conduct of the affairs of this state
which will effectually bar it's party
from any farther participation in the
same for many years to come This,
OF course, means loss of business to
the Tribune. AS the organ Of a dis
graced and defeated party its value as