The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-11-21
STANDING OF LETTERS.


Few people realize the Importance OF
written letter to a politician, a news
paper or a business firm. Around
newspaper office great pride is taken
in a letter commendatory Of the course
Of the publication along some line or
policy. A letter from the humbieSG
subscriber is thought more of than the
most profuse compliment printed III
another newspaper.
The probable reason for this is that
the editor is closed up TO himself most
of the time, and has a knowledge t1at
the other editors are in the same fix
exact trend Of public opinion than he
| is himself When a subscriber, then,
| writes a letter to the editor, tire editor
welcomes it as an index Of what q
great many of his readers are thinking,
if he knows the writer to be perfe It's
! disinterested. These men who take
| the trouble to write TO newspaper
prove that they are Interested in the
welfare of that newspaper and their
communications, if to the point, are
| carefully considered.
The same thing is true of the states
man or politician. And from he testi-
mony Of Washington correspondent,
even the president Of the United States
carefully weighs advice that is carried
across the country by 2-cent stamp
from zone of the common people"
This correspondent, in speaking Of
the recommendations made by presi-
dents in their messages, says:
Presidents, like other public men,
have no way Of testing the opinion of
the public in advance as TO any c0ntem
plated action except by putting forth
''feeler' in the newspapers. 1t is
called "feeler," 1 suppose, because it
is way Of feeling the public pulse"
The president intimateS TO q member Of
cabinet that he may start a ''feeler,"
and the member Of the cabinet does
so either by telling some newspaper
friend direct or by telling somebody
else. who will give it to the newspapers,
Or sometimes the president may avail
himself of one of those public men who
tell all that they hear at the White
House as soon as they meet a friend
after leaving it and with whom the
president is usually so reticent
In some way the idea gets into the
newspapers, and they talk about it all
over the country, and their opinions,
which we call public opinion, supple
mented by letters which are certain TO
be sent to the president and members
of the cabinet on such an occasion by
the people in almost every state and
territory, give the president inforria-
ton as to how it is regarded. 1t may
be that it is treated in such way that
il seems best to abandon it, and then
the newspaper which first announced |
it may be bounced upon by its rivals |
for circulating INSTRUMENTATION. But If |
it is so received that it seems wise 10 /
carry it out, the rivals of the news |
paper that announced it will probably |
claim the credit for having first pub
lished the news.
This matter of "feelers' furnishes |
some of the most trying experiences of |
the Washington correspondent He |
learns directly, or in a way that is |
equivalent TO it. from the president, |
the cabinet officer. the speaker. the SEN
ator OR the representative, thar such
and such course is under considera
ton and is likely TO be adopted. He
announces the fact, knowing that he
must take the responsibility for doing
so and that if the idea doe; not strike
the country fayOrably it VII be given
up quietly and silently and he will be
put in the attitude of 4 false prophet,
and that if it does strike the country
f3yorably and is carried out be will
probably not get the credit for having
published the first news about it
It will be seen that the correspondent
says that letters are received on any
line of public policy from al
most all the states and territories in
the country. Those letters are not
thrown aside or disregar,led by the
president or his secretaries any more
5hau the letters received in newspaper
offices are.
There are many fakes in this country
hut one of the creates: is about the
'yawning NAV of the waste-basket"
Sincere and worthy communications