New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-25
THE pOVER or THE PRESS.

That was n high tribute 10 the power OF
thc press which the Hon John Fox delvered
with his usual cloquence In welcoming the Demo
cratic editors 70 the Democratic Clup. "heh
the almost omnpotent press OF the country sal"
he sends her able and astutemndeu EDITORS
"to the council board OF tho Nation where n'heh
"bv the fearless wisdom Of our honored ircsi-
dent. Grover Cleveland. Joined to the unswerV'
cling LOYALTY and craftsmanship OF that noble
.pcmocrat. David Is. Hill, they will instruct ana
"cujde the Democracy OF the State and steer IL
"clcar OF the rock Of Internal discorh. we may
",ndccd look forward TO the certain Democratic
.victories and triumph 81 good government
The language Is ornate and the prophecy glow
ing. bu, who shall say the picture Is oycrdrawn'
When the Democratic press ~ the State through
.hor able and asiutc-mlndcd editors" unltes win
Grover Cleveland and David II. HI In steering
tho democracy clear Of 1.-THE rock OF Internal dis
cor,, Il will demonstrate iis claim 10 being moi
only "aImost" but absolutely "omnipo,ent ana
,hen We may look for Democratic victories or
almost anything else, which Mt the present mo-
mcnt seems indefinitely remote. But we do moi
understand that the Honorable Mr.. Fox condl-
toned his tribute TO the power OF the press upon
any contingency He described 1t rs already al
most Omnlpol'nt ~ ""' ""''''' '
and no doubt gratefully appreciated
We take leave however, to put our able ana
astute. minded" visitors on their guard against
taking the glowing periods Of the Honorable MT
Fox's oratory with too much litcralncss. MOI
only Mr.. Foxs Indulgence In hypcrbole, bat othcr
things which have no doubt fallen under the CD
servation Of our visitors may have had ten
dcncy TO give them notions OF the power OF the
urcss which are hardly warranted by cold iac's
Take. for instance the influence OF the great
ncwspapcrs Of the metropolis first. In the enact
mcnt OF the income tax by the last Congress, anu
second. I'm the annnlment Of the act by the Su-
nreme Court decision declaring 1t unconstitu-
tonal. Now II large type were ~ convincing rs
Il Is startling. and II iteration and rcitcration
were corroboraion, no doubt would remain In the
| mind OF any intelligent reader or The New-iork
World" concerning the sole and absolute RESPONSE
h,,itv Of that very able newspaper for the enact
ment OF the tax. Congress having merely READ
the cogent and forcIbe arguments In Its favor
which the cable and astute minded editors Of
that journal presented, and under their direction
nassed the bill And yet 1t Is probably susceptible
Of nroof that outside Of Printing House Square
| In this city there are few intelligent persons
who take that view. The overwhelming majority
| OF newspaper readers-even Of readers or 1.-The
World"-blame Congress for It. and not 1.-THE
World" Notwithstanding the manifest willing
ness OF that newspaper to bear the whole rcspon
sIbility.
Then there Is the decision OF the Supreme Court
declaring the tax unconstitutional IL our visit
ors have per,lscd the columns OF our uptown con
! temporary "The NcwYOrk Herald In Its recent
Issues they have doubtless observed the prcva-
lcnce, In the ncighborhood Of the office OF that
enterprising and philosophical newspaper
of a positive conviction that 1t was 1.-THE Her
aid" that declared the act unconstitutional, and
that the majority Of the Judges OF the Supreme
| Court had the good sense to adopt the arguments
which It has been setting forth with great learn
inc for several months. and lend TO Its judgment
the formality OF the Courts approval and official
record. Now. while 1t may be true that the effec-
tive reasoning and incontrovertible logic OF our
contemporary on this great question have had n
powerful effect upon people In the neighborhood
OF Herald Square, including the blinking owls
and the bronze persons who hammer out the
noon and midnight hours, II Is only fair to say
that most readers-even Of "Ihe Herald"-havc
n notion that the Supreme Court was influenced
rather more by Mr. Joseph H. Choate than by
the "able and ast,ite- minded editors OF "rhe
Herald" From professional point OF view we
regret that we are compelled to say this. For
we would like to believe In the omnlpotence Of
the press; or, II not in Its absolute, Its almost"
omnipotence 1t might interfere with the prac-
tice of eminent lawyers, but what boon II would
be to humanity
We are led to make these observations Tor the
benefit Of our liable and astute-minded" visitors
because It Is to be feared that II they carry home