The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1896-11-12
A LEADER OF JOURNALISM.
Upright Character of James Gordon
Bennett in the Newspaper World.

Upright Character of James Gordon
Bennett in the Newspaper World.
The character of James Gordon Ben
nett as leader or Journalism is admir-
ably summed up in an interesting ar
ticle by James Creelman. AS an edit
or, says the writer, Mr.. Bennett is inn
patient of political control or partner
ship. He scents danger in every ap~
proacb. and he will deliberately attack
a party to prove that he is not under
it's influence According to him, an
editor should be a man in watch
tower, out of sound and out of reach.
Otherwise there would be conspiracy
and compromise. Private promises
are to be broken in the public interest.
Friendships are to be regarded as traps
for the editorial conscience. So Mr..
Bennett is a lonely man in a crowd, a
hermit in the midst of bustling life.
l can tell one story that illustrates the
magnificent perversity and shrewNh-
ness that have preserved the Herald as
historic example of incorruptible
journalism. When Gen. Crespo under
took to overthrow the rotten and tyran-
nical government of President Palacio,
he had thirty badly-armed Venezue-
lans to follow him. The revolution was
sanctioned by the people, but they were
afraid, at first, to join Crespo's stand
ard. Gradually, however, he gathered
together small army, and advanced
upon the government forces Palacio
and his friends had looted the treasury,
money was needed to crush the revolt,
and sum great enough for the pur-
poses could only be had in Europe.
About this time an old friend Of Mr..
Bennett called upon him in Paris, and
explained that the Venezuelan govern
ment desired to place loan bonds for |
many millions Of dollars in the Lon
don market. He Informed Mr.. Bennett |
that he was to be the agent of Palacio |
in the matter, and would make for
tune out of it. Then he asked for the |
cooperation of the Herald, on the score
of old-time friendship, and finally he |
announced that if the Herald could be- |
little the revolutionary cause, and so |
stimulate the confidence of bankers in |
the government bonds, the transaction
would be worth two or three hundred |
thousands dollars to Mr. Bennett. At |
this Mr.. Bennett smiled grim1y.
1T is worth a million dollars to the
Herald to know these facts" he said.
Il do not quite understand you"
said the friend
"It is worth $1,O0O,OOO to support the
other side''
"Why, Mr.. Bennett, am 1 too late?
Have the other men seen you?"
"No; not at all. But you have given
me proof that the government Of Vene-
zuela deserves to fall. 1t is worth
81, 100000 to the Herald to be on the
right side. [ shall back up the revolu-
tion, and let the truth be known to the
world
In vain the friend pleaded that his
conversation was confidential, and that
a newspaper had no right to take advan-
tage of facts communicated under the
seal Of secrecy. Within an hour, a cable
set the wonderful machinery
Of the Herald in motion, and day after
day it's columns were crowded with
from special correspondents
In Venezuela, describing thiev yiwovt
the revolutionary army and the weak
ness of the government. These dis
patches were reproduced in all the
European capitals, and Palacios bonds
could not find a purchaser. Without
money or credit, the tyrant fell; and
the first act of Crespo, after he enter
ed Caracas at the head of his victorious
army, was to send a long cablegram,
at the public expense, thanking the
Herald, over his own signature. for it's
in the cause of liberty and
government.