The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-11-17

Gov. Tanner, the Present Governor,
(Republican) of the State of Him
ois, Publicly Declares That the
Chicago Meet Every Week to
Agree Upon a Plan Of Joint Action;
and That Corruption Money Con-
trolls Them without Regard to
Showing.
"The organization of the Chicago
press is essentially that of a trust, as
the word trust is commonly under
stood. The proprietors of the leading
daily newspapers of this city, are men,
bers of corporation which meets once
week, for what purpose? 1t may
have other ends to subserve in this
weekly meeting, but its chief object is
to determine the policy of the papers
which belong to the combination, what
treatment they will jointly and severely
accord to all public measures and to all
public men. It's deliberations are in the
nature of those of the star chamber,
whose name in English history is the
symbol of tyranny and of infamy. The
man who fails to do it's bidding is slated
for slaughter
trust differ in it's aims, principles or
methods from any other trust? And
yet these pretended opponents of trusts
and monopolies have organized them
selves into the most gigantic monopoly,
the most dangerous trust of the present
age. OF all known trusts, this is the
most venal and corrupt
THE newspaper trust of the city Of
Chicago has been and is for sale, for an
adequate pecuniary consideration, upon
every question that has come before the
Chicago common council or the legis-
lature of Illinois,
There is not promoter in Chicago
who does not know that in the inciu-
iency Of every scheme for the enriching
OF individuals at the expense of the
public at large, his first step must be to
see the newspaper trust, and that If he
fails to make terms with it, he must ex-
pect its opposition; his proposition will
be assailed by 1t from start to finish.
Il am aware that if these statements
are untrue, am amenable to the GRIM
inal law of libel and liable also to the
civil courts for damages. What I have
said, have said deliberately, after full
reflection, and with the possible conse-
quences before my eyes,
Il invite prosecution. I challenge the
newspaper trust to meet ME in the
courts. If, after this public charge, it
fails to prosecute, it must stand con-
victed before the bar of public opinion
OF the truth of the charge which 1 have
made, and that by it's own silent con-
fession. In the event of it's awaiting
itself of legal remedies for it's own pro-
lection, the public will secure the benefit
Of the knowledge through it's columns
that libel suit has been brought, If
which it is invariably deprived when
private citizen is forced to appear in
court as prosecutor of the trust.
ION this subject do not speak with
out that sort of knowledge which Is
gained by personal experience. The
Chicago newspaper trust processes to
print the truth. 1t is an organized
agency for the suppression of the truth.
for the perversion and distorting of the
truth and for the circulation Of willful
and malignant falsehood whenever it's
selfish and malicious ends are thereby
served.
"The Chicago newspaper trust is an
anarchy breeder and an assassin of hu-
man character. It glorif1es crime by CIV
ing it undue prominence and making of
criminals heroes in the popular estima-
ton. For sake of selling it's manufac-
tured product, it even invades the priv
acy Of the penitentiary and drags to
light the doings and sayings of convicts
behind the bars for the qualification Of
a depraved and morbid curiosity. But
It never has word of praise for a good
man or good deed. 1t sheds crocodile
tears of sympathy for the poor op-
pressed victims Of monopoly, while all
its sympathies are with monopoly.
1T complains of unjust and unequit-
able taxation, but pays lower taxes in
proportion to it's wealth than any other
taxpayer in the city. 1t is never on the
side of the workingman, but manifests
in hundred ways its scorn for him
who earns his daily bread by the hon.
est labor Of his hands It denounces
the corruption of municipal politics, but
is itself an agent in promoting this cor
ruption and does nothing of conse-
quence toward it's cure. Any politics
will suit it which 1t can control, and
by which it can profit Its influence is
to lower the standard of public and
private morals, and to engender mutual
distrust and dislike between the metro
polls and the rural communities Of the
state.
BY its unfair ways of dealing with
nl1h1jc man and n,,bJic o,,oct;o,, ~,