The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-08

effect. The only foundation for the Gov
| errors charge that there is "a newspaper
| trust" is the fact that there is a city press
bureau, which collects routine news. such
as the law record real-estate transfers,
| deaths, marriages, ETC., for all the papers
in manifold copy, and also publishers as
ISOLATION, which considers questions relat-
ing to carriers, distribution of the papers,
ETC. OF course, these associations do not
constitute in the language of Governor
Tanner, "a trust as the word trust is com
monty understood. The city press bureau,
instead of meeting weekly. the Governor
asserted, has only held one meeting in three
years. and the publishers association meets
only three or four times year.
The case is one mainly of local interest,
but it serves to illustrate a too common
practice, namely-that of libeling the press.
Reputable newspapers never knowingly
make false or libelous charges against in
dividuals. or, if they do. they retract them
as soon as they discover they were mis-
taken, but it is a common thing for indi-
viduals to libel the press. 1t is surprising
that man of Governor Tanners official
standing and personal responsibility should
make such a statement as he did before a
body of Chicago business men, most of
whom must have known that he was lying.
Yet such charges are very common. The
phrase "a venal and subsidized press has
been worn threadbare by certain class of
politicians who cannot account for the OPP
position of the press to them and their
vagaries on any other ground but venality
and corruption. 1.-The plutocratic press" is
another favorite phrase with snall-bore
statesmen, labor agitators and self-consti-
tuted friends of the people. A great many
honest but not overly-intellgent people
have been made to believe that the entire
press of the country is controlled by 1.-THE
money power and that they never advo-
cate any measure or policy except for pay.
This is than absurd. 1t is utterly
false and grossly unjust. The American
press is not corrupt or controlled by the
money power or any other improper infiu-
ence AS rule the newspapers of the
country, at least those which rank as re-
spectacle, are actuated by thoroughly hon.
est and patriotic motives, and are far above
the reach of any improper influence. If
Inere is ever an exception TO this IL serves
to prove the rule. Respectable newspapers
sell their advertising columns, but their
editorial columns, never. He would be a
bold promoter, very daring corruptionist,
who would approach the proprietor or edi-
tor of any respectable newspaper with a
proposition to pay for it's editorial support.
In the recent election in Greater New York
every respectable paper in the city, ire
spective of previous political affiliations,
opposed Tammany If they had been venal
Tammany had money enough, or could cas-
lily have raised it, to have bought every one
of them, and would have paid their price
gladly. There is not money enough in New
York to buy the editorial columns of some
of these papers. No American ought to
make wholesale charge of corruption
against profession an institution which
has done so much for the country and for
civilization as the press has done and is
doing all the time. Whoever makes such
charge deserves the answer Governor Tan
ner got-''he lies with malice prepense."