New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-07
any, for rsking even In the least degree IT,
turn Of National disaster.
AS TO "FAKES."

oWben I'm doubt play trumps' Is one Of the
commoncst and most mischievous Of whist-table
maxims when short of news print fakes
seems TO be a rule with certain section OF
the press, increasingly common and often mis-
chievous or its practice the last week mas
provided numerous examples. This was the
situation: The Peace Conference was at, or
nearing. the crucial part Of its work. ana was
not shouting all It's discussions from the house
tops. Great Britain and France were coming
to a settlement or a crisis, on the Nile, ana
were not conducting their negotiations In town
meeting Some important operations in emma
were impending, but their full programme was
not blazoned in advance to all the world. And
thcrefore-yhat?
Why, since something important was going
on. and no one could find out just what 1t was.
and there was nothing else equally important
or sensational that could be found out, only
one thing remained to be done. FAKE nc
counts of these momentous proceedings must
be given So the sensational press OF two CON
finents was made TO TEEN with lurd tales about
the withdrawal of the Spanish Commissioners
from Paris, the proclamation OF British FRO
tectorate over Egypt, and general cataclysm
of all the Powers in the Far Fast In all or IL
there was vast and varied array OF msin-
formation, perhaps some profit TO some stock
spcculators. but no truth and no satisfaction
IN iudlcjous readers who wish 10 know what
Is really going on in the world
The IMPULSE of such fake" production Is
twofo]d On the one hand is competitions; the
zeal to surpass, or to seem TO surpass a rival
in enterprise and In approximation to smnisci-
once Legitimate competition or rivalry In
well-doing. in securing and distributing real
news IS praiseworthy; and for more than ha!f
century this journa-we may say with mod
est pride-has not Jagged therein. But THIS
other compettlon which says Print sensa-
"tions: true ones If you can. but anyway print
| "sensationsv il not an item in our code On
the other hand is the notion that the public
wants and demands daily diet OF hot stuif
II IS a great mistake. There may be some g-
norant or perverted appctites that call for office
made tabn SEQ. But they are the negligible
minority. The constituents who are OF value
IN the press whose patronage Is constant ana
Intelligent and profitable are those who can
discriminate between truth and falschood ana
prefer the former; who can appreciate the en-
terprisinc and accurate presentation OF great
news when there IL great news to present. ana
who are quite content with minor chronicles
when there are no major events TO he record
ed: and who. moreover, realize that there are
some matters that must Of necessity De kept
from the public for n time and would rather
wau until they are at the proper moment au-
thorltatively revealed than be fooled In nd
vance with some ignorant guess or mendacious
fabrication.
We have found IN the course or long ana
not unprosperous career that. on the who'e'
the substantial public prefers facts to takes !;
and It IS cause of qualification that that pun
lie. in large and steadily increasing numbers
turns to these columns to find what 1t wants
and in the most practical and convincing man
ncr tcstifles that il does find 1t here. or such
Motley the fakes" themselves give striking VIM
dication. Had the public. or any considerable
norton of It, believed the tales OF this last
week the Nation would have been coRvulscd
with excitement But the Nation remained
TRANQUIL. The flakes" were not believed. Inc
theory that the public wants them was dls-
credited. And as for the competition theory
well. il papers want TO compete in furnishing
stuff that the public does not want there Is no
law 10 restrain them from it.