The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-22
THE INTELLIGENCE
WHEELING, MARCH, ~, lsos.
: IAN Example or Yellow Tactics.

WHEELING, MARCH, 20, 1905.
{ ::An Example OF Yellow Tactics.
During the past few weeks the public
has ndta6undant opportunity 10 learn
Z the true character OF the sensat ional
I newspapers that aresknown as yellow
Journals. It has learned that from this
class Of journals has enianated nearly all
1.-THE nntruthful innammatory publica-
tions egarding the Meines affair and the
relations between the United States
which have placed the administration In
{ q false light, have placed in the mouths
S5of public men words that they, never ut
tered. and have kept the readers in an
'sasitated frame OF mind, aud contributed
I toward making grave situation calling
3 for the wieest Judgment more difficult OF
X settlement. It is TO the. credit Of the
great mass of citizens that these publ.
4 cations have como TO be regarded as iun-
3reliaSle' ae soon as their source is known,
and that the steady and patriotic policy
Of The administration has NOT. in conse-
Il squerce, been, as much embarrassed as It
4 might have Been The intelligence OF
sithe people has preferred to rely on off,
sc.al statements.
81. One OF the most remarkable instances
of the unblushing effrontery OF these
Journals, and one which might have done
untold harm had II been allowed to 60
suEcorrected, was an alleged interview,
which appeared in the New York Jour
nal.of Saturday,with the assistant sscre-
& tary or ,the navy, Mr. Roosevelt 1t was
Z sent broa beast over the country to other
sensational papers, and placed Mr..
Roosevelt In an unjust light and in a I
manner was calculated to ;embarrass the
i administration Of which he is a nem-
J bet;; and all TO crafty the Journals
Z greed for increased street sales and to
< cater to It's sensation-loving: readers, re-.
sardless Of all consequence
In this particular instance the yellow
sheet found that In making use Of Secrc-5
{ tary Rooseyelt's name for Els dishonest
purpose 1t went a step beyond even the
extreme limits Of yellow journalsmeth-
DDS, and that It was dealing with a man
who would not remain silent and permit
himself to be misquoied. II a few more
Z OF our public men would take the bull
s by the horns" as Mr.. Roosevelt has done,
the pubic would sooner learn just how
4 much reliance to place upon the lurld
articles that appear in the newspapers
y that are trying to, provoke disturbance
and to precipItate a bloody war in ad-;
Z vance OF the finding Of a Just cause that
i can be maintained, without question, be-
fore the world and with honor to this
!; country.
Mr. Roosevelt, OF course, promptly re-
1 pudlated the alleged interview with him.
But ne did more. When he received a
letter from the editor OF the Journal at
tempting 20 forestall his denial, he con-
I sidered himself justified In giving to the
decent press Of the country his reply to
+ that letter. in which he stated that he
had not Contemplated a denial, but. he
md already denied It in the most un-
equivocal terms. and said: The state
ment in to-days Journal was an abso-
i lutte falsehood. ] told your reporter, not
once, but again and again, as ne was
persistent. that ! would not give him an
Interview OF any kind. His conduct was
infamous. and you yourself should have
known that no such interview as that
4 could possibly have come from me-"
The ) alleged interview. which Mr..
Roosevelt denounced through the Assoc
3 ciated Press as false, fictitious and
\ fraudulent from the first word to the
\ last. /" occupied the entire front page Of
the Journal, and caused no end OF COM
ment. When an American newspaper
adopts such a method of misrepresent-
! ing members OF the national administra-
+ ton alta time Of a great crisis. when the
whole country has need Of calm judy.
y r1ent. Il Is time to wonder what may be
expected from It when that crisis
reaches the climax. and there will be a
fcall5for: every citizen to stand firmly by
the government
~ Strange as # may seem. the papers
that are engaging In this desplcable and
"A dangerous business are read by thou
sands Of people who are not affected by
them. but who read them more from a
curiosity to see to what extent they can
1 60 In their infamous and un- American
calling. IT lis this fact that mlnimizes
NJ the harm they do, and leads all good
citizens to hope that, after the present
wears away. The sober second
thought OF those who orc Influenced will
y lead them to underst and The evil infu-
4 enccs that are eIerttd and give the vel.
low sheets a wide berth In the future. "A
Sssnewspaper that engages In such business
may succeed from q financial point Of
view IN times Of excitement. but sooner
iorflnter It will reap tho harvest It has;
B soIw s, and feel the full force OF public
contempt. 5.t Z
The only criticism Mr.. Bryan has to
nffcr nj, tl,n yottp,, ~ srn mn mn .. ~,