The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-09-29

ceeded its honesty. Actual telegramS
VI ten words-and not In code-were
expanded to one hundred or more by
/ imaginative office editors, In some
cases thrilling descriptions OF
battles, column long, We're
evolved from twenty or thir.
ty words Of actual news, Such sophls-
ticated stuff was distributed to the pa
pers as having been actually telegraph
ed from foreign parts, and was accept
ed and published by them In good
faith. and when the fraud was detected
the papers were the readiest complain
ants against the manufacturers Of fc-
titious news, In the present case, how
ever. the false dispatches were at least
actual dispatches. They really were
sent by cable from Shanghai to Lon
den. To that extent, therefore. the edi-
tors Of the papers in London were free
from blame. They were justia,d in
printing the news actually received
from correspondents whom they deemed
trustworthy-if they did deem them
trustworthy.
But. asks this ''old Journalist" what
about the senders OF the dispatches?
What are we to think OF correspon-
dent who telegraphs to his editor. II
learn that" etc, a mass OF details that
could be furnished by only an actual
eyewitness, and who at the same time
has no assurance THAI his informant
was an eyewitness, but, on the con-
trary, has ample reason to believe that
his Intelligence" Is not only second
handed. but fifth hand or tenth hand.
having peen passed along through
series II orisntals characteristleally
noted tOF Imagination and invention
rather than for truthfulness? To say
that he was lacking in discrimination
and judgment is to state the case mild
". And vet he is not altogether to be
blamed, any more than his employer is
altogether TO be freed from blame. The
was trained in the home
Office. He received his instructions
and his inspiration from his editor.
And in telsgraphing his precious mass
Of lies he was aiming to follow his in
structions and to please his chief. So
the principal blame is after all brought
straight home to headquarters.
The real evil is. as this "old Jour
nalist" justly says, the mania for SEN
sations. the craving for something that
will prove exciting. wake staring head
lines and set people to talking-and |
buying the paper-without regard. or
With only minor regard. to whether 1t
be true or false. The idea seems to be
to tell enough tales. and some of them
viii probably be true: but if not, at
any rate tell tales. For 1t is better to
get OF ahead of your rival in telling
A lie than to have him get ahead Of
you in telling the truth. The fallacy
and foolishness. as well as the wick
edness. Of such a rule should be OBJ
vious to all. Certainly the effects are.
For it is literally true that in respect
to certain part Of the press the fact
that a paper says a thing is so has
come to be deemed prima facie tause
for doubling It. The end Of such
state Of affairs is as Inevitable as the
procession Of the equinoxes. People
will get tired Of the daily guess as to
how much truth there is in their pa
Ders. and then they viii quit buying
such papers. You cannot fool all the
people all the time. True. you may be
able to fool some Of the people all the
time. but not enough Of them to give
4 paper the largest circulation in the
world