The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-14
BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION.


Under this heading the Presbyterian
Standard, of Charlotte, publishes an
editorial that will give the public an
insight into the way that trusts at
tempt to use portions of the press to
| advertise their products or to destroy
the productions of their competitors.
1t is SO good that we print it in full,
| as follows:
I'VE got letter not long ago from
one of the advertising agencies en-
closing an article by the Rev. Sam
Jones in favor of the trusts. 1t was
first published in the Manufacturers
Record, and has since been put in
pamphlet form and scattered widely
over the country. 1t took somebody's
money to do this of course and it is
commonly reported that some of the
trusts have little of that useful
commodity. However a presidential
election is at hand and the public
opinion needs to be rightly guided in
these trying times. We express the
hope at the beginning that the Rev.
Sam Jones was not bribed to write
the article and that his opinions are
not for sale to the highest bidder
The article was sent to us by the adj
vertising agency accompanied by a
letter. The letter said that the great
corporations" were going to do a lot
of advertising these days, that Mr..
Jones article was a pleasing one to
them, that they might be induced to
look with peculiar favor upon a pa
per that would publish the article,
and that if a marked copy of the
paper We're sent to the advertising
agency its influence would be eXerted
in order to procure the corporation
advertising for the Standard. 1t look
ed no us like bribery and corruption
and we declined We have since been
surprised to note how widely the ar
ticle has been published, though we
are aware that the business office of
a paper does not always contide every
thing to the editorial department. 1t
has seemed to us tlrat people ought
to know how public opinion is some
times manufactured at so much
yard. Some time ago we got let
ter from this same advertising agency
enclosing an article from another pa
per on the dangers of acetyline gas.
We have no doubt that the article
was purchased Gin the first instance.
Tt looked to us like blackmail and this
time we handed the paper to an agent
of an acetyline gas company, for
which he seemed profoundly grateful.
We learned afterwards that the acety-
line people had been looking every
where in vain for the source of these
hidden attacks. Some gas or electric
companies had paid the big advertis-
ing agency to get the article in as
many papers as would publish it, and
then would the dear people be kept
from buying acetyline gas. Before we
go any further we beg leave to say
that the acetyline companies have
not paid US anything for writing this
paragraph.
do not these great corporations
and companies recognize this thing
as bribery and blackmail? Is it not
a sin? Is the business of our coun-
try degenerating, and has it already.
departed from the rules of strict in
tegrity so far?
There is one corrective principle
that gives us hope. Money is not all
powerful. The brains that can make
money in unlimited quantities are
not the most highly organized gray
matter. Unless the money and the
brains are ruled by conscience. sooner
or later they invite Overwhelming
overthrow by arraying against them
the conscience of the people He and he
only that walketh uprightly, walketh
surely.
God rules not only in heaven but
in the hearts of men. He makes men
love right and hate wrong, and there