New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-03-05
CRITICISM Anglers JEROME.
HE ATTACKS NEWSPAPERS, BUT AID
AIITS THEIR INFLUENCE AND
WONDERS AT IT

District Attorney Jerome last night at din
ner given by the Aldne Association in honor Of
the Rev. DR.. Lyman Abbott. severely arraigned
the newspapers of NewYOrk for critcising the
integrity of purpose of the grand jury in IN
dieting Wisker the engineer of the Newly ork
Central train. which into another In the
Park-ave. tunnel on January :. He also spoke
concerning his resolve to be true TO his oath TO
enforce every law the statute books over
which he had jurisdiction. Mr.. Jerome said:
l would rather deal with anarchy than with
newspapers. You can make some head against
anarchy, but none against the press. ooiie
times newspapers shower one with praise, ana
again they bitterly arraign him. The average
man does not make newspapers nor know their
inner workings But the average man reauS
them he reads three or four Of them. When ne
has finished reading he knows very little OF the
substance of what he has read. Nearly always
he contents himself with Swimming headlines.
and takes no care to see whether what follows
agrees with the matter in large type
Now, l have no personal feeling against the
newspapers, but l think it is becoming pretty
serious when / well educated men so largely
forming their opinions from what they gamer
from the and editorial columns or the
great New-York dailies 1t is becoming pretty
serious when we see how easily intellectual peo-
pie swayed by the makers of newspapers,
who oftentimes, have no better opportunity TO
get at the facts than the readers themselves
When sees the whole press in line on an
issue, when this position is false one, then 1t
is time considering it's great influence, to pause
and mediate over the source of this power.
There IS something TO make enc doubt when he
sees the entire press attack such venerable in
stitution as the grand jury-severely criticise
the vote or BODY or men as Suong Iho[aIly
and intellectually any Of the men here.
These men took their oath OF Office Acting I'M
der that OATH they found that they could not
say that a certain proposition was true Look
ing through that list of names. one finds men
of good mental equipment and Of integrity. 1t
is fair to suppose that these would dis
charge their duty a they saw It.
Mr.. Jerome then referred to DR.. Abbott's re-
mark early in the evening that some think Mr.
Jerome a little radical that his judgment is not
| up to his zeal" The District Attorney. address,
ing DR.. Abbott. said:
DIR. Abbott refers to my radicallsm. Sir, my
radicalism you are responsible for"
At this DR.. Abbott to his feet, and inter
rupted pleasantly:
IF am never responsible for anything worse.
I shall never fear for my future happiness"
The District Attorney, still addressing the
editor OF The Outlook" said
You have taught that we should obey an oath
| Of office when we take one. When sef-respect
teaches a man to go up against difficult posi-
uon, he must take that position no matter what
the newspapers say, matter II il means the
WreckinG Of his own future the administra-
toh winch he represents. II he can teach a
community that IT must obey the laws, any per-
sonal sacrifice he may make in the effort is
worth while.
The other speakers. who confined themselves
to the general topic. The City and the Citizens"
and who eulogiZed DR.. Abbott were Bishop Pot
ter, the Rev. DR.. Edward Everett Hale the
Rev. DR.. George c. Lorimer, DR.. Albert Shaw
Editor Of The Review OF Reviews; Father A
p. Doyle and Frederick Dielman, president Of
the National Academy Of Design.
Hamilton w Mable associate editor of The
Outlook" presided. DR.. Abbott referred to Mr.
Jerome as the most important factor I'm the last
municipal campaign He said that he wished to
see New-York a new Jerusalem where men
were men. DR. Hale pleaded for the education
of the masses. which. he said. was the only saIve
against civic sores. The theme in DR.. I.orimer's
address was for independence at the polls, or
partisanship. after the voters conscience had
approved of his partys course.
Father Doyle. replying to Bishop Potter who
a few moments before had referred to him as
MY Latin brother" resented the term He
said, pleasantly:
i am just as good ar American as he is. 1
wish that he had not gone home moment ago,
so that he could hear me say it,"
Father Doyle said that it had become COM
mon thing to have fling at the police
The cleansing work we have done in the
upper West Side has received the heartiest co.
operation of the police" he said They have
always been willing to aid us. l have found the
| best Christians in the city the police force
They want, like the rest Of us. decent city"
a letter of regret from President Roosevelt
he should be delighted to be present to honor
DR.. Abbott. Il greatly value his opinions on
public questions" he added