The Washington times., 1903-01-06
A CoNTEMPTIBLE PUBLICATION.


A CoNTEMPTIBLE PUBLICATION.
CFrom The Evening Star Of Yesterday
Munsey's Washington Times. which
has heretofore been conducted on repu-
table lines, on Saturday sunk TO a lower
level. It has been printing for several
days in its news columns series Of at
tacks upon the Postofice Department.
and especially upon the rural free de
livery bureau. In this matter it has fitted
to its shoulders the mantle dropped by a
blackguaTd Matchmaking sheet recently
deceased. and it seems n its Saturday
issue 10 have adopted as congeniaI the
principles and methods OF campaigning
peculiar TO that publication Of IN
fragrant memory.
TIE charges Of The Times news
columns against Postoflce Department
officials are still in the preliminary. ten
latiye stage. They have not been dis
cussed by any local or prominent outside
newspaper. and have not even been re-
enforced by word of vigorous and con
hdent Endorsement in the editorial
columns Of The Times Itself
The Times first editorial on the sub
ject is a spiteful assault in Saturdays
Issue on the Star for not discussing
the GIobe-Times charges. which The
Times itself has not editorialIy discuss
cd. and for not editorialIy denouuctnK
these officials whom The Times alleges
to be rascals; and it intfmates that The
fact that the Po5tof5ce Department has
until recently leased floor in the ''s.ar-,
building to house a fraction Of its
overflow Of clerks, and still rents some
rooms for that purpose in the Eleventh
Street annex explains the stars
silence. In other words. the accusation
IS that the Star" has been hired by
room rentals TO cover Up official ras-
cautg
The "star" company having erected.
partly through public-spirited motives.
building of dimensions which make it
an architectural adornmen5 of PenusyI-
vania Avenue. does not need for It's own
uses all the space which that building
affords Consequently il has rooms 10
rent as veil as newspapers and adver-
Using space to sell In these business
tTanaCuCns 1t gives fer the money re-
ceived fun consideration in Office accom-
modations or in news or in publicity.
Every body ia Washington knows that its
editorial page is not for sale OF mort
gage, directly or indirectly, either for
the yenaI expression or suppression of
opinions. The serious suggestion that
the tenant Of q newspaper secures o
{ lien upon its editorial and news columns.
and hires It through his rentals as q
protector against the consequences of
his criminal misdoings. viii attract at
tentlCu as novelty here at the Capt.
tai and VIII doubtless be classed rs q
whimsical vaEaTy Of the new journalism
{ from Ee9TaU
There have been frauds in the Post
Office Department Whenever they have
developed the "StaT" has vigorously at
tackled them and pushed Tor the prGsecu-
lion and punishment OF she criminals.
This has been its course from the time
Of the star route scandals down to the
comparatively recent TdSCaliJicS in Cuba
II anything tangible develops from the
Gl0be-Tiues charges the star viii
der ounce tho rascals exposed whether
they turn out 10 be corrupt officials IN
side he department or spiteful or mer-
ceuary libelcrs outside OF it,
white he Star cannot respond at
the preliminary stage of pro-
ce.DL.-- &. it's contemporary s demand
that -=cuss edltoriaiIy tho merits
of T Times charges. IL wi. permit
itsel. 81 break its silence long enough
to say that whether The Times accu-
sations against officials be right or
wrong, It's method OF conducting its
campaign. so far as concerns the Star"
is distinctly malignant. HbeIous. base,
and di=reputable
The professional scandal uougeFiug or
habitugI blackuailing sheet in making
such a publication as that of Saturdays
Times would have in mind the purpose
either O. suggesting to corrupt officials
the wisdom of paying Il to keep i-s
mouth shut in some such manner as that
imagined and imputed in the Lrticia. or
of eliciting from the reputable paper
attacked the advertisement which IS in
volved IN the printing by the latter Of
notice 70 the pu lie Of the publication
by the former of defamatory and sensa-
tionaT charges. The Star" not desiring
to crafty either Of these desires, would.
OF course. take no notice of such at
tacks- But as this is Mr. Munsey's first
Washington excursion into the field Of
degraded journalism. and as there
may be doubt whether the vicious habit
has been unalterably formed the
Star" viii give it, contemporary the
benefit of the doubt and of any inci-
dental advantage Il publicity which Il
may derive from his publication