The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-02

CORRESPONDENT now
BARRED FOR "FAKE"
Offender Condemned by the Repu-
table Newspaper Men at J..
Capital.
By w, w. Jormane.

BY w. w. Jermane. i
Washington, Dec. 2.-Newspaper cir |
cles have been thrown into some COM
motion this week by the White House |
bulletin regarding the cruelties alleged
to have been perpetrated by the Roose-
welt children upon the turkey which
Horace Vose sent from Westerly, r. l.,
in accordance with his almost imme-
mortal custom, for the president 8
Thanksgiving dinner.
The Chief criticism that has been
| heard of the president course was
! that this was too small matter to dig
I Nifty in such way. One of the cabinet
officers, when the subject was under
| discussion at the cabinet on Tuesday,
remarked: What if people do believe
that your children chased turkey
about the grounds, pulling feathers out
Of its tail and having a good time with
! it2' This was one view of the case.
1t was worthy of consideration.
I 1t must be acknowledged, however,
that the reading public have come to
believe very largely what they see in
the newspapers, especially where their
inclinations are naturally on that side.
Persons who do not like Roosevelt
would rush to accept this story at face
value. Of course, had this been soil
tary instance, or even an occasional in
paid to it.
The reason that this particular
"fake' peculiarly exasperated the
president was the reflection that, it cast
Ing of his children. No American
mother likes to think that she has
trained her children to rejoice in cruel
ties toward even a Thanksgiving
turkey.
Barred from News Privileges.
Every president, so far as known,
had issued orders forbidding CORE
spondents news privileges in similar
cases. The Cleveland administration
excluded at least three men, to to-, the
writer's knowledge, from OF H. the e,r Whi ae
far as known, each of these was for a
single publication, and not for one OF a
series. The first case that is recalled
is where correspondent wrote story
with double meaning, altho he always
co-workers, that he did not see the sec
ond meaning. Nor did the headline
writers on the newspaper which he
served. But 1t was copied into another
newspaper under headline purposeiy
might be read. Two other men We're res
fused admission to the White House.
In no case has such an order ever
been issued for criticism of presi-
dent 3 public acts, no matter how serl-
GUS the Misrepresentation; in each IN
=
Election upon the character Of some
member of the president 8 family, and,
Of course, wholly without basis of fact.
President Is Upheld.
The response among the reputable
newspaper men Of Washington to IlS5s-
days bulletin has been most wholesome
of the trades union spirit which seeks
to protect one of it's own craft from
punishment. In reality, newspaper
men who adhere to the facts suffer
very unfair competition from those VINO
do not. ,
It is not true in public affairs that
truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction
may be made much the more entertain
ing and interesting. Quite treatise
might be written on the art Of con
structing stories which cannot be de
dent IN college who defended "crib
bing' by saying that it took NOR
brains to get thru an examination
without mastering the subject, by tn
use Of "cribs,' than in the regula
way, uttered a truth of wide journals
The successful "fake' is work o
genius. For example, great deal o
cleverness may be displayed In tn
concoction of a story which can onl
pc Qen16u Dy IuptuIluS Cuo dHlAooOAo IL
lations between two public men.
Why "Fake" Story Is Easy"
If a. man of very questionable publ
character calls at the White House an
sees the president to pass the time {
day, it is always possible Tor q corr!
spondent to send out the story that tn
president eagerly wanted to, conf
with him; that the president reli
greatly upon his wisdom and advic
Who is going to deny such story
administering a severe public rebul
to man who has done nothing to d
serve it. What could be more crus
ing than for q caller at the Viii
House to read in the papers Of his Gil
an official announcement that he hs
not been wanted there9 It is doub
full if this would be done to an e
convict.
Therefore, rule one for the manufa
ture Of fake stories may be to tell VIII
cannot, from the nature Of things,
denied by the parties concerned. 9th
mans mouth, as actually expressi
/ views which he may be privately +
! lieved to hold, is an exceedingly tro
| blesome form Of fake. There is, tee
nically, great difference between
public mans thinking thing and
, Saying it. But the correspondent W
J puts into his mouth the things wifi
the public man may be thinking, Civ
him very hard nut to crack in ste
ing q denial. "@
Rebuke Is Rooseveltian.
The form in which Mr.. Roosevelt
buked the turkey fake was character
tically Rooseveltian. Some of the me
bers of his cabinet asked, when
question was raised, if he proposed
issue a denial Of all the things VIII
the newspapers might say about b
which were not true, or even it he w
to undertake to comment upon
productions Of the author Of this %
ticular dispatch. They rightly assun
that such task would necessitate
very serious neglect of the duties
the presidency. He said that he Y
not; that he was to make this sta
ment vigorous enough and clear enol
and indisputable enough so that eve
body might know how matters sto
and then they could do as they plea
about the future.
Tt will be very simple matter
L any one who questions the presiden
honesty to write to Horace Vose {
B inquire whether the turkey came
lWashington with its head on or off,