The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-26
a DOUBTFUL INVESTMENT

a DOUBTFUL INVEo HME N
The washington correspondent OF
The Globe tells the story eof the
raising of an immense campaign. fund
and the expenditure Of portion of II
in advertising the Republican cause n
the larger periodicals. This is new
venture in campaign conduct, and
very expensive one. The rates charged
for advertising in the magazines OF
largest circulation are enormous
Nothing but a deep pocket can stand
the use of this space on a large scale.
The purse of the Republican national
committee is well filed. We showed
in an article on Monday, taken from
the New York Times, how this fund
has been collected. Mr.. Cortelyou and
Mr. Aldrich have been making the
rounds of Wall street. Nobody has
heard murmur of prosecution against
any of the big trusts. They are doing
business at the old stand. They are
taking hundreds of millions of dollars
every year from the people. They can
afford to give up literally foratile sake
of protection, and they are doing ii.
A more serious reflection Upon this
method of campaigning is apparent to
every reader of the magazines in aues-
ton. The use of their advertising
columns for advertising purposes is
legitimate. II, however, there should
creep into the magazine itself tone
Of comment or a method Of presenting
alleged facts that is either softened or
directed by the contents of the adver-
Using pages. that is another matter.
This is what has happened. Among
the November magazines there is at
least one where we can trace the con-
nection between advertising cause and
editorial effect. There is a comparison
between Parker and Roosevelt in GER
tain particulars which is SO outra-
geously offensive. unjust and indecent
that it must have startled every read
er of this periodical who could not
fathom the underlying cause. 1t is a
straightout departure from the old
precedents, and one that cannot be
too severely reprehended or too deeply
deplored.
In it's editorial department the mag
azine has the same right as the news
paper to express its opinions for or
against any party, any candidate or
any policy. It usually exercises that
privilege with dignity and moderation
1t may, of course, if it p1eases. turn all
| its other pages over to campaign pur-
poses and become party advocate The
partisan magazine is just as much
possibility as the partisan newspaper.
Nevertheless, we think the experiment
destined to failure. Readers of the
magazines read them for other pur-
poses, They expect to get their party
news from the newspapers. whose
function it has been and is to give it.
+ The magazine has another office. APP
pearing but once a month it cannot
effectively do party work; while it
must surrender, if it attempts that. all
/ its old traditions and pass eut-of the
atmosphere of inapartiaIity and dignity
T that now surrounds it. It will lose
much for a transient gain.
I 1t would appear to us, if we are any
judge of the sentiments of readers at
I large, that the magazines which have
/ yielded their pages to comments on
candidates and campaigns that are OBJ
viously inspired from other sources
have sacrificed much that they cannot
regain. No campaign fund will make
I UP to them the less of public, conf
denee and the disgust that rises when
the spirit of partisansilip governs the
great periodical. Perhaps Mr.. CorteI-
! you's. fund has been well spent, con-
/ sidering that this is an innovation and
I therefore more effective on first trial
than IL ever can be afterward; and I'M
doubtediy Mr.. CorteIyou can afford. to
try it, because the trusts have given
him money to burn At the same time,
the people who are readers of maya
zines are also people of Independent
Judgment, and are much more likely to
shy at this new attempt at direction
and to resent it than to be influenced
+ by it in favor of candidates or
parties where the concealed advertise
ment can be SO readily guessed.