Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-04-15
Avalanche Like Descent Of Pres
tige and Circua.
ton.
SOME ASTONISHING FIGURES.
Its Campaign of Blackguardsm and
Assaults on Business Interests Re
buked by Tremendous Losses,

ports Of strange things said to be hap
penlng in and around the salt Lake
Tribune.
That iine piece Of newspaper proper
ty--hne from the financial standpoint
which Colonel Launan handed over to
ex-senator Kcams for the sum of
s220,O0O or thercabouts-a sum which BY
no means came entirely from silver
King divideuds--is said TO no longer
yield n decent income on that amount
or any other; we'll grounded rumor
has it that the paper its evening OFF,
shoot and It's opponent CD the Herald,
were offered I'm "a bunch 90 the group OF
Republicans who are quietly, but steadi-
Iy and persistently working to put an.
other paper into the morning field. The
same rumor says the Republican group
was willing to buy but that It laughed
at the figure placed ON thc three prop.
erties--or rather the two and useless
appendlx--whereupon the negotiations
fell TO the ground with thud.
when Kearns through his Oily Gam-
mon of politics, took possession Of the
Tribune, It paid over aud above all eN-
penses from $4,000 10 $4,000 year. Il
circulated in every quarter Of the west,
and even those who did not agree with
its policies had to admit It's ability, It's
strength, and It's influence IN the ma
tIonal and local party councils.
Presto change Every day since the
paper changed hands 1t has been stcadl-
ly Keeling down hill, Under the Perry
Heath regime It's milk and water
good Lord, good devlr' policy amused
one half the community and disguised
the other. It was looked on generally as
sort of newspaper mountebank.
But that feeling was enthusiasm Itself
compared with conditions today,
Kearns disappointment, the birth Of
the American party George Suther-
lands election, all followed swiftly, AMI
each development was attended by a
deeper snarl, a wider display Of its
fangs on the part Of the hyena Of Utah
journalism
II is speaking but half the truth 70
say that today It is more universally
despised, more heartily hated, and more
unanimously cursed than ever It was in
the stormlest days Of Utah's history
That ts saying "a good deal but 1t Is
strictly true. In the old days OF the
Liberal and Peoples parties, It had a
constituency behind It for whom Il
spoke, Today 1t Ia damned by mer-
chants, real estate men, business men,
railroadmen bankers, brokers, readers
and advertisers alike, all OF whom rea-
lie that IL Is a newspaper Degenerate
with big d, that It is IA positive men,
ace to the prosperity Of the city ana
the state. and that It now only voices
the disappointed malice OF its owner,
and the reyengoful sentiments Of its
writer's.
one could not throw a stone In any
quarter OF Salt Lakes business ser.
tons, north, east, south or west today
without striking some one who has Just
ordered the paper stopped AZ hIs house
or his office, or who has announced his
determination to discontinue his adver.
Using patronage. The real estate men
recently sent a delegation Of their num-
Der to the editor OF the sheet, with a
mild expostuation and a statement that
its course was hurting business, ruin.
ing confidence, ranging one part OF tho
community against another, discourage
Ing intending investors, and keeping
out newcomers. The only answer was
that from that time the mad dog policy
OF the sheet its villanous cartoons it's
assaults on business interests, and ito
suggestion or delrum trcmens were
Increased and rodoublcd tenfold.
Tho recent Conference Of the Church.
and tho overwhelming exhibition NJ
confidence In their leaders manifested
by the people was the last straw, and
the rabies Of the Tribune reached their
climax The great procession passed
calmly ON its way, unaware OF any OBJ
structiou, the tiny insect on the fly
wheel was unable to stop It's rcvolu-
tions wherent more paroxysms, more
enashngs Of teeth, more screeches and
walls, but with never any let up to the
steady ping, ping, ping OF the business
man as he whackod off his subscription
10 the paper
And II the Tribune has suffered In
Salt Lake City, what must have been
lis losses outsider The News" at
tracted by the stories of disgust that
have been pouring in from an sections
OF the country I'm the past few months.
decided purely out OF curiosity, TO make
some Investigations into the subject.
Accordingly It's travelling men were In
structed TO ascertain i'm a. leading cities
and towns OF the state, Just how low
an ebb the Tribune circulation had
reached. The men were furnished with
blanks, and In order that the compari-
son might be made complete they were
asked TO send in the total number OF
Tribunes, Hcralds, and News" clrcu-
lated in each place giving the total OF
all issues, Daily Sunday and Semi
weekly IN the case Of the two morning
papers, and Daily Saturday and Semi.
Weekly In the case Of the News" The
men were instructed 10 interview news
agents, news boys, carriers. mail route
agents and where possible to note the
distribution Of the various papers IN the
postofilces Out OF the IS towns sched-
uled, complete replies have been re-
eeived from a. The results are start
ling, but az they speak more eloquently
for themselves than any other account