Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-19

wine while it was red He is arrested
and fined, perhaps thrown into Jail and
! maybe saved from the penitentiary
by the influence of powerful friends.
Naturally his first thought and that
Of his friends is to keep 1t out OF the
paper" Yet they are asking the pub
Usher to do that which they would
condemn III another's OK was being
| gored. 1t la disagreeable duty to per-
| form and to print the news may cause
some hearts to ache, but publicity Is
recognized as one of the safeguards
against wrongdoing, and while the
newspaper may not pose as the guar
/ dian OF public morals, yet 1t has GER
| tain functions which it cannot right
| fully refuse to recognize. Nine times
out Of ten, if only the truth had been
| told, the parties concerned will admit
that they got only what was coming
to them, and will recognize that in the
end 1t was better for the truth to he
published than to have their one mis-
deed magnified into many crimes by
the scandal-loving public.
Probably every newspaper CORES
pondent sooner or later is called upon
to decide whether he will brave the
wrath Of his friends or be false to the
confidence which the publisher has
placed in him, and suppress an impor-
tant news story. An incident that tried
the soul of a T.-R. reporter is recalled.
A prominent Iowan whose wealth was
measured by broad acres of fertile
SOIL was found occupying room with
another mans wife at a hotel. The
wronged husband had the pair arrest
ed and there was scene. The case
was settled, however, and the prosecu
ton was carried no further. Every
body in town knew something had
happened, and there were many exag
gerated stories about. OF course they
were looking for the papers to find out
the facts. The most strenuous efforts
were made to prevent 1t reaching the
newspapers and the correspondent was
placed In an unenviable position. TO
his credit it may be said he turned a
deaf ear to threats and brides alike
and no amount of pleading or cajolery
could swerve him from his determine
ton. He told the parties plainly he
would tell the bare facts and make no
attempt at exaggeration, which put the
matter up to the editor for decision.
There being no question as to the facts,
| the story was published. IT would
have been an easier matter for the cor
respondent to have suppressed the
news and he would have saved some
hard feelings, but it is question
whether he could have retained the
| respect of the parties concerned and
they no doubt had a better opinion
of him than IL he had acceded to their
wishes.
On another occasion bank cashie:
| in central Iowa was discovered to have
defaulted for an enormous sum.
Rumors had been prevalent and at
last there came a day when 1t could
no longer be concealed, and the direc-
| tors were forced to act. Desperate eff
forts were made to keep the true state
Of affairs from the public. The Times
!, Republican correspondent was coaxed
and threatened, but he succeeded IN
| convincing the bank officers, after a
long and stormy interview that the
best course for them as we'll as his
duty to the paper called for true
statement of the condition of affairs
and their plans to meet the situation.
The result vindicated the correspon-
dents position.
There is perhaps no news about
which more caution must be used by
newspapers than that concerning
banks, especially if the news is in any
way unfavorable to the bank concern
ed. 1t has been said that it is within
the power of any reputable paper to
ruin the business of the strongest bank
within it's field of circulation If the at
tack is made without warning. The
statement is not idle when one con-
siders how sensitive the average de-
positor is regarding his account and
how easy it is to start run" Only
few weeks ago a rumor that had no
foundation in fact was started against
a strong bank in New York City, and
1t not only closed the bank in ques-
ton, but caused small panic in Wal!