The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-03-23
A muzzIing Of the Press.
Raleigh Times.

Whatever one may think of the ulti-
mate designs OF Thomas w. Lawson
IN his revelation of the doings Of the
Standard Oil Company there is a gen.
eral feeling that the revelations are
good for the public health. Lawson
may be thief set to catch thieves,
But the thieves need to be caught and
ii ever there was a system of thievery
that has been made respectable by
the very amount of the stolen goods,
it is the system which Lawson is
attacking.
Henry III. Rogers has tried to get
the coming issue OF Everybody's Nag
azine excluded from the mails. He
failed in that. There would have been
an outburst of wrath from the people
at such interference. And the next
move was the warning of the Ameri-
can News Company, the distributor
OF periodical literature, with which
Everybody's has a contract, that it
would be sued for libel for such distri-
button in this case. That has also
failed, as it should. And Rogers may
have the poor satisfaction of know
ing that his efforts will probably in
crease a circulation that has be-
come almost fabulous in size by rea-
son OF the popular interest in 'fren-
zied finance
Let us have the facts or al least the
alleged facts and the answer to them
ii Standard Oil feels inclined to an.
swer II Standard Oil really bought
the Presidency in 1896 by contribut-
ing IS, ,OOO,""0 to the campaign fund
the American people are entitled to
that knowledge without any attempt
at suppression by the incriminated
party.
Nor is this all. We confess it with
shame but it is generally understood
that most metropolitan dailies do
| not dare to call their souls their own.
The business OF the great firms that
advertise is so closely locked with the
business of Wall Street and the poll
cies OF Protectionism and Trust Pro-
lection, of Monopoly in general, that
any straightforward, honest blow
from the shoulder against any of
them is at once resented and the busi-
ness department complaines to the
editorial department that the thing
must stop. We heard just the other
day OF one of the most able editors
OF Chicago daily who was called
down in his effort to defend the people
from extortion by the threat of the
withdrawal OF the patronage OF the
advertising columns.
And SO the magazines, that have a
different class of advertising and a
circulation that cannot be controlled
by the advertising columns, have a
very important function now to per-
form for the American people. Nc
C2ure's has long been leader in this
direction and the stories of Miss Tar
bell about the origi of the Standard
Oil Trust have awakened the Amer;
can people to the iniquity OF the rail-
road rebate. Now Everybody's Mag
azine is telling the secret OF frenzied
finance and the people want to know
the facts So hands off, Mr.. Rogers
and Mr.. Rockefeller. The appeal to
the Postoftice Department, the threat
to the American News Company and
even the arrest OF Thomas W. Law
son will be of no avail. The people,
not these, are the ones to be reckon
edwith. And the people know in the
matter OF a contest with monopoly
where their interests lie. Let us have
a full revelation. No muzzling of the
DraSS