Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-10-25

IoadS DeSdu w look ABOUT 1oI u
means Of increasing the effectiveness
Of their machinery for molding pub
lie opinion to their purposes. AS
the agitation for rate legislation
grew in vigor the roads became more
appre hensive. Samuel Spencer.
president Of the Southern Railway,
a company with Morgan financial
affiliations, became the leading in
dividual spirit in the East against
rate legislation, or at any rate was
the one fixed on to act as spokesman
for the railroads. The eastern
trunk lines, believing then, as they
do now that it is possible to head off
congressional action this winter,
were his strong allies. - g -
The organization of the "educa-
tional' bureau was left by the rail
roads to the firm of Michaelis &
Ellsworth. The primary purpose
being to educate" the public
through the newspapers, newspaper
men were selected to man the var
ious offices. The salaries paid are
liberal, considerable more so than
newspaper salaries in the various
cities where branches have been es-
tablished. Experience in railroad
affairs was not necessary, the chief
qualification being ability to get
newspapers, metropolitan and coun-
try, to publish, as news, matter IA
vorable to the railroads. The origi-
nal plan included the use Of adver-
Using space. to be paid for as such,
for the dissemination Of matter
which even the sanguine promoters
hal no hopes Of inducing newspapers
to publish as news A large guam
tity Of this matter was prepared.
| The Washington office was a
strong factor, it being the duty of
the man in charge to unload pro-
railroad arguments in the guise of
news on the Washington cores
pondents Of newspapers throughout
the country. Here is a sample of
the method used; A prominent pol
itician makes reply to another politi-
clan in an article in a well known
magazine. The magazine is pub
lished by company owned by the
Morgan syndicate. Advance sheets
Of the articles are furnished the
railroad press agents by the maya
zine. The press agent writes an in
PRODUCTION to the article to disguise
its real purpose and tenor, relying
on the name of the author to carry
the article-which is an ingenious
argument against rate legislation
into the papers. The author is a
man recognized as railroad at
torney, but this fact is overlooked
carefully by the young man who
prepares the matter for publication
Sometimes the plan succeeds and
sometimes ltfails. When it is sue
cessful the railroads score; when it
fails the public is none the wiser.
y n Il n VI
| Another favorite method that is
being pursued is for the railroad
propaganda to have some public man
make an address or write an article
for publication, attacking the rail
roads for their antagonism to rate
legislation. This speech, or news
paper or magazine article, will be
full OF specious arguments and weak
points, as it was fully intended to
be. AS soon as it has reached the
public it will be attacked by one OF
more railroad advocates who tear ii
to shreds argumentatively, because
the arguments first presented were
such as to admit of this hashine
process. Result: The railroads
score heavily on man whom the
unsuspecting public believes to BIZ
J antagonistic to them, but who, III
! reality. was prompted by the road te
! set up a logical house Of cards to bt
blown over by the roads.
Hundreds, if not thousands, O
, we'll known lawyers, manufacturers
college professors and even minis
tiers, have become affiliated with the
railroad interests in various ways
since the propaganda against rate
$ regulation began. Most Of these
e have habit Of taking their pen ii
hand to let the public, through the
! newspapers, magazines and books
know how beneticent is the presen
{ plans of noregulation of rates except
: by the roads. Statisticians by thu
score have been at work for months
) and in some cases for years, compil
: ing figures going to show alleged
: injustice in the proposition to regu
: late rates. Last month scurrilous
attack on President Roosevelt was
\ made in railroad trade paper, il
n which the presidents personal in
tegrity was impugned. Advance
S sheets Of this article were supplied
to the press agents and scattered
e broadcast, parts of the article being
4 published BY some newspapers
S According to some of these travel
: ing educators, they have done
t. their work SO well that they have
i changed the majority Of newspapers
in entire states from a pro-regulatior
g viewpoint to stanch friendship fol
the railroads in the contention Of the
! latt, r that there should be no rate
S legislation. One young man admit
! ted that the single-handed ant
/ alone, with no instruments but his
c tremendous powers of persuasion