East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-12-15

ayers WIN inc IuDllc.
The disclosure of the methods used
to secure the publication throughout
the country OF "doctored" accounts of
the evidence brought out against the
officials Of certain insurance com
panies in the investigation conducted
before the New York legislative com
mittee seems to have served to in
tensify popular Indignation and to
give to the public and the press gen
orally new opportunity to vent their
rage against the persons guilty of the
insurance outrage.
Some of the specific facts of the
case, as shown by the testimony of
the manager of the literary bureau of
the Mutual Life Insurance company
OF New York, are that, since the in
vestigation began, that company has
spent $11,753 to buy the necessary
space in about 100 newspapers in
various parts of the country to pub
llsh In the form of telegraphic news
six dispatches OF an average of $50
words that made It appear that Pres
ident McCurdy and other witnesses
examined made "a distinctly favorable
impression" for themselves and the
company, by what they said and did
the truth in these paid news accounts
was slight. 1t was emphatically de-
MED that any editorial space was
bought. The favorable impression"
which they created was secured by
giving prominence to facts that shed
n light upon the acts of the offending
officials altogether different from tina:
which illuminated the regular ac-
counts of the Associated Press reports.
But the color thereby given was un-
mistakable when attention was
brought to the matter: and as the
people must depend almost entirely
upon the newspapers to learn what
goes on in the world, and as the news
papers as a rule are extremely jeal-
Gus of their honor, the outcry has
been general against this insidiou
practice Of buying space in news col.
umns, and using it in an underhan,
way for advertising purposes. w,
have been unable to find any pape
that even suggests an approval of II
Newspapers, of course, are con
ceded the right to print what the.
desire in the way of advertisement
provided that in so doing they do no
violate the laws or public opinion
Thus the Chicago Chronicle says: \
Newspaper advertising has alway
been n recognized, legitimate. and ell
tirely honorable method of promotin
business, To sell space for informin
the public about various facts and con
ditions OF different business venture
is one of the open, undisguised aim
of the newspaper. At what rate tn
space Is paid for can not possibl.
concern anybody but the newspapt
and the men who pay.
"The newspapers openly and avow
edly offer to all alike, the means
informing the world of the particu
lars of the business they wish to carr
on. Whether what the advertise
says is always precisely accurate tn
newspapers have no better means C
knowing than have the reader
What they vouch for is only that tn
matter Is prima facie reputable.
is all an open, undisguised, thorough
ly understood business transaction
Every advertiser steps into the open
at once"
But the offense charged against tn
papers which received money iron
the Mutual for printing, strictly a
news. at an average of one dollar 6
line, a statement which they knen
was not the whole or the exact truth
is something entirely different from
the practice which the Chronicle de
fends. From the testimony adducec
at the investigation It appears tina
neither the advertiser nor the pape'
that was used stepped into the open.
All tracks were concealed.
Hence the Philadelphia Publ
Ledger asserts that, although "very
wide latitude" is allowed i'm adver
tising, "the printing OF advertisement
as news approaches very closely to
the reptilian line" The Richmond
Times-Dispatch declares that at is tn,
greatest sin which a newspaper car
commit" And to the rame effect the
New York Herald says
THE publication, for any price, Of
advertisements as reading matter is
a gross deception of the public, which
no newspaper of reputation should
permit. It is downright dishonesty
sailing under false colors, and a
cheating Of the public. Especially
wrong is 1t in connection with this in
vestigation which concerns the future
financial welfare OF millions of policy
holders. many OF them widows and
orphans or men and women who
have suffered pinching economies to
meet premium payments.
ut seems incredible that the testi-
mony Ia true; that there must be
some explanation that shall be a de-
NAL Of It by the newspapers involv-
ed. To use n vulgar. but expressive
term, II is up to- them to show that
they have not knowingly betrayed the
public at dollar line from the in
surance companies"
The mission OF Fairly Risers" Is to