Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-27
FORCING PrpLIc OPINION.
Railroad Methods I'm NanufacturinG
Favorable Sentiment.

Favorable Sentiment.
Western people are familiar with the
activities OF the literary bureaus Of rail-
road corporations in supplying the news
papers with raw materials to be con-
verified into public sentiment Nebraska has
had several notable instances OF this work
during the discussion Of the tax question,
as we'll as in the pending rate regulation
issue There Is not much news. therefore.
IN Ray stannard Bakers details OF the
methods Of the railroad bureaus IN the
current McClure's Some parts OF his
paper has suf1clent local color to make
few excerpts interestins and instructive.
Mr.. Baker tells how the railroad bureaus
prepare ready made sentiment for the
newspapers and continues:
Having sent out an article TO an editor,
his paper Is closely watched by the read
ers, and when Il appears the number in
the card catalogue Is checked in red. A
glance at a card, therefore, will instantly
reveal how much and what sort OF rail-
road articles every paper in the country
Is publishing, how railroad information is
running high in one community and low
IN another-whether a paper is good or
bad" from the standpoint OF the railroads.
This card catalogue is well named in the
Office THE Barometer" 1t is certainly as
good an Indicator OF the atmosphere of
railroad opinion in the country as could
possibly be devised. It gives the observer,
indeed. an impression OF hopeless perfec-
ton. What chance have feeble, morgan
lied outsiders 10 make and register public
opinion in the face OF such machine7
Does It get results? Indeed II does. One
OF the members Of the firm told me with
pride OF the record in Nebraska In the
week ended June 5, last, the newspapers of
that state published exactly 2l2 columns
OF matter unfavorable to the railroads, and
anly two columns favorable Eleven weeks
later, after a careful campaign, a weeks
record showed that the papers of Me-
braska had published 202 columns favor
able to the railroads and four unfavor-
able. pretty good barometric condition!
But the work is by no means confined to
the offices II an editor is found to be
| radically anti-railroad as frequently hap
pens in the west, an agent goes about
| among shipping and commercial organiza-
tions Of the town and stirs up public opin-
ion against the editor. Now, shippers and
business men generally are peculiarly
subject to railroad influence or dis
elimination. very little thing will put
them wrong with the railroad. Conse-
quently, when the railroad asks favor
that costs nothing-like the signing of a
petition, or the writing OF letter-why,
they are inclined to yield and avoid
trouble. Moreover, 1t is OF familiar knowl-
edge that the politicians in many towns
are pro-railroad. Usually one or more OF
the prominent lawyers are retained by the
RAILROADS. and there is always the local
/ railroad IN he counted ,ipno
All these forces are so cunnningly mar
| shaled that the recalcitrant editor is
| Smoked out" by his own people
Surprising now that all this gigantic sys-
| tenn of publicity fails and there is still an
| opposing public opinion? No one who looks
into these matters can fail to be impressed
| with the marvellous vitality OF a genuine
| conviction. Get an idea into the minds OF
| few men-a deep. let us say, moral idea
! or an idea that they are being wronged.
that Justice is not being done. and II per-
sists. II thrives In the face of every ma
chine known TO human ingenuity. Even
overwhelming cash, that excellent smoth-
erer of convictions, cannot extnguish It.
And upon that fact rests the hope of demo-
cratic institutions
When all ordinary devices for changing
public opinion have failed, then the rail-
road companies take the next and last step
| in their campaign. They go about the bust
ness, deliberately and in cold blood of
! buying up the channels for the expression
Of public opinion. 1t seems a terrible thing
! to say. but the railroads have in at least
one case that we know of purchased prac-
tically the entire press of a state-a cor
ruption so vast as to be hardly conceivable.
Let us see how thew did it.
In the first place. the railroads advertise
every editor rides on a free pass. This
represents a steady. fruitful income and in
itself disposes the editor to a friendly treat
| ment of the railroads. How easily this
patronage may be made the vehicle for
influencing the policy of the paper. The
editor must be a man of strong convictions
indeed to offend regularly one of his largest
| clients. And how adroitly the agent
of the road gives or wthholds passes or
gives or withholds advertising as the ed
itor is good" or bad"
| When this will not do, the railroads be-
gin to buy outright-as they bought many
newspapers during their bitter campaign to
| defeat LaFollette of Wisconsin and his
reform measures. We know exactly how
this was done, because We have affidavits
from several editors OF course, tho rail-
| roads here operated through the republican
machine, but Il was railroad money that
did the work. They paid from $500 to 81 900
for the influence of the various papers,
aAG Shar ,tuh .olI