The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-02-06
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6. 1906.
POLITICIANS AND REPORTERS.

ing the discussion Of the statehood bill
in the house of representatives Wash
ingten correspondents of some Of the
leading northern newspapers sent their
papers an account of a conversation
said to have taken place between the
president and Congressman Steener-
son, Of Minnesota, in reference to that
measure in which Mr.. Roosevelt is
quoted as telling the congressman in
substance that had he known the latter
was opposed to the bill he would not
have appointed a particular friend OF
the representative to a certain Office.
1t will also be remembered that Mr..
Stevenson made a statement on the
floor of the house denying that any
such conversation ever occurred.
ThereupOn the Washington correspon-
dent of the New York Times sent his
paper the following:
Both Mr.. Stevenson and the presi-
dent are said to be anxious to know
who spread the story that such an IN
tervieW ever occurred. 1t is due both
of them to state the authority. It was
q man named Halvor Stevenson, a
representative in congress from the
state of minnesota.
The Charlotte Observer quotes the
statement of The Times correspOn-
dent and says that of course it is true
and that there is no record that Mr..
Stevenson has chirped sinoe," and
then it goes on to very %truthfully re-
mark that when a statement about a
public man appears in a reputable,
truth-te1ling newspaper, followed by
a denial from the public man, sit is
safer to pin faith to the first state
mento than to the deniaT'; that papers
of the class referred to employ CORE
SpOndentS to tell the truth-nOt lies,
and it might have gone further and
declared ti1at reputable papers have no
use for correspondents Or reporters
who are subject to influence" from
any source outside of the newspaper
office and, as verification of the state
ment, have Pointed to the action of
the Chicago paper which a few days
ago summarily dismissed a compe-
tent reporter for accepting a present"
from a person interested in a court
investigation on which the reporter
had been given an assignment.
Had Mr.. STEVENSON made his state
ment in confidence to the newspaper
men who gave it out it would never
have appeared in the columns of their
papers. All men who have been
thrown much with newspaper men
know that the latter do not by any
means publish all they hear; that Of
ten important matters are confided to
them in confidence and that instances
of the abuse of that confidence are
so rare that it can almost be said they
never occur.
There are two reasons why newspa-
per men are so careful to respect the
confidence so often reposed in them.
One, and the chief one, is that they
think it dishonorable not to do so; and
the other is that any man in that JUS
violating condolences reposed in him
would soon find that no man would
trust him and he would become use
less to his employers. 1t is to the in
terest of the employer and employe
that both should be honest and trust
worthy. This alone, if no higher mo-
tive, wou1I cause newspaper men to
respect the wishes and feelings of
mn who take them into their conf
dence.
It is said of Mr.. Roosevelt that
when lie first entered public life he
asked a friend who had greater expe-
rience than he in such matters what
he should do with the horde of news
paper men who were after him all the
time for news. The reply was made
unhesitatinsly. Take them into your
confidence and you viii not be disap-
pointed"
There are, of course, some newspa-
pe-s which are always ON the hunt for
the sensational. whose representatives
and reporters are not scrupulous as to
the methods used in securing and pub
fishing what others consider conf
Dental statements: brit these form a
rare exception in the large army Of
newspaper men, and they are soon
spotted ana Just rs soon ostrac.sed by
their fe!lnw-craftsInen and have all
avenues Of Information closed.to them
by those who have valuable Or inter-
est;as Information to give out. Treat
the Eawsrapfr ma with faisness and
eonsisesatio1 ansl he I'll 90 ysusand