The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-13
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Colonel Harvey, editor of Harper's
Weekly, is so given to facetious com
plans that it is little difficult to tell
always whether he is serious or just
having fun at Roosevelt's expense. Be
meath the fun, however, there is usual
ly a stick of dynamite or loop of
barbed wire that makes trouble for
some one.
The coloners most recent essay is on
the presidential objection to the atti-
tude of the New York newspapers.
Having regulated almost every other
branch of production as much as he
could, the president dislikes the evident
indifference. not to say hostility, of the
metropolitan press in its relation to
Roosevelt. Accordingly, so Colonel
Harvey says, the attorney general has
undertaken to point out q way by
which these recalcitrants may be
brought to book and punished for their
eontemptuous disregard, of executive
desire. The newspapers are to be pros
eeuted and the chief points in the in
dictment, according to Harvey, will be
based on these arguments.
% That the newspapers, like the
railways, are servants of the public.
and therefore properly subject to gov
ernmental regulation; 20 that this fact
need not be established by evidence.
lE fbe.,a
and even brag of it; go that they cir
culate in New Jersey, Connecticut and
other commemorative, and consequent
ly fall within the provisions of the Use
full interstate commerce act; () that
they make no public reports of their
business, and widows and orphans de-
sirOus of investing in their shares are
unable to acquire information to which
clearly they are entitled; % that i'm
several instances stock has been issued
for goodwill, or. speaking plainly.
shamelessly watered; 90 that great
abuses have arisen in connection with
advertising rates, the downtrodden
servant girl being compelled to pay
more per agate line than the opuIent
merchant more favorable terms In
variably being granted to the larger
advertiser; and ca that in seventeen
million, nine hundred and thirty-three
/ thousand, two hundred and ten specific
instances rebates have been granted to
! customers
! The assistant attorney general is said
to have figured out that the fines that
can be imposed for these outrageous
offenses and clear violations of the law
amount to thiFty-six billion, eight hun
dred and ninety-three million, seven
hundred and twelve thousand. two
hundred and six dollars and TWENTY
three cents OF the departments abil-
ity to obtain the imposition of these
fines the assistant attorney general
has no doubt whatever. The president
also is said to have personally con-
frmed the law and the Interpretation
thereof. The only difference lies in the
application.
Most of the statement sounds rea-
sonable, but the fine seems entirely
too small Surely each separate COPY
of the papers published constitutes a
separate and indictable offense. Figur-
ing on that basis. and accepting as
true the publishers statements of cir
eulation, we figure that the possible
fine Of all the papers involved would
total several hundred billions of dol
lars. TO say nothing of the odd cents.
Mr.. Hearst alone would be subject to
at least as big fine as Colonel Har-
vey's total calculations; and one hest
tates to approximate the cost to the
World if the single-copy theory is the
correct one.
Happily for some of the Salt Lake
dailies, there is no danger that thew
will ever come within the purview of
the assistant attorney generals opin-
ion. Only real newspapers are included
in that.