Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-10

do alone, professional honor. profess
sional pride the newspaper instinct
for good stuff" the news sense, makes
sure. An honest man would not be
bribed. a good reporter would not hold
out the news. Those are two facts;
do not know which of them is the
guiding one, but | believe they work
together. and that the reporter who
loves his work. and reporters 90 rove
their work or they would get INTO
something easier, is honest about ms
work. The idea of 50 easily liking the
reporter with a ten dollar bill grows
out of inexperience.
Most guilty men who have much to
lose in cash. business standing or prl-
vate reputation thru publicity, are
anxious to pay for suppression. 1t is
TO the infinite credit of the profession
that SO few are able to secure immuni-
ty from the press. The few that escape
rarely do so thru purchase. 1t is an
erroneous impression that money is a
prevailing influence in the editorial
rooms of daily newspaper.
In the high cs,ss newspapers editor
ial sanctum three forces tear at the
judgment of the men who govern the
wheels of pubicity-justice. the news
value of "the story" and that charity
that springs from pity. These men
vertically sweat drops of blood on
occasions Especially true is this of
big newspapers published in small
towns. When exposure comes TO the
guilty man who has taken a high stand
in public and social affairs, to the
woman whose connections of family
and in society are prominent when the
sons and daughters of good men and
women go fatally wrong and the pub
lie waits to see what the paper will
say about it, the sweating process be-
gins in the newspaper office. 1t may be
mother crushed beneath the disgrace
of her son and daughter true and
tender woman pleading as only such
women can plead for her children; al
w titc 1dCSu anu WltitC iIeihA GA sAoehSAt
with life of honor and respect be-
hind him, urging his own claim tol
charity in behalf of some member OIL
his family with the broken assurance
that publication will kill his moth
err" Delegation after delegation from
fraternities representing the vast ma
jority of the leading citizenship of the
town, come in to plead, argue and at
times threaten. Mutual friends fit iii
and out. Every favor that the news
paper and its editors have ever received
from the ones who plead and the ones
for whom they plead is recalled and
urged over and over These eXper
fences, common in the inner offices OF
newspapers are crucial. They leaval
grey hairs and more lines in the faces |
of the men who must be just before
they are kind, true to the public be-
fore they are pitiful. If 1T were ques-
ton of payment, of common greed and
quasi blackmail any CRATER could run
a newspaper"
The idea that immunity is purchas-
able of the decent newspaper is a mis-
taken one. The average newspaper
sense of duty to the public is
high. If he has another sense higher
it is that of duty to "the Sheet He
may be worked" at times thru his
sympathies, but he is not amenable to
bribery and not to be bullyragged. II
all professions, trades and occupations
were pursued as conscientiously and
as that of newspaper
there would be little talk and
few offers of bribery.