The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-04-19
THE PRESS AND
THE PRESIDENT

LII W.dSuluStO NlSpa1Su w AaASu
day, says the Baltimore SUM- We
published the views of our Washing
ton correspondent, in which he refers
to the influence which President Roose
Welt endeavors to exert over number
of the Washington correspondents OF
the newspapers throughout the coun.
try.
We specifically address this article
to the publishers of newspapers rather
than to the general public, which.
while it may be interested in way /,
is not go from the same point of view
that publishers are. The success of 3
newspaper depends in = large measure
opon it's honesty of purpose. An hon
est, straightforward newspaper OF aver
age ability will be regarded will
greater respect and have more infu
ence with the pobllc than one which
while teeming with brilliancy anc
sparkling with ideas, exeites the dis
trust OF the reading public because TIT
public believes that it is lacking in
sincerity, or is inspired by no higher
motive than desire for notority.
One of the things that make q news
paper strong is its Individuality Of
OF thought, based upon honesty Of pur-
pose. If the Washington correspond
ent Of the papers throughout the
United States are to be Influenced and
biased by the President, or by any
other person, the day of independent
and representative journalism is at a
close. There is certain publisher
abroad wlo controls a number news
papers. In this country there is one
publisher who coutrols five daily news
papers o. ID OF which represents tht
single thought of it's proprietor or the
concerted thought Of this executive
staff, whe are familiar with his ideas
and policies.
Mr.. Roosevelt has bit upon the
clever idea of controlling six times
that number. When it is considered
that Mr.. Roosevelt brings together
some 80 or 40 correspondents through
out the country and impresses upon
their minds his conception of public
policies and measures, and attemps b.
one means or another to prejudice OF
bias these correspondents in favor OF
his measures and of himself, or poison
their minds against certain men who
are net friendly toward him or who do
not represent the same views he does,
the influence which the papers repre-
sented by these 80 or 40 correspond
ents exert will have great weight, SO
long as it is believed that the publish
ers are expressing their own views. As
soon, however, as the Independent and
discriminating readers of these 80 or
40 papers have become aware Of the
fact that the views expressed by such
papers are not the views of their pro.
prietors, but represent theories and
ideas of the President, who is 81 ndi
eating his prejadices, these papers
cannot help but lose strength sooner
or later, and will be regarded as party
organs or personal organs of the Presi
dent.
to err were not human, and if to
any one person were given the faculty
of always being right or never making
mistakes OF Judgment or policy or il
the mind of any one man were SO judi
cial at all times that be could see the
the merits Of every case without parti-
sanship; or if the temperament Of any
one man was such as TO make him at
all times equitable, then under these
combined conditions the 80 or 40 pa.
pers representing the Presidents views
would exert powerful influence for
good. But when it is taken into con-
sideration that these correspondents
are representing the views Of Mr..
Roosevelt, who, we know, while held
in high esteem by millions of persons,
nevertheless is a man of inpetuosity
a man of extreme views in many in
stances, and a man who is biased and
prejudccd to no small degree, the
danger to journalism of independent
thought and fearlessness is at once
seen.
In the opinion of many persons, bus
mess friends and social ones do not
mingle well together; and it may be
said that in the newspaper business
playing politics and Publishing indie
pendent papers do not mix very
we'll; and if independent newspapers
permit their columns to be used i'm.
properly for purely partisan or per
sonal purposes, it will not be long be-
fore they will feel the disastrous effect