New-York tribune., 1907-11-21
BONAP1RTE ON THE PRESS
The attorney General Pleads for
Freedom and Truth.


! by Public Opinion" delivered by Attorney General
Charles = Bonaparte. was the most interesting
feature of the second days proceedings of the con-
! Vention which is being held here by the National
/ Municipal League, in conjunction with the Ameri-
can Civic Association
! Mr- Bonaparte although president of the Ma
! 'ioFt Municipal League had until late to-day been
un"-- 10 come here to take part in the pro-
! CeeiiA-S. and when he rose to speak tonight he
received hearty greeting from the big audience
! assembled in Sayles Hall. Mr. Bonaparte after
defining public opinion. said
! This leads me naturally TO say a few words of
%I % press and 10 point out what the press does for
T T eVpa or NJ OF any community In which It exists
now now the world was changed. in short by the in
In the first place It became for the average man.
I = tiIuch larger world Before then he. of course,
Esh%n; out they affected his everyday life almost
TS W niue e. as If they had lived in Mars or Venus.
breakfast plate epitome of their yesterdays his
miIlionfoId stronger than any yet known
This immense extension in the area OF each
man attention and sympathy has naturally and
powerfully reacted on his character. The change
Is d lSed quantity, or. at least, It is not
But for this loss there is more than compensaon
IN the development Of our sense OF proportion and
therefore OF justice. As we know other men better
we recognize the more thoroughly and readily their
likeness to ourselves and. as a consequence. the
universal % application Of underlying moral laws
or prejudice. It is the existence Of this common
highest and most useful function. free press is
a perpetual petition: It IS. or It should te, always
hope for and think right,
press in this regard arises from the fact that II
speaks. or is believed TO speak what everybody IS
zed as @ as as as P&Pgr Is Feo4s ff
view views and wishes and opinions OF any particular
ma. or set OF men, its healthful influence as a
nIe,wspapsT Is gone: It may. indeed have another
It may be powerful men, but its editorial utterances
are f simply their open letters . . --,...
and urgent concern TO the American people to-day.
influence within my mem6rryHindeed within but a
comparatively few years-was a power. and a
and widely believed to be virtually or even literal
y. owned by well known interests-in other words.
prises This widespread ard very confident belief
organs with but little more influence than the
papers published avowedly as such. and. what is
same situation. A newspaper under suspicion is
almost as malmed for healthy influence as If the
suspicion had been proved well founded, for the
in it's showing and being thought TO show the ''frs
current public interest In showing this. 1t does
. the community Il double service; It's gives shape
Increases the latters force. The greater mass OF
mankind do not know what they really think until
another. then and onlv then are thev ready to act
editor is necessarily a politician or. at all events
ions all questions of general public interest and
Is ready TO express them ae mas ne business @ TO n P9
trying TO pass himself off as one In fact an
not. If he viii not speak on. subjects connected
with politics his very silence is a way OF dealing
wish FOR what may cali purity, in politics he
politician If his action or inaction HIS speech or
, his silence be determined by The purpose to ad-
terost then he Is himself "a part (and a very dis
Eeqarmed o Repatabie Newspapers are careful lest
what they publish advertisements be confused
l,,ftl hat a
it is lust as much q fraud the public to write
directly paid TO write and publish and then pub
llsh this as spontaneous expression OF your true
enjee what somebody else has written
do n tbev would be in this field or in any other
agency for good, and that IS TO think ana i tel
,p before the people faithful mirror; If II displays
distorted pictures. IT fatally betrays It's trust No
worthy end was ever accomplished through decep-
ton. whether Of ourselves or others. II we are
them we must first see them. and see them as they
are Americans can say WITH c9nndence; we WI. !.
The election of officers Of the National Municipal
League was accomplished without contest, all ex-
cept the third. fourth and fifth vice-presidents
being reelected 1t resulted follows Presi-
dent Charles Bonaparte. of Baltimore: vice
presidents Charles Richardson. of Philadelphia.
Thomas n. Strong. Of Portland ore: Henry L.
McCune OF Kansas City; Walter l.. Fisher, OF Chi
cago and James 2. Baxter. of Portland. Ne; Sec
retary Clinton Rogers Woodruff OF Philadelphia,
and treasurer George Burnham. jr-. OF Philadel-
phia.
Attorney General Bonaparte did not arrive In
time TO preside the morning session, and Vice
President Richardson took the chair. George Burn
ham, r. OF Philadelphia, read his annual report as
treasurer. showing the league to be in a salts
factory financial condition. Lawson Purdy, presi-
dent Of the board of taxes and assessments in New
York presented the report of the committee on
municipal taxation. Dr. Deos +. Wilcox. sec
retarv Of the Detroit Municipal League. spoke on
taxation.
Joseph T. Richards, general engineer OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad in charge of maintenance
and way, was TO have addressed the American
Civic Association The Railroad Factor
in Civic Improvement but owing to his absence
his paper was read by q r. Taylor, Of Chicago.
The Smoke Nuisance of Locomotives the sub
iect of an address by George ". Wedeu, me
chancal superintendent of the New York, New
Haven g. Hartford Railroad. followed Mr., Rich /
ards's paper. and a discussion of park improve
nents was taken up by Henry A. Barker, secre- |
tary OF the Metropolitan Park Commission of this /
city.
The round table conference on the use Of bill /
boards and the associations campaign for their /,
suppression was held during the forenoon, ad- /
dresses being made by Edward T. Hartman, OF |
Boston. secretary of the Massachusetts Civic |
League: Henry Lewis Johnson, OF Cambridge; !
Richard Watson Glider and Norman Hapgood, OF /
New York, and President Mcfarland. Harlan r (
Kelsey. of Salem, presided. II was suggested that .
g tax be placed billboards. and newspaper ad- /
vertisng was recommended the substitute for |
biIlboards
Forest Preservation" was considered at the |