The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1907-06-06


Governor Hughes and Vas ably sup
ported by the rural papers OF tne
state. Just how much the news
papers had to do with the passage OF
the bill may be inferred from the
statement OF a prominent corpora
tion lawyer. In an interview ne
said, "We might as well try to put
the Washington monument out OF
business with a putty blower, thanks
to the damned newspapers. with
not a single man among the 2Ol 10
the legislature really In favor OF this
bill, 80 per cent OF them will vote for
1t because the newspapers ordered
them to do So This bill is more
radical measure for state control OF
public service corporations than any
law enacted by any western state.
All the powerful influence OF the cor
porations was directed against It,
Publicity, as given ny the press, was
without the slightest doubt the most
powerful weapon In compelling the
legislature to bow to the popular
will. 1t can not be too often repeated
that newspapers are tremendous
power for good, when they are on the
right side Of question. This is
why the corporate influence desire to
own or control by substituting the
papers Of influence.
".
There Is usually terrible reckon
ing by the public for the newspaper
which wilfnlly wisleads. Then the
influence Of the newspaper or editor
is mill. A better illustration Of this
fact was given but few years ago
in Denver municipal election. This
was the year in which Mayor Speer
was elected the first time. In bis
entire public career 1t was never
made known publicly that Speer had
been guilty Of dishonorable act
He was In bad odor with the four
large metropolitan dailies Of Denver.
He was not their subservient tool
and they realized that they could not
use him In case of his election. Dur
ing that campaign every newspaper
In the city was against Spear, with
the exception of one small weekly
paper. In the face Of this oppOsi-
ton, in the face of every charge of
dishonesty which could he urged
against him, In face Of campaign
OF vituperation and every kind of
abuse. Speer was triumphnantly
elected The people had no conf
dence in their newspapers, even
though one of the editors was a
United States senator, but they did
have confidence in Bob Speer. Their
confidence was not misplaced, and
In the next election he was elected
by the largest majority ever given a
municipal candidate in that city. 1t
is safe proposition to say that the
people will forgive mistake OF a
newspaper, but they never II for.
give willful misstateEent OF facts,
when they are known to be such.
The paper may be continued taken
for its news features, but its influ-
ence is limited.
,Spiritulistic clairvoyants put forth
the claim that among many Of the
supernatural, or as they call it the
natural, faculties they have is trac.
Ing the history Of an article through
its various ownerships. The thought
occurs to us that II this experiment
was tried upon the circulating medi-
um which passes through our hands
it would more or the less be tainted
money. A group of Chicago reform
ers recently decided to fight vice In
the south side levee, the most dis
reputable portion of the Windy City,
by making public the identity Of the
owners OF the premises used for i'm
moral purposes. These investiga-
tions, 1t Is claimed, astounded even
the originators of the plan. One of
the first things these Investigators
found was that what is probably the
most disreputable resort of any sim.
liar place in the United States is 10.
Gated on property owned by the Yale
University and leased to the propri.
etors of the resort? 1t Is said several
other educational institutions nearer
home, two Of them of denomipatioual
standing receive large sums OF money
annually from notorious dives In the
same locality. Possibly 1t Is best for
all OF us that we do not know the
history of every piece of money which
passes through our hands, possibly IL
we did much OF 1t would burn our
fingers.
The latest accession to the Ananias
club of President Roosevelt Is DR..
Long, the naturalist. The president
seemed to think that DIR. Long, in
one of his recent works, gives out
the wrong Impressions of the habits
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