Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-20
The sentiners Unfair Methods.

In the last State campaign the
Waterville Sentinel complained very
bitterly because the Journal attributed
certain statements in it's editorial
columns to it's owner Mr.. Cyrus w.
Davis. 1t stated that Mr.. Davis did
that it was not fair to attribute them
to him. We recognized the force of
that statement. 1t was true that Mr..
Davis was the owner of the Sentinel.
and that he lived in Waterville and
was presumably in fairly close touch
with his paper. At the same time we
recognized the fact that he was a very
busy man in other directions, and that
his political engagements called him
away from home much of the time, al
though he was at no time outside the
limits Of the State. We recognized
practically, physical impossibility
for him to supervise personally the
editorial matter of the Sentinel. Under
the circumstances the protest of the
Sentinel against the attributing of it's
editorials to him personally was
well taken, and from that time
the Journal has attributed the
Sentinel editorials to the Sentinel
and not to Mr. Davis. We have done
this as a matter of common fairness,
ard because we have felt that nothing
could be gained by dealing with any
unjust.
1t has long been the habit of the
Sentinel, in it's campaign of mud and
mirth, to attribute the editorials of the
Journal to Congressman Burleigh al
though there is not an intelligent voter
in the district who does not know that
he writes none of them, and that he
never sees one until at least two days
after it appears in the paper 1t
ence to the Sentinel whose OK is gored.
1t protests vehemently against the
Journals attributing it's own editorials
to Mr.. Davis, who is in Maine; but
thinks is quite the proper thing to at
tribute the Journals editorials to Con-
gresham Burleigh who is in Washing
| ton.
| In recent editorial the Journal
| speaking of the exactions of the beef
trust, alluded to the hygienic fact that
people generally would probably be
better off if they ate less beef, and
more fruit and vegetables. 1t also
alluded to the fact that rice which
forms such an important article of diet
in some countries, and which contains
in marked degree all the elements of
nutrition, is very little used in this
country.
1t remained for the Sentinel to dis
cover that Congressman Burleigh was
responsible for this editorial and that
it advocated a "Coolie Diet for the
American people!
The Sentinel is certainly hard up for
issues when it finds itself forced to
resort to such cheap subterfuge as
| this. 1t is needless to say that the
Journal believes that the best the
market affords is none too good for the
American citizen. and that nothing it
has ever published can be fairly con-
strued to mean anything else. 1t is
needless to say, moreover that Con-
gresham Burleigh never saw the
editorial which the Sentinel distorts
| for use on the mirth side of its
campaign, until it reached him at
Washington several days later.
Misrepresentation such as the
! Sentinel has employed in this matter
is easy. 1t is also cheap: but it is not
convincing. nor is it. i'm the long run
profitable to the newspaper that en-
ploys it.