Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-04-09
WORK OF THE Muck-RAkER.

latest to come under the ban of the
anarchist and Mrs. Harold McCor-
mick. the daughter of the oil king, is
to leave her Chicago home in order to
avoid the authors of mysterious let
tiers which threaten her with destruc-
ton. Apparently the only reason be-
hind the threat Is that she is the
daughter of one of the richest men
IN the world, and apparently that is
the only offense considered heinous
one by the anarchists, unless that of
being the rich man himself should be
Included. OF course Mr.. Rockefeller
has received threats also, but he has
Tor years been guarded against at
lacks by anarchists and has become
In way, rather hardened to the
shock that it might be expected such
warning would cause.
In summing up the reason for the
growth of anarchy in this country it
is notable omission to leave out Of
the reckoning those undesirable citi-
zens" whom President Roosevelt so
appropriately named muck-rakers :"
Penny-a-line magazine writer's, who
have made their livings for the past
few years as the fruits of scurrilous
attacks upon men whose chief crime
IS that they are rich, are seeing the
harvest of their activities in the in
crease which is noted in the anarch-
istic spirit. Lawson Of Boston" is
one of these, Ida M. Tarbell Is anoth-
er, and there are dozen lesser lights
In the little constellation Of star
muck-rakers whose names have be-
come familiar to the reading public
through magazines that have builded
up their calculations and their bank
accounts by tearing down the reputa-
tons Of men great in the world of
finance
The public mind becomes attuned to
sensational exposures" just at the
right time for Tom Lawson to become
the original muck-raker. The insur-
ance scandals came to light in time
to keep the interest up. Ida M. Tar
bell. not much of success as a biog-
raphy writer, saw an opportunity to
win fame and fortune as a muck
raker and so began series of attacks
upon John D. Rockefeller. Then came
articles by this and that muck-raker,
men and women enlisted from the
struggling rear guard of journalism
and suddenly set upon pedestals as
writer's who could express the most
venom and vent the most hate through
the medium Of the pen. Magazines in
tent upon making money for them
selves, regardless of the means,
adopted the inconsistent policy Of be-
coming rich through the defamation
OF the characters Of public men. I'm
like these men who have amassed
large fortunes and are giving money
to charities in such Quantities that to
estimate the sum staggers the intel
lect. these magazine owners waxed
rich and prosperous and kept the
money for themselves and their hired
rnuck-rakers. hoping in their hearts
to become rich also like the very men
they were OBTAINING.
To the vast majority of readers the
undertaking craze was simply one
surface era among a great many In
the life of the nation. Even when
the sensational writer's attacked the
senate. ACCUSING members Of that au.
gust body of dishonorable and dis
honest acts which, if people generally
had believed the charges. would have
started revolution >of feeling
throughout the nation. the thinking
men OF the country read the articles,
made allowances for the undertaking
fad. and turned to lighter reading
with little thought for the conse-
auences OF. the craze.
But there were others who read
these attacks, who accepted their
statements as gospel truth. These en-
larged upon the wrongs they imagined
were being penetrated upon the poor
~ the ultra-rich. Seeking for an au-
dience the ignorant and easily-infiu-
enced, they fed sensation upon greed
and greed upon falsehood. until the
time came when the muck.rakers had
brought about feeling against every
Individual who had by any means
amassed comfortable fortune. An
nrchy grew fat upon such morsels
and suddenly the thinking people Of
the nation have awakened to the fact
that while they were watching the
official investigation of high finance
they had their eyes closed to the
growth of dangerous spirit that has
now shown its poisonous head in
MANY places and is known by that
fear-1nspirine name. Anarchy.
The Investigation of the financial
tricl1ery was right It was necessary
for the welfare of the nation and the
officials who conducted it and are still
prosecuting it are worthy Of praise
FOR their honesty and their success.
hut the muck-rakers who seized upon
The opportunity to enrich themselves
ut the expense of the peace and vel
fare of the country they call home are
entitled to nothing but the harshest
criticism. Too late the people as
whole are awakine to the fact Anar.
rhy can be controlled and held In
cash now only by the use of the
strongest measures. Three times with
In a few weeks it has sought to take
life and in two instances 1t has been
successful. It can be STAMPED out only
bv the. strone concerted action of the
rolfce throughout the country and
then only at the expense, probably of
many lives.