The Washington herald., 1908-01-29
polluting Public ODiniou.

President Roosevelt in September last.
indited a letter commendatory of the main
thesis Of a little book written by Prof.
Edward a. Ross of the University Of
Wisconsin. on latter-day sinners and the
ways by which they may be punished
and their SHINING prevented. Prof. Ross
purpose was TO create a public opinion
that would see what he termed new va
rieties Of sin in their proper perspective,
and to guide into proper channels the
great moral power Of an opinion that now
largely goes to waste because Of false
judgments respecting anti-sOcial con-
duct. Mr.. Roosevelt we'll described the
content and motive of Prof. Ross book
let in his letter to the author:
You war against the vast iniquities in modern
business, finance politics journalism due 10 the in
effectiveness Of public opinion in coping with the
dominant types Of wrong doing in a huge RICH
highly complex civilization ike ours. You
insist all healthy minded patriots should insist
that public opinion, If only sufficiently enlightened
and aroused Is equal to the necessary TegeaeratiYe
tasks and can yet dominate the future q"
The great organ OF public opinion in
modern times IS the press. One of the
iuiquitles in journalism which the Presi-
dent undoubtedly had in mind is the pol
luton Of public opinion through subter-
ranean control Of newspapers and other
periodicals. That certain journals are
owned or controlled for sinister purposes IS
known TO the initiated. But it is carefully
concealed from readers. many Of whom
Unwittingly accept as honest opinion what
is no better than the plea Of a retained
hireling. From newspapers of this order
cannot be expected the dissemination Of
a public opinion capable of coping with
the dominant types Of wrong-doing Of
modern business life. They are misleaders
and corrupters Of public opinion. mere
organs OF political or corporate skull
duggery, and their editorial differences,
as Attorney General Bonaparte well said
in his address of last November on gov
eminent by public opinion, are simply the
open letters Of the powerful men or
interests controlling or influencing the
puppets they have placed in editorial
sanetums." He said:
IN my Judgment this is a matter Of ver- serious
and urgent concern 70 the American people today.
certain OF our newspapers, including some whose
influence within my memory indeed, within but
comparatively few years. were a power and
power fer good, in the community, are now firmly
and widely belieyed TO DO virtually or even lit.
orally. owned By well-moWn interests in other
words By wealthy men engaged in fal-reaching en-.
terprises This widespread and very confident be-
lief IS such ownership makes them virtually trade
organs. with but little more influence than the
papers published aTowedly as such.
In view of these considerations. it is not
difficult to understand the virulent op-
position Of some newspapers to every
attempt Of Mr.. Roosevelt to apply cor
rective to such Of the crying evils Of the
day as are within his reach. or to COM
prehend why practically the same set of
journals is unable to see anything but
"denagogic agitation" in Mr.. Bryans
endeavors 10 mold public sentiment TO
true conception Of the real wrongs from