The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-04-24
NOTED NEWSPAPER MEN OF THE
UNITED STATES GATHER in
ANNUAL EVENT.
NOTED men SPEAK
Annual Banquet Of the Members Of
Tire Associated Press and the Amer
lean Publishers Association Held in.
New York, Where Annual Meetings
Are Being He'd-oratorical Feast.

fishers at the Waldorf-Astoria to-
might, the occasion being a joint ban
quet Of the Associated Press and the
American Newspaper Publishers as
%.sociation, both of which are holding
their annual meetings in this city.
Every state and territory Of the
United States was represented by
those who have earned distinction in
the newspaper profession, and their
Iguests included William j. Bryan,
,United States Senator Philander G.
knox of Pennsylvania, and others of
public influence.
The grand ballroom was filled to
the limit of comfort when the 600
diners had found their places. The
boxes, half hidden bysa wealth Of car
nations and apple blossoms, were oc-
lcupied by the families and friends OF
1.-the b%anqueters.
Il, At the presidents table were Cen
eral Charles H. Taylor of the Boston
,Globe, the POSTMASTER; Herman Rid.
der, editor and publisher of the New
York Staats-Zeitung and president OF
the American Publishers association;
Frank B. Moves of the Chicago Rec
prd-1Ierald, president of the Associat.
led Press; Senator Knox, Mr.. Bryan,
Bishop Frederick Burgess OF the
Episcopal diocese of Long Island.
Rabbi Stephens Wise Of the Free
l.synagogue, Patrick Francis Murphy
.of the two organizations and others.
ID Mr.. Ridder Opens oratory Flow.
Mr.. Ridder began the evenings
formalities by proposing the health OF
the president of the United States.
The toast was drunk standing, while
the orchestra played "The Star Span
gled Banner"
"In the name of Frank B. Moves,
president of the Associated Press and
lin behalf Of the American Newspaper
Publishers association" said Mr..
Ridder, Il bid you all tonight our
>guests, a warm and hearty welcome
Mr.. Ridder then explained, joking.
lily, that he had promised not to make
la speech. Accordingly he was
obliged to bluntly introduce zone OF
the most distinguished Journalists OF
this country, the editor Of the Bos.
,ton Globe, General Taylor"
General Taylor Talks.
This gave General Taylor, who was
.received with tumultuous applause,
m opportunity to say:
81 do not think that the COMMITTEES
need to have tied Mr.. Ridder down in
such a way that he could not give me
some complimentary praises, for ]
pwn to you that l am n Of that or
binary sort of men who would rather
have an ounce Of tahy while l am
alive than a ton OF epitephy after !
am dead"
I In a more serious mood General
Taylor answered the charge that 9
tinge of commercialism had come into
the press in the last quarter Of a cen
fury. After pointing out that where
las an eight-page paper IS years age
Twas sold for 4 cents a copy, the
reader now receives from eight to "a
pages for / cent. He added thai
there was not a 1-cent paper in the
country but that was worth 2 cents
What journalists really needed, he
said, was a copper half-cent in order
that they might go the limit and give
"a Q or Scent paper for halt a cent.
Governor Hughes Absent.
General Taylor explained the una
woidable absence of Governor Hughes
whose presence had been hoped for
but whose oficial duties made 1t ne
cessary for him to remain in AL
bany.
Rabbi Wise addressed the diners al
"Fellow muck-rakers," and for q hal
hour kept them in roars Of laughte'
as he related a series Of pointed Incl
dents. In a more serious vein Rabb
Wise discussed the influence OF thu
press, saying that he would venture
to say that the man with the creates
power, the man who perhaps doe
more to shape the things in the Unit
ed States than any other, Is the man
lager OF the Associated Press" Rabb
Wise further said:
"The press must be great servants
the great protectionists Of freedom
here and everywhere, but. gentlemen
note this:
"The press cannot be a servant,
real furtherer Of freedom unless II
eelf be free. One thing I want to la,
upon your hearts Is to abjure you t
free yourselves from the enslave
tments and the tyrannies OF power, Q
~,partisanship, of sectionalism and o
prejudice"
DE RosEN GOES TO RUSSIA.
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