The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1908-09-12
The Baltimore
Newspaper
Reviewed BY The Znfi- Saloon
LEAGUE

League
The Aui-Saloon League Of Mary
land has received numerous letters and
personal calls lit would surprise the
public TO know how many requesting
Us TO get behind project to start
stock subscription for new news
paper in Baltimore which will come
out squarely for the local option right
oil seli-govcrnment on the saloon ques
ton.
As matter ui course the League
does not intend to do anything OF the
kind. Running newspaper and run
ring an Anti Saloon League are each
iul grown liie-sizcd Jobs We oreicr
10 run the Anti Saloon League. Be
sides, We have had some experience in
that and haven't had much in running
n newspaper However, this fact in
dicatcS a condition OF public sentiment
that the present newspapers Of the
City oi Baltimore might well take into
consideration before somebody else
turns il to advantage.
Baltimore has five daily papers.
three OF them plainly in the lead The
American has not come out for the
local option bin. but has not fought il.
We acknowledge many courtcsics and
the utmost fairness al treatment re-
ccivcd at the hands oi the American.
but the fact remains that il does not
give iull expression to the sentiment ..
the progressive element OF its own
party and has not vet shown any dis
position 10 lead in taking advantage
81 the political situation which has been
created
The Baltimore Sun has great re-
putatior throughout the country In
years past. we are informed. il has
stood with the forces ~ righteousness.
Twelve wears ago il dccla'cd for local
option. but nj present il seems to he
fatally twisted" II is the only one
81 the leading papers which during the
last campaign openly opposed the APP
plcatinr of the Democratic principle
~ self government to tho saloon ques-
ton
We have received man" courtcSics al
the hands 81 the Sun and are duly APP
prcciative. but the fact remains that
the Sun has deliberately misrcprc sent
ed the issue and distorted the facts
II has been unfair in the extreme. In
It's editorial following the "Trdgna.
ton meeting" at the Lyric. by inuucndo
II ATTEMPTED to connect the Lca""c
with the Associated Prohibition
Press" attack on Cardinal Gibbons.
for the evident purpose OF discrediting
the League when its own columns a
few days before contained n full state
mcnt showing that the League had no
connection whatever with this unior.
AZ IL h,e
prominence 20 the words OF some sin.
gle clerical COMPONENT OF the local OPP
ton bill aud has tucked away IN an
obscure corner the action OF entire de
nominations II has claimed that the
churches arc not behind the Nnti-Sa-
loon League. hut backed down before
orr challenge that It ask the preachers
itself and publish their replies Ten.
rcrancc readers 81 the Sun have in.
formed us in literally scores. II not
hundreds ~ individual cases. that they
are convinced that the Sun has lined
itself no with the liquor interests and
that they are simply waiting for some
other paper to represent them before
they stop il.
Then the News and this ;s the sad
dcst story 81 af s.lc News had been
fearless ard 'ucorruptiblc II had
policy and stood for something While
il did not endorse the Anti Saloon
League program or stand Squarcly for
the state wide local option bill. il did
put the facts squarcly before tn
pie that they might know what the
movement is and stands for. 1t was
rapidly coming Our way under the
stress OF its own logic From its past
history i would not have been hard to
guess where It would stand when the
bosses were tampering with the
Legislature On the local option ques-
ton
But right in tho middle OF the lcgs-
lativc session i changed hands and
was sold to Mr.. Frank A. Munscy. OF
New York 1t has been dctcriorating
IN everything, except as a moncy-mak-
ing institution ior Mr.. Munscy, from
the date OF the transfer
Mr.. Munscy is rcputcd to have an
ambition to have a string OF 500 news
papers in the larger cities OF the coun-
Try. II the decline OF the Baltimore
News is sample, may the good Lord
deliver us
The Philadelphia North American
says
We believe that the policy OF a true
newspaper should not be passive, but
active, militant and aggressive Tor the
right aud the general good We be-
lievc that a newspaper justiics its cx.
istence and its claims upon the com
mun;ty only when it ceases TO be
think OF type and paper and cold COM
mcnts, and becomes human entity
with a heart and soul. and red blood
and emotions and fighting sympathy
for all human uplit and fighting hatred
for everything that makes for evil
In the light OF this and what the
Philadelphia North American really
is, the new News seems too colorless
10 be even yellow Il is perfectly lady