The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-01-25
ClVfRS Of FALSE news

papers TOT plUUcdiOn. lie Is pest II
70 the newspapers because he de.
ceiyes them into making blunders |
that might be OF any degree Of Sc.
riousness, TO the public because he
is responsible for erroneous i'm.
pressions in the community and to
individuals because individuals are
frequently the chief mourners. HeI
is a downright evil sometimes simply /
asinine and commonly almost or quite
criminal How to suppress him or to
punish him Is a problem
The person who gives the false
information TO the newspapers may
De statesman or he may be an
obscurity There are statesmen who
have no conscience when it comes
TO newspapers; who enjoy impartine
TO reporters-having no reason for
questioning the good faith of the
/ source or the accuracy Of the state.
ment-material for story" that
they know TO be untrue. Lacking al
together in a sense Of humor or hav.
ing at least. a distorted vein of II.
I they think It extremely funny to sec
/ the falsehOod in print, if they are
not. IN fact, actuated by something
| else more sinister than a muddy quail.
, ity of humor They sometimes re.
| verse the process bv giving out
/ accurate information, and then, upon
seeing they have made a faux pas.
deliberately resort TO falsehood anL
deny that they have said what was
ascribed to them
Another species is represented by
the person who hands in a marriage
notice with the request that It be pub
lished OF course. a newspaper is not
supposed to accept what Is hanle in
without discrimination. However.
there are frequently circumstances
TO Justify newspaper in regarding
as true announcements so received.
for they may emanate from someone
whose veracity there is every reason
TO trust \ first-class newspaper. It
must be remembered. Is exceedingly
cautious about everything II prints.
But It is prepared in hurry. \
reasonably satisfactory investigation
is sometimes the best that can be
made of a given matter. II after
that, the item Is published and Is
found TO he false the newspaper has
been duped the public deceived, and
perhaps the principal figure in the
false report is broken.hearted, while
the Joker or liar is as merry as
you please.
\ newspaper is absolutely depend.
ent upon human beings for its news.
There Is no process whereby a news.
paper or its reporters can derive
the absolute and unimpeachable truth
through some divine agency. II would
be- a wonderful day If ever the time
came when, through an omuiscence
beyond human reach at present.
ncwsgath"rcrs could pentrate the in
ncr secrets of hearts and get the
truth, the whole truth and nothing
but the truth always and from every
body In the meantime they must
DO the best they can and be as ac-
curate as they can be while dealing
with mere human beings.
The conscientious newspaper ex.
pends more time in learning what
not 10 print than II does in ascertain
ing what to print. Stll, the joker and
liar hang around, do their tales up
plausibly ana cause immeasureable
trouble. What shall be done with and
10 them?
\ member OF the Vermont legisla.
ture has attacked the subject. real
lzing the extent of the injury such
q pest can do in the world. and
recognizing, also, the culpability OF
the offender as an enemy OF society.
lie has introduced a bill intends 10
guard newspapers from lying informa,
tion. He would make the giving OF
false news 10 newspaper with in.
tent 10 deceive punishable by a fine
ranging from So to s25 for each Of
fense.
The New York Evening Post. com.
menting on the bill, suggests that a
law like this on the federal statute
books, If vigorously enforced would
impoverish some of our bravest and
best and most distinguished office.
holders-why especially federal stat,
ute books" is not clear. The New
York contemporary goes on TO say:
"A deplorably small number OF
public men feel any scruples about
deceiying representatives OF newspa,
! L..