Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-06-23
HAVE WE A FREE PRESS?

laslue from a few independent jour.
nals), is at present arranged
4. The newspapers whose stock Is
owned by public service corporations
or by the men that own public sery-
ice corporations.
2. rne newspapers owned Nv mer
closely associated in businesi witt
banks, railroads, trolley companies
gas or electric light companies.
8. The newspapers controlled through
loans by the banks, insurance. COM
panies, public service corpgations
and by the men interested theiein.
4. The newspapers that areI owned
or managed by individuals whose in
vestments are in the power Of tie pub
tic enemy or whose natural synpathies
are on the side Of reaction ARD class
supremacy.
5. The newspapers owned d man
aged by men that would like to be de-
cent but are coerced by the Femen-
dous power of the advertisers.
The last is the most formidable con-
dition and in every instance supple
menrs all the others.
Now the bulk of the display news
paper advertising comes from depart
lnent stores. Hence the newspaper
leans upon the department store.
The interests pull the bank,
bank pulls the department store, the
department store pulls the newspaper,
and the newspaper pulls the public.
NEWS IS SUPPRESSED.
About three years ago a very prom
inent merchant and extensive adver-
tiser of Philadelphia was arrested in
New York on a sensation charge
After he had been released on bail he
committed suicide. No mention OF
the story appeared in any Philadel-
phia paper. If he had not been an
advertiser and If he had been uncon-
nected with the interests these papers
would have printed many columns
about the affair.
+ At the time Of the Philadelphia
street car strike in March Of this year
the local department stores desired tt
have the strike "minimized'' because
it was hurting business. AL but one
of the newspapers faithfully obeyed
instructions. AS result a great part
of the people of Philadelphia never
really knew anything about the strike
Bloody riots in the streets were brief
" mentioned as slight disturbances, :
and daily events Of the gravest Inn
port to the citizens were never print
ed at all. On one occasion nearly
100, 900 men and women Joined in q
sympathetic strike and the number
appeared in the minimizing neWspa-
pers as i, 900.
When the panic Of 1907 had run as
long as It's projectors had decided to
have it run, the newspaper managers
of New York were told in very forci
BILE terms what they must and what
they must not print about it, When
the traction interests were foisting 9
tricky franchise ordinance upon Chi.
cago they caused most of the news
papers to print untruthful news abou'
it and then to lie about anyone tha'
opposed it.
These are only few trifing illus.
trations of universal condition. They
could be. multiplied indefinitely AMI
from every city of the country
HOW ABOUT OUR RIGHTS?
The newspaper of today is REGARDED
with general distrust People at larg'
do not know why. but they feel tina
| the newspapers have ceased to battl'
| for their cause That is the reason
Why the mazagine has supplanted tn
newspaper as the leader Of publ
thought.
This fact everybody acknowledges
Here is the reason for the change.
If, then. the right Of free press ha
been SO largely lost In this country
lty whatsoever means how about on
other rights2
It was q free press that niaintaine'
and safeguarded every other right.
If this great champion has bee
taken from US, not by statutory enact
ment but BY secret eneroachment an
sinister control. how sure can We 3
Of any other fundamental right2 :
Charles Edward Russell. in IA Fol
/ Iette's