University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1910-11-21
NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENTS
To the Editor of the University M,ssourian:

4
To the Editor Of the University Missourian:
For some years it has been a sub
ject of general criticism among stu
dents and members of the faculty that
newspaper reports are sent out. from
columbia, which are either absolutely
faise or are SO. grossly exaggerated
and distorted that they put the Uni
versity in the worst possible light.
Thess criticisms come not only
from the student body but from the
brightest sources. President Hill has
frequently stated that the University
has been more injured by fake stories
than by any other means. Coach Ro-
per stated publicly last fall that there
were men in Columbia who would sell
the Varsity signals for six dollars a
column. The events of the past week
have proved that Coach Roper's words
were but too true.
| Within the last week stories have
been sent out from Columbia, which
seem to have been calculated to do
the utmost harm to the University in
terssts.
The discussion in regard to the yells
and songs was SO handled in the 81.
| louis POst-DiSpatch as to make it aD-
pear that the whole matter had been
brought up in an effort on the part of
the students to slap the people OF the
state squarely in the face. A noun
tain was made out Of mole hill in the
Macomber case, a matter which was
not even considered by the athletic
committee. The man who wrote these
stories did not hesitate to misrepre-
sent the position of the athletic COM
mittee as whole. or of its individual
members
During the football season a strenu-
Gus effort has been made in certain
quarters to sow dissention in the I'll
ger team by sensational stories of
quarrels between Coach Hollenback
and members of the team. The climax
has apparently been reached in these
efforts to injure the teams prospects |
II the article which appeared in the |
Kansas City Post of yesterday.
The correspondent of the Post who |
has been admitted to practice as a
friend OF the Tigers. seems to have
felt free to use the information OBJ
tanned under the gliise of friend to
betray the team of which. under all
accepted laws of college ethics. he
ought TO be a most loyal supporter.
He has published some of the most
important and vital plays of the Ii
gers. plays which were relied upon
by the Coach to help win the Kansas
game. The warning of these plays
given Kansas by this man may prove
Of incalculable harm to the Tigers.
may even prove the turning point of Ii
the game.
AS is well known, almost all of these 1
stories are sent out by two men, both
former stud dsnts OF the University. One
Of them is. a newspaper man in Column
bia and the other is paid by the gov
ernment for devoting his time to
federal position. These are the men
that Coach Roper referred to last fall.
These are the men who are now in
Turing the University by the stuff they
END out. One of them is the man
WHO has NOT hesitated to betray the 4
most vital secrets of the Tiger team.
Their conduct has at last become
ntolerable. The University authori
les have no power to interfere. since
hese worthless are no longer students
lere. 1t does seem however as if the
Students themselves should be able
o take some action in the matter Bv
working together we might be able to
make it so hot for these gentlemen
hat their sinister activities might be
urbed. BENNETT c. CLARK II