Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-11-04
CEDAR RAPIDS MEAT PACKER
THE VICTIM OF NEWSPAPER
FAkIR.
DID NOT GIVE INTERVIEW
ATTACKING CLIFFORD THoRNE
Made No Statement for Publication
Only Answering List Of General
Questions In General Way, and Not
for Pubiieation-sinelai Naturally
Ineenssd at Railroads M ethods.

CEDAR RAPIDS, NOV. IA rev days
ago standpat and democratic news
papers, including the Republican, OF
this city, printed an article, purport-
ing to be an interview with Mr.. Sydney
Sinclair an Iowa packer, received from
it's EDS Moines correspondent Mr.. Sin
clair was made to say things that he
had not said. All that Mr.. Sinclair did
in the matter was to write answers to
a number of questions submitted to
him by the Des Moines man. He fur
nished those answers merely for the
sake Of the information which the cor
respondent required and he did so upon
the stipulation that he did not desire
to enter into newspaper controversies.
Mr.. Sinclair was very much surprised
and annoyed to find that his name
was used and that some conclusions
were drawn that he had not so much
as thought Of 1t was made to appear
that he had spoken against Mr.. Thorne,
one of the candidates for commissioner.
when, as he points out, he did not so
much as refer to Mr.. Thorne.
Mr. Sinclair feels t hat he was not
properly treated by that correspond
ent and he desires, insofar as that
can be done, to have himself set right
in the matter.
Interview Was Faxed.
The answers to the questions sub
mitted to Mr.. Sinclair dealt in gener-
alities. were not in interview form. but
were garbled to suit the views of the
interviewer and to be used in the cor
poration campaign against Clifford
;Thorne. attorney for the Corn Belt
Meat Producers Association against
whom the railroads are making vi
cious fight in his campaign as the re-
publican nominee for commissioner
The ,'interview'' was the literary
work OF one j. s. Woodhouse, who Is
In the employ OF the railroad press bu-
sreAti OF Des Moines.
Did Not Mention Therns.
After seeing what use the cores
pondent had made out of these an
swers. using them for political CAM
paign, Mr.. Sinclair wrote to the cor
respondent as follows. which sets
forth his correct position:
Mr.. j. S. Woodhouse.
307 Manhattan Bldg.
Des Moines, Iowa.
Dear Sir:
was more than surprised to find
about to be published in local paper
a reputed Interview with me.
am aware that you originally asked
me for an interview but if you Will
refer to my letter Of the gath inst, you
will note that I wrote on the presump-
ton that you would not publish the
answers to these questions as an inter-
view, merely desiring to have the facts
for the purpose Of writing articles as
YOU intended to furnish to the papers.
am not sufficiently conversant with
the practice OF newspaper correspond
ents to know how far it IS the custom
to add to or detract from statements
actually made. I do not think, how
ever, that you had any right to place
me personally in the situation Of max
ing adverse comments upon Mr.. Thorne
having neither mentioned nor referred
to him.
In order to enable you to recall this
unauthorized interview, I wired you
and trust that your prompt action will
prevent my being placed by you in
position which do not care at present
to occupy.
Yours truly.
fSi1ned) SYDNEY E. SINCLAIR.