Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-04-29
News Catherers and Distributors Exchange Greet.
ings.-- Sensational Interruption Of Mayor Gay,
nor'S Speech Publishers Take Ac-
ton, Seeking to Prevent Paper Famine.
THE PRESS AND OFFICIALS.

New York. April 2S.-Mayor Gaynor
of New York in an address tonight be-
fore the joint banquet of The ASsociat-
ed Press and the American Newspaper
Publishers Association on the subject
CT THE Press in Its Relation to Pub
lie Officials said in part:
''Those having power should eXer-
else it justly. kindly and moderately
That makes the facts all the more ef-
ticient. measure my words in saying
your power for good is immense. Your
power COZ evil is not so great as some
nav think This is especially SO when
any of you deliberately try to do evil
Iv falSthuod or scandal The public
official who tries lis best to do right
and WHO knows how to do right cannot
he hurt by you. You can neither make
nor unmake an honest, competent Of
fetal
"rhc press is always just to public
officials When the election is over its
wholesome wish is to see that the one
who is elected gives good government
and t. help him do so. This is true of
all hcnest and unselfish publishers and
editors. But if publisher or editor
he himself perennial office seeker he
may desire to assasslnute everyone
whom he thinks in his way and then,
alas, what disgrace he brings upon
journalism.
at is painful to mention to such eXcep-
tions, and to speak of their acts. news
paper proprietor or editor who is simply
bent on cutting throats is an awful spec
tacle. We may pity him but cannot In
the interests of public morality and de-
cency remain silent about him.
Let me illustrate by mentioning one
thing out of many. AS late as the 18th
of this month w. r. Hearst printed in
his principal newspaper here the FAC
smile of a draft on the treasury of this
city for $4,000. which he adlines and an
article attributed such draft and the ex-
penditure of the present mayor. The
headlines and articles assert that
| fixed the award and amount and paid
it. and the draft of the treasury is print
ed to prove it. But when you look at
the draft as given in the article (but how
few people scrutinize it closely) you per-
ceive that the issue of it as to date is
left blank | have brought it here as
printed in this newspaper to show it you,
and here it is.
when you look at the original draft
which / have also brought here for you
to see, you see the date of it. at the top
in large letters and figures Is Dec. !. 1909
which is before the present city govern
ment came in. When you examine the
said original further you see that it
also bears plainly the date when the au-
dited voucher was recorded in the comp
troler's Office namely. Dec. 20, 1909
This date is also omitted in the news
paper copy, as you perceive.
I'm plain words. two state prison Eel
onies. namely. forgery and classification
, Of a public document. were committed In
the eagerness of this publisher ana cd
itor to wrong the mayor of the great CITY
of New York. In Il day or two AFTER
wards, when he had heard rumors that
members of the grand jury were taking
notice of the matter, he published as an
excuse that the dates were so rant In
the original draft that the photographer
did not reproduce them
The mayor declared this was not SO
and showed the original draft again
The truth is. I am assured ne said
that the dates we're actually cut out OF
j the plate with a routine machine. NO" 1
do not call your attention to this low
crime because it annoyed or emoittered
me in any way. A public Official mas to
be patient. The newspapers of this man
! had done as bad or worse to me and
others. I thought it due that someone
! should do so for the sake of society and
! the decent and honest newspaper. / need
not saw to YOU that the indebtedness for
4 which This draft was drawn was in
orrrad during several years before the
nresent members of the city government
were elected, that it was audited and
made affixed and legal obligation of the
,.itv before we took Office instead Of any
of us fixing the award, as this article
| says
Probably never would have seen
the publication of the draft had not an
official brought it to me last Friday and
pointed out the crime to me. mention
| the matter to you because right here Is
| where it should be mentioned. And lei
me add that it concerns you, the publish.
ers and the editors of the decent news.
/ papers, far more than 1t concerns me. II
! you can stand such things in your great
/ profession, the rest of us can stand, OF
will try to stand 1t, until the hour arrive.
when we shall make up our minds to ut
/ terly destroy 1t. and take effective meas
ures to that end. 1t is high time tina
these forgers and libelers were in stat,
! prison. and the time 1t not far distan
when some of them win be there. AND
just think Of a man who Is capable Of
doing things like this being possessed o
the notion that he is fit to hold any offic,
from mayor to President Of the United