Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-01-29
SPARE THEM WITH
BENEFIT OF A DOUBT
In His Address to the Periodical AS
saeiotIon, the Executive Tells the
Weilders Of the Pen 20 be Careful
In Articles Bearing on Doinss Of
Public ofhelsls-.otners Speak.
tBy Associated Press,

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Jan. Is
Prs sident Taft told the delegates 70
! the next Periodical Publishers Asso-
! citation of the United States tonight.
that IL they ever loaded their criii-
cisms of men in administrative author
ity with unparliamentary expressions
! and intimations. as to lack OF nonor-
able motives, nobody 10 going TO pay
any attention TO them. Although he
made no direct allusaon to muck
raking." II was plainly evident al
what he was driving his attack.
President TAFT was presented by
F. Hopkinson Smith, POSTMASTER Of
the occasion.
Continuing. the President said:
AS to contI OVERSEES, let me say
that all are questions OF evidence,
questions OF fact that must be weigh
ed broadly 10 reach an ultimate con-
clusion. II Is the case with every
trust. as much as We condemn them,
| fer their inquities. The evidence
must be weighed. 1t does no good TO
denounce a person on the witness
stand II he testif.es against you.
Just Criticism.
Your controllers of public opinion
/ and controllers of the rulers OF the
country may hammer man into in
difference as to what you say. bat,
at that he will come nearer to doing
right than If he tried to fight. But
seriously speaking, | would rise TO
4 orfff n
| devil exercising difficult respon-
1 sibility. first give him the same bene-
fit enjoyed by every criminal, that OF
reasonable doubt.
| Secondly. don't use rnparliamen Mt
| airy expressions II you can help II. Tor
| IL you do and II you overload your
criticisms with superlatives and in
t.mations as to his lack OF honorable
motive. in the end you will weaken all
You. criticism and nobody. Is going 10
pay any attention 10 it.
Postage Matter.
In respect to this matter OF the
postage. il ds for judicial investigation
and conclusion should be reached On
a CAIN business basis. I have no
doubt that you will End in the CON-
m.ttee of congress that careful judg-
| ment that is needed. ! don't agree
with some of the committee who
started out by shouting CRATER and
robber. tut nobody should be LED
astray Just because some gentlemen's
heat carried them away from the
bounds of judgment"
The President was given prolonged
cheers as he concluded.
Senator DolIiver Take
Senator Dolliver. Of Iowa. in ad-
dressing the publishers. went directly
10 the POSTAGE question and aroused
an uproar Of appreciation when he
aid:
4 venture TO predict before the
postage Is raised On the literature
which Is being read BY millions OF
Americans. there will BE- rather az
| elaborote examination into the ex-
DeBses and administration Of postal
Affairs
Cyrus Curtis. publisher Of the Pc
riod-cal Publishers. and editors Of al
1.-THE leading magazines In the country
we're present. Among other speakers
we're Speaker Cannon.
Cannon Makes Speech
He declared that the publishers 10
day were getting their magazines de-
iivered BY the government cheapei
than they could - any other way
lie urged them % cooperate VIII
congress as far as they coaid Ia ask
inx legislation which would cnaoi'
;hem to place good H;sratnre IN ;h'
hand % The American people as
cheaplv a. possible.
tie made a strong plea ia favor o
organization. declaring that Il =
necessary for the sccccssfui RUNNING
Of the ccuntFy. without u. he said
there would be chaos IN government
And ! have no faiiencc.~ he adned
with thosc men who are most tof
| coed to belong 10 one party aud ar
not good enough 70 belong 70 m
oheT
| A letter ron Rudyard Kip'ng vas
rad. IN which b. expressed his fe
J rret Al being unstle 70 b. DrosenI