Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1910-06-14

THE MUckRAkERs.

Inc NhdpAdiu "a tAic npnaS VI
Representatives invoked the power
CT Heaven the other day against the
gloating tongue OF the muckrakers. .
1.-THE President OF the United States
at Ada. o.. Friday. warned his
audience against "a class of news
papers and of magazines that are
properly criticised as muckrakers.'
that rely FOR their circulation on
the vicious and unfounded attacks
upon the honesty and upright
character and patriotic motives OF
men in public life. and upon those
conspicuous and prominent gener.
ally"
When the chaplain of the house
of representatives talks about muck
rakers he refers presumably to Ger
tain sons of Belial who speak disre
specially OF that grand old political
ruin. Uncle Joe Cannon. When the
president muekrakes the muckrakers
he is probably expressing his con.
hdential opinion Of various writer's
who have dimmed the halo of that
peerless patriot. Richard Achilles
Rallinser
It would have been better. howev-
er, if both the chaplain and the
president had been more definite
in their utterances. What do they
mean by undertaking? And who are
the particular muekrakers that have
stirred their bileg Much depends
upon the point of view. as certain
specific instances will prove.
A lot Of eminent gentlemen out in
Denver protested bitterly against Ben
Lindsay's Magazine articles and made
them an issue in the recent carr
paign. When the votes were counted
it was found that the citizens OF
Denver had sustained Judge Lindsay
by large majorities to the very great
damage of both politicnl machines
and the discontinue OF numerous
benevolent corporations.
Mr.. Taft himself is waiting impa
tiently for the United States Su-
preme Court to sustain the govern
ment's case against the Standard
Oil Company That the government
has case against the Standard Oil
company is due largely to the writ
ings OF Miss Ida Tarbell. who arous,
ed the public sentiment that finally
compelled action.
1t was not so many years ago tia
Mr.. Taft himself repudiated the Re
publican boss OF Cincinnati. and MI
Taft in this instance was Influenced
largely by the public feeling which
Lincoln setffens had aroused by his
articles on boss rule and machine
government in American cities.
All this is part Of the literature Of
undertaking. so called. Possibly the
president thinks the country has
grown so virtuous that there is no
longer anything to criticise in gov
eminent or business. but il win take
him some time to prove 1t.
/ In the meantime there are many
Things that need presidential atten
tion more than do the excuses OF
the muckrakers. So far as they
muckrake his administration. Mr.
TAFT has peculiar advantages. As
president of the United States h
has a larger circulation than any
of them Through the newspapers
he can reach practically every liter
larry voter in the country. If his an
swer to their charges is convincing
they have done him no harm anc
have discredited themselves in the
court Of public opinion.
Mr.. Taft has much more to feai
from himself than from the muck
irakers. His ecstatic defense Of tn,
iPayne-Aldrich tarin and his proceed
ure in the Ballinger matter have
.done his administration infinitely
more harm than anything the muck
lrakers have said about it.
.