Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-30
! 7. MAGAZINE MEN
President Advises Publishers Not to
Overload Their Criticisms.
POSTAGE ON BUSINESS BASIS
{ ueStions Will ne settled vairIy and
officials LaborinE with BiE
Problems Are Entitled to
Fair Play.

WASHINGTON, Jan. D.-President Taft
told the periodical publishers of the United
States last night that IL they overloaded
their criticisms OF men In adminlstrativ
authority with supplementary express
sions and limitations as to lack OF honor
able motives, nobody is going to pas any
attention to them. Although he made no
direct ailusion to muck raking," It was
plainly evident at what he was directing
his attack.
The president. addressing the Periodical
Publishers Association Of America as their
guest at dinner, did not give this advice
TO the editors assembled from all parts Of
the nation until he had prefaced his EN-
phatic conclusions with good-humored
treatment OF his relative position to the
wieiders Of public opinion.
This is rather a formidable gathering
TO address," said President Taft, after he
had been presented by +. Hophlnson Smith,
POSTMASTER Of the occasion.
Gentlemen who act as fates as to what
Is or what is not current literature would,
under any circumstances, be formidable
to address and under conditions prevail
ing in Washington and in legislative halls
II requires a brave mar standing in my
position to face them.
evidence Must he weighed.
las to controversies let me say hat all
evidence, questions of fact, must be weighed
broadly to reach al ultimate conclusion.
1t is the case with every trust, as much
az we condemn them for their iniquitles.
The evidence must be weighed. II does no
good to enounce a person on the witness
stand II he t~estifies against you.
You controllers of public opinion and
controllers. of the rulers Of the country
may hammer a man into Indifference as to
what you say. but at that he will come
nearer to doing right than II he tried to
fight
But, seriously speaking, 1 would like to
say that when you ~critlcise a poor devil
exercising a difficult responsibility, first
give him the same benefit enjoyed by every
criminal, that Of reasonable doubt.
Secondly. don't use supplementary ex-
pressions II you can help 1t, for II you do
and you overload your criticisms with
superlatives and limitations as to his lack
OF honorable motive In the end you will
weaken all your criticism and nobody Is
going to pay attention to It.
Postage on Business Basis.
"In respect to this matter OF the postage,
It Is for judicial investigation and a con'
cAupIon bhoulu De reached on a Calm puSi-
ness basis. l AVE no doubt that you
WIN find In the committees Of congress
that careful judgment that is needed. 1
don't agree with some Of the committee
who started out by shouting CRATER and
robber,' but nobody should be led astray
just because some gentlemen's heal car
ried them away from the bounds Of judy
ment"
The president was given prolonged cheers
as he concluded. Senator Dolliver. in ad-
dressing the publishers. went directly to
the postal question and aroused an uproar
of appreciation when he saidi Il venture
TO predict before the postage is raised on
tho literature which is being read by
'millionsso OF Americans there will be rather
an elaborate m into the ex-
penses and administrator of postal af-
fAirRs,,'
Among other speakers were the italian
ambassador and Speaker Cannon.