The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-01-31
EVENTS OF
FOITR LESSONS FROM BIG
THE WEEK.

~ tok''r oiho
chanees as will afford some relief u
outraged consumers without permit
ting the better tariff reductions prom
isad by the Democrats.
.. There has not crossed the thT"s-
hold Of Congress since the days OF
Credit MobeIier a more insidiouS and
dangerous measure than the ship-suh-
sidy steal. Ii has been suspected =
long time that the promotlon OF TINS
raid on the treasury was costing some
body much money, for the propa-
ganda has borne all the ear-nlarks OF
a concerted plan to make enough pun
lic sentiment to justify the initial rad
well-yreased literary bureau has
flooded all editorial offices with much
canned copy in favor II the merchant
marine as the s~hip-suhsldy srafters
called their schemes, and in other
WAYS money has been freely spent
Last wear there was "a Scandii thaI
came near Involving some big agrcul-
tural papers that were strangely
championing the subsidy when nearly
all Tho farmers organizations were
utcldI1HS dSdillSt tIHN
berry. On Thursday, Mr.. DOdSworth.
the business manager OF The journal
Of Commerce, of New York, testified
that TWO attempts had been made To
buy editorial pace in that publication
in favor Of subsidy legislation. One
man offered to buy 1,0Oo,o00 copies
of h paper and to pay 100000 for
them if the p would insert on@
p~ro-subsidy editorial and SAY nothing
else on the subject Of shipping 1eSls-
lation: and the second mar made Il
som hat similar proposal, Offering to
pay the paper $4,000. OF course.
there were papers that favored the
subsidy that were not subsidized. but
the testimony Of Mr.. DOdsworth shows
that there was plent! Of money Tor
influential papers that desired it. fhe
special from Washington gives these
additional particulars. showing that
the shipping interests behind subsi-
dies were not engaged in any new
infamy:
asked whether amy other attempt
had been made to bride the Journal
Of Commerce witness testified that
ABOUT tnlEtE wears ago, When john
Roach, Of Pennsylvania, was building
ships and active in favor OF Subsidy
legislation, a representative Of the
Roach ~Shipbuilding Company laid
down q certified check on the desk Of
his father to have the paper cease its
an~ti-subsldy editorials. This offer. he
said. was spurned.
Other attempts to corrupt the pa
per had been made. The Spanish
Government, he testified, had, through
a representative. tried TO buy the e1i-
torial policy Of the paper in favor of
Spain at the beginning Of the war
with Spain. but that offer too. had
been Spurned.'
The safety of our country l;es a..
much in an unpurchaseable press AS
in incompatible public officials. and
perhaps even more. IN these DAYS
public journals may often so report
public opinion as TO misiead the pub
bic servants, and paid editors NAV
make the worse appear the better rea~
son. The bulk Of the press IS still IN
the hands OF brave and honest mon
who regard their duty as due TO the
public and not to profits; but Of late
too many big papers have come into
the possession Of men who are ,ot
editors, but rich men or corporation.
cesiIHig TO serve some private or spe-
clai interest. This incident teaches rs
tiiat the big paper that serves the nnb~
JIG honestly must resist foundations.
>. Scarcely had the public recovered
We shock OF the wholesale
bribery IN Adams county, Ohio. whore
all the voters in one township
We're convicted Of selling their votes
ana d~lsfranchised for five wears for
Inc CRIME, When the investiga tons a,
oahFiile, H.. the home Of Speaker
'anho1 disclosed a disgraceful condi-
'ion Or corruption and bribery in the
last erection. 1t WAS established tha,