The Glenwood post., 1912-07-20
Ed HOWE IS
SICK OF LINDSEY:
Scores Heney And little
Ben For Their Grandstand
Tactics in Politics
The PRESS
CFrom L. w. Howe's Monthly.


If you are only a voter and believe
that Roosevelt is running for president
in order that he may benefit the people.
you are little jay who has been fool
ed. Ii you are ''mad at' some of
Taft S supporters, because of polit-
ical row in the past, or if you have hope
of preferment of some sort, in case
Roosevelt is elected, there is little
excuse for your action; but if you are
for Roosevelt ON the dead square, be-
cause you believe he is the "great
friend of the people, you are little
jay. | believe Roosevelt is fairer
man than most politicians, but he is
running for president because he wants
the office, and not because he is anx-
ious to benefit you or me.
If you do not know this, it is because
you are little jay; a type of man who
does not know a lot of other things,
and the steadiness with which you per
sist in your foolish course results in
much trouble. If you keep on, you
will finally be cheering for Judge Bea
Lindsey and for Francis j. Heney, and
insisting on your young sons joining
the Boy Scouts instead of learning
trades.
l am tired of Francis j. Heney and
his tale about Ben Reuf, which he tells
on every possible occasion. In my con-
tact with the people, l have never
heard anyone mention Francis
Heney; l never hear of him except in
the newspapers. Haven you remark
ed that you never hear many people,
famous in the newspapers, mentionpd
by those with whom you associate?
have heard Judge Ben Lindsey
mentioned a few times, but those who
mention him always do SO in derision,
as a mild, colorless little man who is
attracting more attention in the news
papers than he is entitled to- What
is there SO fascinating about Heney
and Lindsey that the newspaper bows
can t resist them? | have nothing
against either of these gentlemen, but
confess l despise them both because I
am forever seeing their names in news
papers when tney do not seem to fairly
belong there.
There are no absolutely honest men,
ct course, buS it is a fortunate circum-
stance that newspaper writers, now 50
powerful, are as honest and fair as any
ether class of men on the face of the
earth, and they are growing in grace
constantly in the public eye, and have
learned well the lesson so many Others
do not seem able to iearn-that honesty
is the best policy. Sovereignty has
PASSED from the people of the newspa-
pers; ambitious men no longer consider
what will please the people, but what
Will please the newspapers. Look what
they did to l." Toilette; he displeas I'd
tie editors by foolish speech at Phlia-
delphia and they promptly broke him.
without inquiring what the people
thought about it.
La Toilette was the logical candidate
against Taft. and there would have
been no Roosevelt excitement had not
La Toilette said unjust things about
editors at Philadelphia. La Folletrc
spoke well of the magazines in criti-
cizing the newspapers, but when La
Toilette got into trouble the magazines
could not help him out of it. There
never was a fairer illustration of the
relative power of newspapers and mag
azines.
Compare the power of an editor with
the power of preacher. The editor
addresses an immense audience daily,
ana if he writes well other papers at
home and abroad copy what he says,
but preacher does well if he ad.
dresses few hundred people twice
week. The politician amounts to moth
ing, except as editors give him space
The newspapers were referred to by
Edmund Burke as the fourth estate;
since Burke's time they have easily
become the first.
] am out of the newspaper business
and did not amount to much when i
was in it, therefore 1 am not trying to
compliment myself; I am only stating
a fact that is steadily becoming moro
apparent. And while the newspapers
cannot be bluffed or deceived or bought