The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1912-01-19
IRRESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM.

IRRESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM.
The conduct of a great portion OF
the press relating to presidential poll
cies reminds one OF Kipling's bander-
log-the money people. necessarily
they chatter, and the things they
spoke of yesterday they have forgot
ten tomorrow. The New York Globe"
rightly represents the actual situation
when, In commenting on a recent
statement in the Philadelphia North
American" "a statement which was
substantially correct) 1t says: "Mr.
Roosevelt is not candidate now. He
has no expectation of being candi-
date next year. To state SO much en-
phatically is as far as Mr.. Roosevelt
may be expected to go. 1t is disclaim-
er enough to satisfy the fair-minded
AS to what would be his answer il
universal demand for him should arise
next year 1t is not fair to ask him to
say. - AS Lincoln was fond of
saying, no man may be justly asked
to say, before he has reached it,
whether he will or will not cross
particular bridge" This should be ,ex-
plicit enough; yet without any evil
dence whatever to sustain them, sew
eral of the New York papers, following
their customary wild and irresponsi-
Bile methods as regards presidential
campaigns, soon after the publication
OF the North American" article, be-
gan to assert that Mr.. Roosevelt had
declared himself to be a candidate;
that he was observing a profound sec
recy as to his intentions; that he was
plotting In all sorts of mysterious
ways, and that his friends generally
knew that he was secretly aiming at
the presidency. The New York
Times" caps the climax by declaring
(January 81; THE observant have
long been aware that Mr. Roosevelt in
tends, by fair means or foul, to Sc
cure the Republican nomination for
the presidency this year" The ulti-
mate truth about the situation may be
expressed by second quotation from
the New York GLOBE" which asks
rs presidential nomination private
May any man speak of it as
justly belonging to him? Is it pro-
per to say that one man is entitled to
a nomination and another not?" and
replies to it's own question: at it not
vital what is the personal attitude of
President Taft toward his candidacy
or what is the attitude of Colonel
Roosevelt toward his possible candi-
dacy. We should not give to one man
because he wants it, and not confer on
another because he does not. We have
been running democratic republic |
for one hundred and twenty-five years |
Yet it looks sometimes as If there is |
small appreciation of what a demo-
cracy is and what the presidency is.
1t is time to vindicate the public own
ership of the presidency. We bestow
t not to please any man but to please
Jul 5clFcS. Oue ldVOTlle QoVlCe IN the
lind of journalism we are describing
S the distorted headline-that is, the
headline which has tremendously
meaning, but which is not
n the least substantiated by anything
which appears, in the article following
striking instance is the headline in
he New York Evening Post" of De-
ember 20, referring to the Sheldon
pondence-"Colonel Roosevelt
lays It's False!" Another is that of
he New York "Sun" of January q
Roosevelt is Candidate Again." Ex-
mples might be multiplied of cases
Ike this, in which the text of the ar
icle, misleading as it may de, does
ot in the least substantiate the head
me. This kind of journalism greatly
5eakens the permanent Influence of
hose newspapers which practice it.
he Outlook.