The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1912-03-08
nv Statesmen Are Divided by
Newspaper Men.
|r0OD COPY HIGHEST RANK
usi.s House Best Place to Judge Pub
H. Mans News Vaue--No Gen.
sorship of Press During the
Taft Administration.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


nd policy compel the use of the word
N all national legislatcrs-are diYid-
Il BIZ newspaper correspondents into
free elasses-"good copy" fair
Dpy" and poor copy" 1t is not al
pgetber a right classification. for 1t is
hsed solely on the readiness or the
uuFeadiness of the statesmen to talk.
mere are scores OF senators and rep
rsentatives who Will say practically
rothing and yet they are good copy
secause their characteristics are such
hat 1t is worth while to write of them
enc can't write from them.
The outer office of the White House
better place than the Capitol It
xlf TO learn into which class the con-
ressmen fall, according to the news
aper mems views. The presidents
hsitors every day are In number
mong the hundreds, and most OF the
#sitors have seats after II O'CLOCK
loon under the dome of the Capitol.
Ehen the members of congress have
thished their talks with the president
hey leave him and pass through
BON where ordinarily are gathered
In or dozen newspaper men READY
bnough to learn and to write what the
Eeat ones of earth have said to the
feater one of earth.
There are some members. notably
tme senators, who can come from
ke presidential presence with the
Fomise of friends appointment TO
be great court of ST. James in their
bssession, and yet never betray by
} much as a sparkle Of the eye or
mile of the lip that they have re-
kiyed anything better than the prom
he OF postmastership at the tenth
ste office of Adams Crossroads.
here are others who can no more
onceal the fact that they have pick
an appointment plum than they can
pnceal the fact that they are on
larth
No Censorship Of Press.
During the Taft administration there
las been no censorship of the press.
his does not mean that under former
Manifestations press dispatches were
ensored. but 1t means simply that
resident Taft is much more likely
han his predecessors in office TO al
lE newspaper men with whom he
kks to draw their own conclusions
kthaut any specific direction from
Nm or without any sharp warnings
Iat this must not be said and that
bust not be said Mr.. Taft seems to
Ike it for granted that the man to
|hom he talks viii exercise good
pigment IN matters of publicity and
BIN not get wrong impressions from
bat he tells them or draw conclu-
ions not justifiable.
This makes IL somewhat easier for
be newspaper men who II warnings
hid requests to be ION your guard are
tequent get so afraid that they are
ping to overstep the line that they
10 not tell half the story and so lose
many q good yarn. OF course. the
resident of the United States Is new
4 to be quoted directly, but most or
that he says to the newspaper men
cts into the papers with some such
dyance words as 'It can be said on
igh authority" or Friends OF the
resident let 1t be known today" or
Of this nature. When
correspondent prefaces a
bry with some such statement of au-
Aority as one Of those given, it can
taken for granted that he has been
liking to the president of the United
(ates. When the country generally
hrns this fact there will be fuller APP
1eciation perhaps that what Is being
lad comes directly from the White
buse.
To Honor Maine Victims.
7When the collier Leonidas tied up
the navy yard dock after a hard
A bit with the Ice in Chesapeake bay
N In the Potomac river, big crowd
h assembled to welcome the vessel.
Id as the water was. most OF the
khtseers removed their hats when
ship put in to the shore, for on
lard were many Of the relics saved
~ bm the battleship Maine, which was
Ink in the harbor of Havana just
*urteen years ago.
q The steel mainmast OF the Maine
. |hs a part OF the cargo of the Leon.
"a as. What Ia known as the fighting
b." which was for the nccommoda,
y bn Of six gunners. used in rapid fire
fns, was intact. The weight of the
4hinmast with It's fighting top Is
l4mething like four tons.
WNext month the mast will be taken
"a Arlington cemetery. where 1t Will
~ erected over the graves Of tie men
I1ho lost their lives on the Maine, and
hose bones Will be brought to Wash,
gton on battleship in few weeks.
there Is in Arlington cemetery
W beautiful memorial to the men who
5H q their lives In Havana harbor as
result of an explosion the cause
which even yet never has been
" explained
The collier Leonidas will go to An
polls after leaving Washington anc
ere will unload other relics of the
no Ia e.