Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1913-02-20
THURSDAY. FEBRUAnY % 1913
The NEWSPAPER REPORTER.

The history Of secrecy makes a long,
black smudge down the page of time.
Nothing is truer than the saying that
1.-THE wicked love darkness rather than
the light" And this piOverb has
bearing we do not usually suspect.
We assume it to have reference to
robbers, footpads. sneak thieves, mutt
nous seamen and nome breakers. 1t
does. It also refers. however to any
other group of people who work in the
shade.
You can set IL down in your books
that any business for which the claim
Is made that il is better to transact It
under cover. that it is unwise TO have
il investigated, and that the public has
no right TO NEEDLE in it. is crooked.
OF course, / do not include the affairs
of purely personal nature, but only
such matters as have to do with the
public.
The whole history of government,
before the day of newspapers, is a rec
ord of tyranny and unjust privilege.
So long az the common herd was ruled
by a select few, who presumed to do
better by the people than the people
could do for themselves. the result in
variably was luxury and fine feathers
for the elect and starvation and rags
for the many.
Vested rights thrive in darkness. II
is only ia the light Of publicity that
Human Rights grow.
The story of the Old World, of China.
ancient Japan. Egypt. Greece and
Rome is the story Of secrecy and out
rage.
the story of Liberty and the New
World is the story of the uncensured
press.
Whenever you end secret councils of
kings. diplomats whispering behind
their hands. seniors gumshoeing around
and trust magnates mumbling in a
back room. you may be sure that the
public is about to be looted.
The petty criminal is afraid of the
policeman. The big criminal is afraid
of the rep rter.
The man who cracks the belated citi-
zen over the head with a lead pipe
fears the law. The man who sandbags
the whole community and steals S20,-
000,0 by manipulating a railway sys-
TEN or the packing industry does not
fear the law. He hires the law The
thing he fears is the newspaper re-
porter.
There never was a bribe-taking judge
ousted from the bench. corrupt poll
tician retired to private life, a Cover
nor or Mayor who sold out to corpora
tions and was exposed that did not hate
newspaper reporters above the rattle
snake.
This is not a government by law law
does not govern, il is merely the rear
guard of government. 1t is q govern
ment by publicity. 1t is newspapers
and magazines the publishing Of facts.
that govern.
The hopeful element in this case is
that any attempt on the part of secret
cables to own the press defeats itself
The public is sure to find it cut. and
down goes the circulation. Many
speak-lghtly. side stepping publication
has been supported Toy criminal capital,
but never with conspicuous success.
Absolute independence, truth-tellng
and honesty are the foundation stones
of a successful publiction of any kind.
Even party organs and publications
backed by sect or union are dis
counted.
We could manage TO run along with
out the distinguished gentlemen who
run our finances, make our laws and
regulate morals, perhaps. but suppress !
the newspaper reporter and we should
b. tempted to say:
Then bear me from the harbors /
mouth. wild wave:
I'll seek another shore. +"
Be kind then to the reporter. Take /
him in and tell him the truth. And if /
you feel you must lie be careful to
make a mighty good job of it.-New /
York Globe and Commercial Adver-
tiser.