The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-04-04
WHO OWNS THE SENTINEL.

The other morning, in these columns, the statement of
fact was made that for more than a year the Amalgamatec
deficiency for the publication of their local organ, the Mis-:
soula Sentinel. For the production and distribution of
this publication, there has been paid, out of the Ama1ga-
mated war chest, about So, ZOO each month, this being the
deficit after the collection of what could be levied in the
way of advertising and subscription from the local
community
fuller investigation, it appears that the monthly deficiency
is, on an average, close to $4,000:
The big copper interests probably believe that the expend-
iture of that amount each month, for the maintenance of
their local publicity bureau, is good business for them in
the long run, in the way of moulding public opinion; or
possibly they get that amount of satisfaction out of having
their hired men vent their wrath upon those they hate
and fear.
Anyway, that is their business and no one has any spe-
cial objection to their spending their money in that way, if
they so desire. The only thing they should not attempt,
is to try to fool the local community as to their ownership.
Why should they deny in public print, what they freely ad-
NIT in private?
The Sentinel is not one of their "subsidized" newspapers;
it is owned by the Amalgamated people outright. The
press on which the Sentinel is printed, every piece of type
and every fixture in the shop, is owned, bought and paid for
by the Amalgamated interests.
Of course, they went through the motions of giving it a
corporate existence, but the purchase price was paid and
the money is sent over by them from Butte to pay the rum
ming expenses. In fact, sometimes their local hired man
has to go over to Butte, once or twice a month, to bring
back the expense money and to get his orders.
1t seems queer that the mere mention of the plain facts
in the case should cause the local bureau representative to
become as enraged as he must have been when "Wednesday
night, he emitted an unusual amount Of hate and wrath and
spleen in the publicity bulletin. Why not be calmer about
this matter? The local hired man has not a dollar to lose;
his pay check will come as regularly, his meals will digest
more easily and his conscience will be clearer, if he will SIM
ply acknowledge what everybody knows to be the truth
that the Missoula Sentinel is owned, operated and main
tanned by the Amalgamated interests for some purpose.
What is that purpose? The real owners of the Sentinel
say that its special mission is to "break The Muscular"
They say The Muscular is obstreperous. We hope the
special mission will fail.
The Muscular is not perfect. 1t is human in its in
stincts and ideals, just as the men who make it are human
just that much and no more. The Missoulian has sought
faithfully to represent the best interests of this community.
1t might be unfortunate for the community if these folks
break The Missoulian.' There might sometime
in the future be another university consolidation scheme
or something of that sort put up to the community. In
that event the community would be in hard lines with the
publicity agency in the hands of the Hessians.
ley Forge with Hessans to fight his battle?