Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-08-19

1.-THE FOSTERING: REPORTERS
How Some People Confess That Which
They Try to Conceal.
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The Saturday Evening Post is run
ming a serial by Samuel G. Blythe, the
foremost political writer Of America
entitled the Price of Place" The sto-
ry deals with the career Of brilliant
congressman, who started out with the
disposition to be honest and independ-
ent, and tells Of his trials and tribula-
tions. The congressman is affiicted
with a socially ambitious wife who
would climb at the expense Of her hus-
bands reputation and salary, and keep
him deluded with the idea that her ac-
tivities make for his advancement, but
whose extravaganza makes him take
risks Of ruin that his ordinary tenn
permanent would not admit. .t.
The congressman, Mr.. Marsh, has
formed a political partnership with
Senator Paxton of his state, an older
politician, who Is straight enough as
the average politician goes; but VINO
has been through the whole routine,
and become hardened as well as expe-
rienced. Senator Paxton for reasons
of his own naturally takes great deal
of interest in Congressman Marsh ana
does not hesitate to advise frankly,
fully and sometimes almost brutally, as
to things as they are. -.1
The attitude of the average half
baked public man, or private citizen Tor
that matter, toward favorable neWspa-
per mention, is we'll understood by all
experienced newspaper men. The nor
NAL man who does something that is
worth the while of the public to know
about, Is mighty glad to have the pub
lie know about it, and while he has no
reason to feel under obligation to a re-
porter for telling the story properly, ne
does not think of pretending to be
averse to such things. On the contrary
he keeps his mouth shut and lets other
people do the talking. But some peo-
pie with such mention literally weigh
ing their vanity down, go round hunt
Ing somebody to mention 1t first, and
falling in this, mention 1t themselves,
and finally find opportunity to say: i
detest that kind of thing; but 1t Is one
OF the penalties of being great and I'M
portant, and cannot be helped" Con-
gresham Marsh happened to be of the
latter class. He had been put forward
as the spokesman Of his party in de-
tense of a certain questionable meas
ure that was being pushed by the
administration, and all the administra-
ton papers began to feature and en-
phasize his greatness. One Of the big
Sunday papers Of Washington printed
lot of matter about him, and accom-
panied the same with his picture two
columns wide. Shortly after this Sen
ator Paxton and Marsh met again, and
what occurred is as told by Mr.. Blythe
In the story: r..
81 see you are getting your name In
the papers," observed Senator Paxton
one day when he and Marsh were talk
ing together.
ooh. yes" yawned Marsh; the re-
porters poster me a good deal"
"Aha!" said Paxton. so that's your
attitude, Is it-bothered by the report
ers! Well! Well! That, should say
is a crying shame. There Is only one
other thing l can think Of that equals
1t for downright discomfort, and that Is
not to be pestered by the reporters
Jim, you go and take long look al
yourself in the glass. You Will OBJ
serve a rather sturdy, amiable person
who owes all he has to the reporters
who are pestering him, as he says. II
the reporters hadn't mentioned you you
would be back there In Morganville
practic,ng law. Don't assume with me
that pose of Indifference to publicity
It may go with some Of the weak-mind'
ed ones, but never with me.
Let me tell you something. The
pose of indifference to what the news
papers say about you is the first ane
one of the greatest signs Of that polit'
ical hypocricy that is crystalized here
in this washington outfit. There ISM
a man in this congress or in this gov
ernment who is Indifferent to publicity
who doesn't yearn for pleasant refer
ences to himself in the papers, wht
doesn't read and reread everything
complimentary that is said about him
self. 1t Is the public boast of one OF tht
biggest men in the senate that he care:
nothing for what the newspapers say
about him, and never reads them; bu
III know absolutely that each clipping
bureau in this country has standing
orders from him to send him every item
It can find that has his name In 1t.
I'VE affect to think that we are har'
dened to criticism, and all the time WI
hate It, loathe it. We smile In supe
rior way and say: oh, Oh, well, TIT
bows have to have something to fill III
with whenever they print pleasan
story about us, and privately we gloa
over the mention Of our names. Qui
that pose, Jim! Get all the publicity yo'
can. We need it. 1t is our staff OF life
1t works two ways-we love 1t and w
fear it. In the old days it was posi-
BILE to do a good many things we can
do now, because the reporters were no
so numerous and the news-distributinl
facilities not in their present perfected
state. Now those chaps are looking In
to everything and you don't want Z
be pestered by them. You want to pes
ter them, instead, or cultivate then
rather, for they can make you or the'
can mar you, and it's all in the day
work with those enterprising persons
Most public men take wrong Vie'
lof the business of the reporter. The,
think the reporter comes to them be
cause he needs them. That isn't II
The reporter comes to see public MAJ
because that is the way he makes nj
living. He would much prefer to b
having his own fun than to be chasin
after 4 statesman, who nine times ou
of ten he has sized up to gnats hee
as to his intrinsic bogusness and nj
1o,;ros Tho man who get