The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-05-13
o {. G: ViAur,d's
Address
HE TALKs TO NEWSPAPER MEN
IN CONFERENCE AT LAW
RENEE, KAN.

LaHItENGE, ran, May lJ.-QS-
wald G. Willard, OF the New York
Evening Post, addressed today the
Kansas Newspaper Conference at the
University OF Kansas. He dealt
particularly with the allegations
coming from one quarter or another
to the effect that newspapers and
news agencies suppressed news.
III one could believe all that one
heard" he said, "a true picture of
the heads Of the press would por-
tray them perpctually behind the
arras arranging some plot or other.
alen who, scent wholesale conspira-
cics in other individuals usually
wind up In the observation wards Of
our hospitals, but your next door
neighbor is privileged TO believe In
day and night conspiracics of the
press without fear of having his
sanity questioned. Indeed lie may
be exalted by his doubt. And so We
hear of agreements among ncwspa-
pcrs to ignore this happening, 10
suppress that and to villify this or
that defender Of the rights of tho
people. In Now York City. so deep
are the clerts between the various
newspapers, that you could never
possibly get their heads TO sit down
around table, much less break
bread together.
Altogether the law has compell-.
cd MS OF tho metropolitan press To
print the names Of all the stock
holders and bondholdcrs for year
past. it did not surprise me to read
an article In u current magazine by
distinguished citizen of Indiana To
the effect that newspapers ought to
be compelled to tell the influence
behind them. have so often heard
this rumor that | have mortgaged
myself to Wall street, with the name
and address of the banker. that am
surprised at nothing. Not il he
should throw his private books open
to a Bristow or La Toilette, could
New York editor hope to down
this entertaining fiction. He would
only hear that his books were doc
torcd. or that he was hiding behind
somebody else's skirts, or that 1t was
the point of view of the men he as
sociated with that really did the
miscllief-so discrclited are news
paper managers with certain sec
tions of the people aud certain cross
very cross-sections Of the poll
ticians.
III you think ! cxaggerate, please
bear in mind the bitter attacks on
The Associated Press the present
winter has witnessed. It has been
assailcd as mopoly. and on one
forum after another attacked as an
organized conspiracy TO suppress ev-
every happening that affects Prog
ress or liadicalism-with q capital
p and r. Socialists, labor men and
Prosressives alike denonuce it. be-
cause 1t does not carry their propa-
ganda. Negroes criticise II because
1t brings out of the south news only
of their crimes. and never Of their
honorable achievements. Some con-
grcssmen never fail to bcrate it
when their other hobbies are for the
moment exhausted.
Cautiously enough, the bona-r!dc
malefactors of great wealth equally
dcnounce It as an association con-
t;ollcd by the mob. and, therefore,
fearing to tell the truth about them.
At least this was the excuse offered
by Il bribe-sivcr who thought he was
buying some New York newspapers
for II trust: no merely wished to So
cure Justice for his client, to get
their side Of famous case into
print-all this when the other side
to the controversy was protesting
that The Associated Press was being
sold out to tho trust. with The AS
sociatcd Press II Is truly case Of
being damned IL you do aud damned
If YOU don't. II Is bcratod by Ga,lIO-
lies for being subsidized by Protest.
ants at the moment that anti-Catl,-
olics arc sure that they have con-
vincing proof that the lead Of The
Associated Press draws n postoTicp
order for $2GS.75 d montl, from tho
Pope In Rome. 4
NO amount Of iteration seems to
make anybody understand that II
there are grave defects in The Asso-
ciatcd Press, the fault lies with The
sos newspapers which comprise lis
membership; that 1t is co-opera-
tive organization, which makes no
money profits, and is Argus-cycd in
that each newspaper is watching the
service, ready to make the telephone
bells tinglc IL happening Is over
looked or anything improper is put
over tho wires; that there are hun
drcds OF honest newspaper men in
The Associated Press who would as
soon sell their wives and children
as to knowingly let anyone use the
service to grind an axe or feather
his nest.
''It all avails not; the answer is:s
al