The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-04-02
THE POLICY OF ASPERSION
AND INQUISITION.
Lewiston Tribune.l

Lewiston Tribune.
1t is not generally understood by
the public, or clearly understood by
anyone, just why the atmosphere OF
hostility to capital and its useful en-
terprises should operate so injuriously
all around and react more especially
upon thoe who can least afford the
hinderance. The main and direct eff
feet is in the impairment of conf
dence in investment and the loss of
financial credit, although restrictive
laws, penalties and added costs have
much to do with the difficulties bust
ness men labor under when their in
terests become subject to political
antagonism. For example. in the last
Idaho legislature it was enough to
charge that certain measure was
favored by the mining corporations,
by the timber syndicates, the Oregon
Short Line, or anything Of that ma
ture, in order to bring it into suspi-
cion and death. 1t is fair to say, how
ever, that if these interests desired
some proper and innocent measure,
which they openly sought, they re-
ceived favorable consideration. The
poison was found in the mere breath
of scandal, in which some concealed
motive was suggested rather than in
any state of facts that could be
brought out. This hostility has fur
ther consequences than that. 1t leads
to sectional feuds and enmities that
divide interests which cannot be di-
vided without great mutual injury,
and obstructs progress on all mate
II M@~a a-1rAh,rr a1ea
it has served to turn the country
against the towns and cities, and to
deprive each of facilities and oppor-
tunities that would mean much to
both if they worked together in
stead of against each other.
This sense of suspicion, of vigilance
against any concession or even any
regard for capitalistic or urban well
fare, has come to be regarded as the
first requisite of the new school OF
politics, of which the successful de-
mocracy is now the chief exponent.
An instance is found in the ship pur-
chase bill, which has long been dead,
dead as Hector, but a congressional
committee is unwilling to concede its
demise until it has fastened the crime
on its old enemy, the ship trust. The
New York Times. great democratic
journal of the old school, opposed to
government ownership as its ancient.
Unborn and infexible creed, opposed
the purchase bill with all the vigor
at its command, and thereupon the
progressive politicians decided that its
opposition must have been due to
subServiency to the ship trust and
not to conviction or principle at all
They, the new school, are the only
people entitled to indulge in convic-
tons or principles and also to claim
carte blanche in the indulgence
thereof, since frequently these cannot
stand the test of light or reason. The
editor of the New York Times was
therefore summoned for inquisition,
and the main count against him was
that in announcing the fact that there
would be no ship sailing to Europe
for at ull week, the item was not
elaborated upon and displayed as os-
tentatiously as could have been. The
lack OF shipping facilities and the
necessity for the ship purchase bill
thus lost a chance of much force and
prominence, the committee thought
and therefore the subpoena and the
| accusation OF being controlled bv the
trust resulted. The editor carefully
explained that the owners of the
newspaper who controlled its policy
had neither the time, disposition nor
opportunity to apportion the space
the current news items should bear
toward each other or their position on
a page or pages, Mechanical consid-
erations and the element Of time gov
erned these details, he patiently and
sadly explained,
This incident is only a type of SIM
liar instances of morbid state of
mind that is becoming altogether too
prevalent in this country. 1t is the
state of mind of being instantly and
constantly ready to impeach tine mo-
tiyes of men whose gravest and sole
ottenSe is in not being able to decide
a question according to our way OF
thinking. 1t has become a habit of
legislative bodies to determine the
tate OF legislation on such grounds as
here indicated. and if something goes
wrong with their program to ascribe
the result to the Vaccinations of a
corrupt interest. 1t would be by no
means eXtrayagant to suggest that
what by some at least. is actually in
tended by these aspersions and inuui-
sltlons, is to intimdate individuals
and newspapers into moderating their
opposition to whatever propositions
are favored by those who have the
power to excite and direct the suspi-
cion OF the country against them.