The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-09-29
AID. Lodge Has the Goods on
Our Bawling ContempOral ~

After a news article is given the policy
+ treatment" the reader is often misled by the
statement that appears in the paper Too much
\ poIicy in a newspaper office interferes with
news efficiency. Now. that is not fair to the
\ newspaper subscriber II is not fair TO the city
officials who are in office And it is not fair
81 70 the taxpayer and the voter who have to de
4 pend largely on the newspaper reports and
comment for their knowledge OF what is going
On In the city government 1t must be re-
( membered that every taxpayer and voter is a
stockholder in this big corporation of ours, and
they are entitled to the unvarnished facts.
With these words, Aid. John c. Lodge
condemns Detroit's faithless newspapers
for the way they are misbehaying as
4 newspapers when matter as import
mt to their city as municipal ownership
hangs in the balance.
This criticism of our quarreling con-
temporaries from Aid. Lodge amounts to
= public service from him. and carries
weight because the alderman was once
: newspaperman and good one, too.
He knows from experience that the
public good is secondary consideration
I when newspaper has partisan, business
q standpat ends to serve.
Just now the people of Detroit want
enlightment on the important issue of
ownership of their street railways, to
guide them when they vote on Nov. 2.
When the News uses three or four
columns Of space to call the Journal
Liar" the voter receives no enlighten-
ment on the big question, nor does he
when the Journal uses three or four
4 eolumns to call the News Thief"
Nor does he when the Free Press has
- offer nothing against the purchase
plan but generalities and the fact that
4 the News is supporting it.
What the voter is entitled to is fair
\ and unbiased statement of facts and
q figures and fair presentation of argu-
u ments for and against the plan so that he
3 can sit down in his home and make up
his mind with chance to use his intelli-
gence and best judgment
That is why The Times will shortly
\ set aside page upon which will be re-
ported the public speeches Of both sides
Of the question and which will be at the
h disposal of all citizens for the presenta.
ton of their views, pro and con, with
only the one condition that communica
lions must be limited to 200 words.
The reports of meetings will be free
3 from color, and all expressions of opinion
I and all communications will have to be
free of comment of any kind that is for
eign to the issue.
Aid. Lodge has done the public grea:
4 service also he has done our contempor
aries great service if they will reflect
over what he says and admit to them.
selves that what he has to say about them
/ Is true.
Our own advice to the News, Journa
7 and Free Press is to cut it out.
Yes, brothers, forget it.
The intelligent citizen and voter i,
7 beginning to compare you with bawlinl
babe in meeting when he wants to hear
the preacher.
You are wasting your front pages
which belong to your readers, in the
making of yourselves ridiculous and yo,
Y ne giving your fair city pain.
I II you must have it out, why not fol
lpw the chosen course of even hoodlum
a md rowdies Of the avenue and step int,
Il "a alley--AND GIVE THE STREE
Z. RAILWAY ISSUE A CHANCE.
J00us who wait 100000 years will wltnes
- eoUetttton OF the phenomenon of Febrrar
M ~. Wh00 there WAS no full moon