The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-01-28

paper but there are various ways OF
seeking 20 muzzle the press and 10
prevent IL from freely speaking in the
interest Of the public. President
Roosevelt sought 10 have the editor of
the New York World hailed to Wash
ington for criticism Of the way in
which the Panama canal project was
handled, but the freedom Of the press
was successfully maintained.
The simplest and most direct form
Of attempt to interfere with the free
dom Of the press once in great while
takes the form of an order from a
reader TO discontinue your paper, If
this is the course you are going to
pursue" Any editor who adopted this
criterion Of public discussion would
soon 20 out Of business. This form Of
trivial press intimidation always re-
calls TO our minds an incident in col.
lege journalism when an irate SUBJ
scriber wrote: "Stop the Sum-" Back
went the students response: ut
can't be done. II has not been done
since the days Of Joshua" The press
as suchscan never be stopped.
Before the mission and liberty of
the press became better understood a
patron might occasionally say, "Un-
less you do as suggest, you can take
my advertisement out Of the paper"
II was soon learned, however, that the
mere publication Of that threat was its
best and most effective answer, and
the editor very seldom finds himself
menaced by any advertiser in that way
in these days. The same thing is true
Of attempts to intimidate an editor
from doing his duty by threatening to
start rival paper.
The most dangerous menaces Of the
press in this age are Of three kinds,
the effort to muzzle the press in the
name Of law, the control Of the press
by hidden forces, and the influencing
of the press by powerful influences
from the outside. The last named is
the most dangerous to self-govern-
ment of all three, because it avoids
the responsibility of ownership and re-
sponsibility to public sentiment.
ANY measure or consideration Of
this problem by any man or body Of
men which does not embrace all three
of these influences is not impartial.
An editor who feels sure of himself
fears nothing in any or all Of these
directions. He must necessarily keep
himself in that position il he is to
assail public abuses, fearlessly and ef-
fectively.
1t has been demonstrated over and
over again that ownership of a news
paper by a powerful interest to pro-
mote special cause, is handicap for
the owners rather than help. When
it became known that certain great
New York newspaper had passed into
the hands of powerful public service
interest, its editorial influence was
weakened UNNECESSARILY for its utter
ances were discounted as inspired. We
have known of but one noteworthy
recent instance in Vermont where the
head of great public service concern
owned the majority of the stock of a
newspaper that wholly escaped public
attention and discussion, with the nat
ural consequences of such publicity,
but the project never amounted any
thing.
So too although the ownership of
the defunct Montpelier Journal was
unquestionably in New York interests,
to us unknown but represented by
Vermont attorney, and not where gen.
orally supposed, we all know now that
lack of open responsibility was fatal
to the newspaper, while reputed own
ership Of paper arousing necessary
antagonisms by assailing public
wrongs.
The result of this project carries its
own moral, and it will be long time
before New York or other outside in
terests repeat the experiment in Yer
mont. Our newspapers as rule glad
ly demonstrate their independence Of
outside and political press agents by
speaking out in their editorial columns
no matter what they print in their
columns. They believe
thoroughly in home rule.
The recent investigation into the af
fairs Of the New Haven railroads con-
nection with the Massachusetts, Legis-
lature showed the different ways
through which the Mellen regime had
to influence the press, with
a press agent to prepare matter for
publication in some instances even as
editorial and supposed TO be the utter
ance of the editor himself. 1t was
shown that the New Haven manage
ment of that time had even got hold of
r.