The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-06-30
PITILESS PUBLICITY, AS
PREACHED AND PRACTICED
Lewiston Tribune Dem.

LCWlSlOH DeIn.
The second day after the massacre
OF the American troop patrol at Car
rial by Carranza soldiery had been
made known throughout the world,
though with meager details, the Wash
ington government announced that
the occurrence partook of the nature
of local disorder, in which the vic
TINS might have been equally at fault
with their assailants, and suggested
that friendly composition was still
being sought by both sides. AT the
same time ten thousand volunteer
troops, unseasoned and immature
were ordered to the border, indicat-
ing that the department then had
more information than had been
given to the public and information
OF character to require exigent mill
tary steps. In war times, or even in
that more delicate period preceding
war time, when a negotiation is still in
progress, or when preparatory meas
lures are being taken for protective
purposes before the dreadful arbitra-
ment is restored to- secrecy, evasion
and subterfuge are customary by all
governments, and have their uses
At the same time, similar secrecy,
evasion and subterfuge toward the
Mexican situation have been the policy
OF the present administration from the
| beginning. The American people have
been persisently refused a fair state
ment of the facts and circumstances
by the authorities, and on the con-
trary have been misinformed and mis-
led, apparently as deliberate policy,
although for good purpose and not
bad purpose.
AS result the public has had to
rely for reasonable estimates and con-
illusions upon the press, or at least
upon that portion of the press which
was not dedicated to the cause of
helping one set of candidates or hind
erlng another set in their desire for
office and emolument. 1t has not been
easy for the press to do this in the
face of constant and emphatic assur-
ances OF the government authorities
that everything was going we'll and
must go well; with, news stories cal
culated to back up the optimism and to
sustain the policy of allowing the Mex
leans free hand to do as they chose
and to go as far as they liked. A
main way in which the press has been
able to undeceive the people was
through the much abused headlines,
which sought to give the true color
and meaning to the subjoined matter,
sometimes in terms quite contrary to
the impression that was sought to be
falsely conveyed in the dispatches.
In other matters of public business
no administration has been so Sc
cretlve and so far removed from public
condolences as this one has been and is
VI course, many matters and the sig
nihcance underlying them Iare not
proper matters of publicity. 1t is right
and necessary to discriminate as to
that. AT the same time, this admins
tratlon came into power on a propa-
ganda of pitiless publicity, as the SOW
ereipn cure for all ills and abuses.
public and private. The administration
as understood, still religiously adheres
to the policy of publicity-for the
other fellows business for the private
business of the country, but demands !
and exercises the power to transact
its. own business, the public business,
behind closed doors, in its own time
and fashion
We suppose that is all right, too,
and at any rate the people can make |
the most of it. Only, it is just an
other lesson in what The Tribune had |
learned long time ago, but on which
its hold had been weakened with the
obliteration of its old landmarks un-
der the persuasive spell of the new
thought. That lesson is that the can
didates and the politicians and the Of
ficeholders have been made too much
of, and the business man, the laborer,
and the tax payer too little Of in all |
the schemes and propaganda and plat
forms, in the oratory, the resolutions
and the legislation that constitute the
final output of our campaign politics.
The result is. first and last, that the Of
tlceholder is held to to little account
TOR his performances, and the private
citizen to too much account, consider
ing the relative circumstances of the