Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-07
AuroBloGRA ArnY-NO. q

CopDtOhf 1918, bD Public LcdJr ConpdnU
A FEW years later there was sent to me
"A AN article printed in Birmingham Ala
bama, telling of the important events which
had occurred on the 9th OF April. Among
them were the discovery of the Mississippi
by Ferdinand de Soto, the Battle Of APP
pomattox and the birth of Samuel w. Pen
nypacker. Governor of Pennsylvania. My
biography was printed throughout the far
West. All sensible people, including such
able newspaper correspondents as George
Alfred Townsend cGathD. regarded 1t as
entirely proper legislation likely to be
helpful to their profession. Poor Smith,
however, had lost his case; he was not large
enough to see that my duty was not toward
him or the ws.,apers; h'j vanity was
hurt, and he made n personal matter of 1t
and became an enemy for life Everything
thereafter which he thought would be dis
agreeable to me was printed in his paper.
On visiting "Kuchler's Roost," on the
mountain top at Reading, at the request of
its old owner, / wrote an impromptu squib
in his album. Thereupon Smith worked up
an editorial upon 1t in AN effort at ridicule.
lie did worse In my library is bound
volume labeled Newspaper Ethics" put
away for enlightenment of posterity as to
current manners. In it are preserved:
Newspaper Ethics"
l. A column dispatch. printed in the
Press. June 26. 1908. saying that
Governor A. Il. Cummins Of Iowa, in
an address at Wayneshurg College,
had denounced the Pcnnypacker
press muzzlinE law and said 1t
would forever stiGmatize its
author"
g Smiths editorial of June 27. saying
that Governor Pennypacker and his
libel law have had no more singing
rebuke than was administered by
another Governor, Albert II. cum
Minis. of Iowa"
3. Letter of July II, 1903 from Albert Il.
Cummins to John w. Campbell, say
ing:
~ cannot say how the absurd
story got abroad. | did not
say one word upon the subject nor
did | in any manner refer To Gov
ernor Pennypacker.'
4. Letter of Charles Emory Smith, Au-
gust II. 1903 saying:
while he did not make the state
ments imputed to him in public
address al Wayncsburg College, he
did make them in n public inter-
view, Publication awaits a
full ascertainment of the facts
s. Letter of Albert Il. Cumnins, August
49, 1908. saying:
II repeat that I did rot say any
thing about the libel law or Gov
ernor Pennypacker to anybody in
WaNnesburE or in reene County.
indeed I may make it stronger; /
did not think about the libel law or
of Governor Pennypacker while
there. No matter who is respon-
sible for il. 1t is pure fabrication
6. Letter of Edward W. Hacker. a CORE.
spondent of the Press, April l. 1907,
saying:
Il am not responsible for the
ridiculous stuff that appeared after
the first suhhead in the preSss
Schwenksvlle story on Sunday
morning. | telesraphed them only
the preceding matter, and some one
in the office added the other details
T. Three clippings from successive issues
of the Press. August -, 1907, con-
tanning a dispatch from JohnsIown
purporting to give statements made
by, j. NJ. Shumaker, and showing
the notifications made by Some
one in the office" so to reflect
upon me.
s. The dispatch, as sent from Johnstown.
inserted so that the comparison
may be made.
3. The denial Of J. NJ Shumaker of the
alleged statements.
10. An anonymous letter, August 90, 1907,
from an employe in the Press office
to me, signing himself as IAN ad-
mirer" i'm which he says that the
Johnstown dispatch was read to
the managing editor or at least he
was given the gist of it over the
telephone, and he ordered that it be
rewritten SO as to identify you as
ha alleged
statement of Shumaker's friend"
He further says that the writer lost
his nerve and eliminated these two
paragraphs from the later issues
All of these original papers found their
way to me and l had them bound for
preservation. The volume will never be
purposely destroyed because it is a Curl
osity and has a market value. AS is apt
to happen, in all probability it will finally
reach some public library and there be
kept where the future investigate: of
morals will e able to see sore of the
causes which brought about the passa ye of
the Salus-Grady Press NJ I4zer" of 1903.
Another word about Smith and then
think he will disappear from these pages
| On the 4th of October 1906, l gave dinner
| at the l'N, cutive Mans N to Roosevelt,
| then President of the United States. Pen.
| rose came to me and asked me whether
| would not invite Smith to be there saying
that for political reasons the party mana
gers were anxious to have Roosc, elt get
the opportunity to talk to him. / am sure
Penrose expected me to refuse. My reply
was that If it were to be at my home a diff
ferent question would arise, bu. that this
was not my private party. that 1t was
proper the press should be represented and
Smith was very suitable representative.
and without any hesitation I pr,uIsei tc
invite him. He accepted the iavitation and
| came, altogether bland. 1t was after this
dinner that the dispatches referred to were
rewritten in the Office of the Press