The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-07-22
North Dakota Victory

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North Dakota Victory
40 OBSCURE their own short
~ comings in a cloud of dust which
they kick up in telling the world OF
the crooked ways Of the "kept PRESS,
is apparently one of the favorite pas
times of certain publications whose ex-
cuse for existing is to spread the pro-
paganda of the nonpartisan league.
They cry aloud at the manner In
which the ''kept press" handles the
news and at the same time go calmly
about the business of putting the ex-
treme reverse English on the same
news. The Yakima Valley American,
The Washington Leader and other OF
the league publications have had not
little to say about the manner In
which the majority of the press re-
ported the results Of the recent prl-
maries in North Dakota. They have
scored the "kept press" for playing
up with big headlines the early re-
turns which showed the anti-league
ticket in the lead, thereby misleading
the readers as to the true conditions
in North Dakota, but at the same time
it is very noticeable that they have
applied all the noise-makers to the
league victories and put the soft pedal
on the league reverses. A noteworthy
example was the Yakima Americans
six-column headline announcing the
big nonpartisan victory in the Mime
sofa primaries, while the details OF the
story showed that the big victory was
the defeat Of all the league candidates
with one exception.
Both the Leader and the American
have heralded in big headlines that
the league made a clean sweep In
North Dakota, electing the entire
farmers ticket with the possible ex-
ception of Congressman Baer. Then
they have devoted considerable space
in telling their readers how big liars
are the other newspapers and posing
as the only and real purveyors Of the
truth, the whole truth and nothing but
the truth.
In view Of this posing it is interest
ing to note just how accurately they
have given the facts to their readers.
In its issue Of last Saturday, the Lead
er tells the world in six-column head:
line that the League Makes A Clean
Sweep in N. d. Primaries" It's story
from start to finish gives the reader
the impression that the league victory
was overwhelming, with nothing left
to do but to celebrate. It says Fras-
ier has won the nomination by a ma
jority that will run from 5000 to TO-
900 and DIR. Ladd dominated for SEN
ator by a margin greater than Fraz-
ier's. The facts are that Fraziers ma
jority was 5,274, or less than one
third his majority two years ago; and
Ladd's plurality was 1859 and his ma
jority only 1880. It says that Thorn
as Hall, ssthe third statehouse traitor"
appears to be beaten by the League
candidate. Halls lead over the league
candidate was 6,7S1 and his nomina-
ton was conceded. as long ago as
July 9 by the North Dakota headquar-
tiers Of the league. It says that r. n.
Walker, league candidate for state
treasurer was nominated. He was de-
feated by John Steen, one Of the most
vigorous opponents Of the league
North Dakota has produced.
But the real finesse in coloring the
news to fit the publications. editorial
policy and to dupe the reader is the
simple statement that Miss Ruth M
johnson, the leagues candidate for
state superintendent Of schools was
nominated. The facts are that there
were two candidates in the race for
this Office. Miss Minnie J. Nelson, in
dependent, and Miss johnson, Lacquer.
Miss Nelson received 1850 votes
more than her opponent. The North
Dakota state law provides that for
this office the two candidates receiving
the highest vote in the primasies are
to be voted on at the November cleo
ion. To be sure the league candidate
was nominated. There were only Two
in the race and two to be nominated.
This information is obtained, from the
columns of the lying kept press. Did
the American or the Leader give this
information to their readers? They
did not. They were painfully silent
concerning the fact that the league