Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1925-01-15
Sinclair BOOK
reviewed BY
2OTKCENTURy
''The Brass Check" is
Subject of Interest
ing Discussion By
Mrs. Edward Gle
mons

TIL members Of the 10th Century
club who met at the home of Mrs.
e M. Doll Thursday afternoon lis
tened to O review Of half Of Upton
Sinclairs book "The Brass CHECK"
given by Mrs. Edward Clemens.
According to Mr.. Sinclair's esti-
mate Of himself as a boy he was
model of Department. hater OF
lies and injustice-and believing
that all he read in the daily New
York Sun was true. The editor Of
which was a wit and cynic who
thought that everything new in
the world should be Knocked at and
denounced. From the New York
Evening Post young Sinclair learn
ed that American politics are rot
ten 1t did not occur to him that
the front page of civic rOttenness
might be the means Of selling more
copies, or of diverting the public
mind from larger and more respec-
table forms of graft" Mr.. Sin
clair's Introduction to journalism
was in the guise of reporter at the
age Of 1G. In one week he earned
the sum of $267 which ended his
d career as reporter. At dime nov
el writing Mr. Sinclair claims he
made fabulous sums-while puzzl-
ing over the fact that such cheap
and silly writing should command
good prices, he was assured by the
editors that it was what the public
wanted and he wondered how
much the editor were to blame for
giving such stuff to their readers.
The newspapers revealed the ex-
istance of lies and injustice, but
did nothing more than support
reform candidate or two-whO did
nothing but get elected Disgust
cd because a book was judged by
its selling qualities, rather than
merit, young Sinclair buried him
( self in Canada in an effort to write
worth while material in spite of be
ing told it would not sell.
In Mr.. Sinclair's book "The
Jungle" which dealt with the
meat packing business, exposing
the poor conditions for the work
ers unclean methods, and sale of
diseased meat, he shows at some
Bee Trust and the publisher. Vim
dicat on came for Mr.. Sinclair when
the commission appointed by Pres
length the attack upon some of the
ident Roosevelt made it's report.
All through this uproar Mr.. Sin
clair found the newspapers abar to
getting something dOne-they were
q concrete wall against publicity.
He says throughout the whole
campaign against the beef trust
they never sent out a single line
injurious to the interests Of the
packers. It is Mr.. Sinclair's theory
that with few exceptions American
newspapers represent private in
terests, and not public interests.
A year after the first packing
town investigation there was d
second but only the Socialist pap
or took the matter up-nothing Mr..
Sinclair could do got his story
printed not even in England for
fear Of libel suits no doubt they
were influenced by newspaper sol
idarity and he adds There are
few magazines that dare attack
the Steel Trust and there are no
politicians who dare it-our billion
dollar corporation is sacred"
A delightful social time followed
the discussion, and delicious re
freshments were served to an
appreciative company
The next meeting will be at the
home Of Mrs. Armor Brown Mrs.
Charles Hackett will review the
second half of THE Brass Check