Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-06
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

THIS is my annual lecture TO
Il the newspaper editors, deliv-
cred in the tone and spirit of
professional newspaperman who
perceiveS that the free press of
this country has developed a
disgusting vice which has de-
graded the character of our
journalism and brought discredit
on one of the most important
institutions of the nation.
When Harold Ickes sneers at
the press we know he speaks
from the heart of a man who
tried to be a journalist and like
so many other embittered cas-
ualtleS of competitive life. bears
malice toward an occupation in
which he was unable to distin-
guish himself.
He has contradicted himself,
moreover, in holding, once. that
editors wrongfully suppressed
opinions favorable to the New
Deal and. later, that the editors
could not escape responsibility
for expressions by columnists
hostile to the administration by
pleading that they were merely
providing a form for free dis
cHSSion.
INCIDENTALLY, when. a few
L years ago. Mr.. Ickes charged
me with submitting to censor
ship. !, being quick to repartec.
reminded him that only short
time before he had Cancelled
speech which he had planned to
deliver. because PreSiden
Roosevelt thought it best that
he should keep a still tongue in
has head on that topic at that
time.
/ rather hold with Mr. Ickes'
second thought T. that editors
have responsibility to the
country and 10 the free press.
TO exercise careful judgment in
editing. or, if you will. censor
ing matter which they buy from
the package-goods syndicates.
or course that applies to
these dispatches. because | am
a columniSt. or trained seal. and
work under a constant aware
ness that 1t were wrong of me
10 use the white paper which
IS ordinarily allotted 10 me 10
blackguard personal enemies or
advertise the careers or other
interests of personal friends.
4 NY man or woman who has
"A been really schooled in the
newspaper business as a re-
porter instinctively will investi-
gate the facts of any given case
and try TO give a fair report.
Certainly there is no excuse
for the daily presentation all
over the United States of canned
Journalism produced by indi-
Nlduals VINO are VIGOROUSLY dis
honest and personally vindictivc
IN print 10 persons who decently
deSpise their loathsomeness.
When it has been Showp be-
yond question and without chal-
lengc, by chapter and verse.
that syndicate feature has "A
high-octane rating of deliberate
falsehoOd. unconfirmed and
scurrilouS rumor, scandal az
fecting the regulations of
women and pSychopathic malice.
and that the author of such
filth has none of the qualifica-
tons which a city editor would
demand of the greeneSt cub, the
editor who attempts to evade
his own responsibility makes
himself a party TO the offense
against the public and the free
dom of the press.
And no editor among the many
who are guilty of this practice
can plead that he does not know
the facts. They all know ex-
actly what they are doing.
THEY know. moreover. that
Il any reporter on their local
StaffS who habitually turned
into the desk false reports af-
iecting the regulations of local
citizens would be canned for
cause.
The explanation commonly
given by editors and publishers
for printing such bcstiality is
that it makes circulation and
that if they did not publish it
their rivals would. That. how
ever, only aggravates their Of
Tense against the community in
general and the press in partlcu-
lar
They have no more right 10
purvey poison for mere profit
than a doctor has to cultivate
the drug habit in his patients so
that they will have. to come
back for new prescriptions.
This is no proposal that dis
cussion and opinion be sup
pressed and that journalistic in
itiative and enterprise be put
down.
Editors know the difference
between discussion and opinion
based on fact and legitimate
controversy and the malignant
exploitation of the personal
envies and resentments of
easily recognizable and notori-
Gus vermin.
They can tell at a glance the
difference between an honest
professional job of reporting and