The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-06-05
FROM EDITORIAL COLUMNS
The Press Smears Congress

Indeed to read them you would imagine congress
sinking into decay ut endangered Mr. Clapper says by
it's own shallow incompetency."
Apparently none of these journalistic 1O-gun boys know
much American history for they did they would know
that this charge that has been eveed at every congress
since 1893
In Jacksons day, A. Richie of the Richmond En-
qurer the phrase around He said back
sliding the 1905 what Horace Greeley had to
about general caber of hardly fit to print
There has not been period in our history when an influential
of the did not denounce congress as beng coli
lection of mediocrities.
Mr. CIapper's Complaint
Now we do not want to be unfair to Ray Capper He is
about the best there among the coumnss He speaks
doubtless, for most of his colleagues.
And it is precisely that the
of congress- sweeping certain portions OF the
press deserves be examined little codly.
Mr. Capper makes certain amazing about
congress- Now, if they true they serious indeed Ii
they they should be revealed for exactly what they
are: namely nonsense
forum of discussion and that is not doing that people
give damn what the average senator or
says they what hear is SO
cent pe ignorance and demagoguery and not TO DE re-
lied on"
Furthermore he says there such need for in
elgent informed discussion of public affairs Not the
coumn but senators and representatives should
be developing and leading the thinking OF the country at TINS
time Since WebsterHayne Debates people want
to know what Dorothy Thompson and Walter Lppmann
think
Now Mr. Clapper former head of the United Press
bureau in Washington AS such he has kept in close touch
with congress Presumably he is frequently in the press
Therefore he knows-or should know-that the debates
in congress today of them significant and enghtenng
are NOT reported in the press.
That is not controversial statement That is simple
What the reasons are for is here beside question
The truth is that beginning about 1870 American newspapers
which had printing the debates for more than
century, abandoned the practice And when they did
they shut off from the American people large ana I'M
portant source OF information
Where the Blame Rests
Do not misunderstood do not say these debates
should be revived in print However, more OF them should
be printed than in the form of hghights and summaries
what important and is serious is that Raymond
Cappe anybody else speaking for the press should nave
eonery ndct for state OF affairs that the
press and not congress- is responsible for.
The truth is there isn't major problem today-Whether
be rubber sugar. nternatonas cartetha the pub
lie could acquired exceptional amount OF ntorma
on about six months ago the press reported debates and
significant speeches congress did not do has
done the period and the average reader
learns about these things until some freak incident
the testimony of witness before senate commit
tee brings them to the front of the newspapers
Incidentally speaking of the Webster-Haynes PERIOD
these in congress- others incredibly dull and
derous efforts only by dramatic gestures and great
presence today Senator Bone of Washington or La Fol
i'm 20 minutes than Webster could in two hours.
Indeed who has written extensively on the pre-
Civil War period when the performed its duty to con-
gress the whole nation vast public FORUM would
say ratio of brilliant and able men in the present con-
gress higher than of that me and that the IN
both the and house which, for the most part go une
ported in press today far interesting and sig
nifican informative than those that filled the columns
of the Washington papers century ago!
Why only few weeks ago, Rep Celer of New York,
distinguished scholar in his right and Rep James r.
OConnor of Montana participated debate the most
tightening discussions heard and not line appeared
in anv washington newspaper except sentence News
announcing that Rep OConnor had called for investigation
of the sugar shortage!
Smear Congress" Campaign
Almost every day brings similar discussions Yet the SIM
pie and fact is the press does not touch them
Nor is this situation where here and there isolated
story is overlooked If that the Mr. Clapper would
be absolutely precisely right 1t possible to take almost
any the Congressional Record and point to
which, adequately summarized would be en-
Tightening informative than any Town Hall forum any
of the pontfcaon of Dorothy Thompson Walter ppmann
Indeed about the only time the press dips into debate
for story especially if the debate of academic character
in an where the debates revove around criticism of
specific individual Jesse Jones Edgar Hoo
ver Criticism, but not information, is i
yes this not denying that much of what transpires
congress routine technical unmportant all three
but from 80 per cent-enough to fill newspaper of
eight pages with interesting and significant headness more
worthy printing full than the utteances Congress
that were so fully recorded hundred years ago.
Yet have Mr.. Capper loudly insisting that what is said