The people's voice., 1943-12-10
FROM EDITORIAL COLUMNS
Senator Murray and Montana's
Kept Press

Recently Senator Murray issued statement in
which he called attention the ownership control of the
Montana daily newspapers by the company inter
This statement with his argu-
before favor of the Bankhead bill
providing for purchase advertising nations by
the The senator the
treatment which the COMPANY" press had given him.
Senator Murray mailed these statements to var
persons in Montana including newspapers Some
of the few independent of the state published the
Murray statement
Apparently the cold cogent Murray state
ment nfurated somebody high company headquarters for
the including the Daily Missoulan Novem
Der 9th published what designed to be to the
Murray statement The purpored prepared by the
Montana Standards brilliant editor E. Leipheimer
alluded the fundamental charges made by Senator
Murray These main charges that the big corporation
kept press in Montana its special vested
interests that by divers contrves for the public sup
port of such to poison the news Failure
equivalent to admission to these main
charges VI course 1t not important because tnat portion
the public which is alert has long been cognzant of the
fact of company domination of the bulk of the press
The of Mr. Leipheimer that certain occasions
the has printed certain pictures of Senator
Murray and articles concerning him does not
the heart of the controversy, and it did, must
admitted that the company has accorded Senator
Murray shabby treatment Activities of u senator
from the state in which newspaper is published
be news whether the management of the paper in
cord with the senator's viewpoint AS much The
Western News disagrees with and scorn Senator Wheel
Montanas neighbong Glacier Park always
careful to publish and all pertinent facts with respect
the unmgated scoundrel the company press doesn't like
Senator Murray is very does not it should
least report his activities SENATOR they affect the
and nation There but SO in the entire
by discerning such alert editors who not gagged
All of the foregoing brings to the consideration of
porate control of the Certainly control of the by
special privilege seeking not in the best interests
of the public doubt it will that point But
that is at least questionable if such control
in the long runs to the best interest of the corporation
itself Gradually suspicion bound into the public
that control be exercised for of dubi
public What the corporation might concev
ably gain through control of which likely to result in
control of public opinion could easily cost the corporation
loss of public esteem the company anything
about what people in Montana think about R And if it
not the time will day when aroused public
the contempuous treatment accorded Montana
because the states wealth is being extracted and
ported for the benefit of outsiders while the commonwealth
given taxes because of corrupt
political CONTROL exercised to large extent because of
control of the press will take that might possibly
of that mered 1t is subject worth while for
the high mogus of the Anaconda to ponder if they
much interested in tomorrow today In passing it might
that Senator Murray rendered another
in bringing the matter to public attention 1t dem
onsrate of unafad Independent service to his constituents
Of this the angushed explosion of printers ink the
of the company press eloquent after prolonged silence
part with respect to Senator Murray definite proof
Western News