The Brass Check: A Study of American JournalismSinclair, Upton
General
The Brass Check: A Study of American Journalism
Sinclair, Upton
Associated Press; Journalism -- United States; Press -- United States
The “Rocky Mountain News” had been for many years a hide-bound
corporation newspaper, but at this moment the owner of the paper had, so
I was told, some kind of a personal quarrel with the coal operators. At
any rate, he had placed in charge a young Chicago newspaper man, Wm. L.
Chenery, with orders to publish the truth. That the “News” was not
favoring me personally will be clearly seen from the fact that on
Tuesday morning it published a ferocious attack upon me by Gov. Ammons,
and refused to publish a word of what I offered in reply. Nevertheless,
on Monday morning the “News” published a two-column editorial headed:
“To the Patriots of Colorado.” Says the “News”: “Not one word about
mediation is contained in the entire resolution. The committee is given
no power to mediate. They may investigate, examine and report, and that
is all.” And elsewhere the editorial says: “A committee on mediation has
not been provided for; and none has been appointed. Think of the
inutterable weakness of such conduct! Think of its stupidity!”
Such was the voice of unprejudiced opinion in the city of Denver on the
subject of the Governor’s telegram. And what did the country hear about
the controversy? Not a word! The Associated Press had all facts. It came
to the “News” office and got everything the “News” had; and it sent out
not one word! On the contrary, the Associated Press did its best to
persuade the country that the President was pleased with Ammons’ reply.
It sent out the following:
Washington, May 16.—President Wilson expressed satisfaction with the
situation after he received Governor Ammons’ reply late tonight. It
was said by officials in close touch with the President that Wilson
was greatly pleased with what had been done after he had been informed
by Governor Ammons of the work of the Colorado legislature, and that
he hoped the State would assume control of the situation in the near
future so the Federal troops might be withdrawn.
That this was an Associated Press invention, made to help out the poor
Governor, was made clear the next morning by the “News,” whose own
correspondent wired the following:
Washington, May 17.—At the White House it was stated that nothing had
been given out which would justify the statement printed in some of
the morning papers that the President is entirely satisfied with the
telegram received yesterday from Governor Ammons.
I was by this time thoroughly wrought up over the situation, determined
that the country should somehow hear the truth. I besieged the offices
of the Denver newspapers; as a result the “Denver Post,” on Monday
afternoon, published on its front page, with a heading in large red
letters, an interview with Governor Ammons, in which that worthy
denounced me as an “itinerant investigator,” also as a “prevaricator.”
The Governor’s defense on the point at issue was this:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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