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
In regard to Sinclair’s declaration that the word “mediation” did not
appear in the resolution appointing a committee to investigate the
strike, Ammons explained:
“Probably that particular word does not occur, but a reading of the
resolution will show that it gives the legislative committee power ‘to
assist in settling the strike.’ If that isn’t mediation I’d like to
know the true meaning of the word.”
I felt pretty sick when I read that interview; I thought the Governor
must “have” me for sure! With sinking heart I went and procured a copy
of the House Journal, to see if I could possibly have overlooked such a
phrase as “to assist in settling the strike.” I read over line by line
the three pages of the bill, and the one page of amendment; and, behold,
there was no such phrase: “to assist in settling the strike.” There was
nothing in any way remotely suggesting it! On the contrary, there was
the explicit statement of the purposes of the committee “_to generally
investigate all matters connected with said strike; that remedial
legislation may be enacted_ AT THE NEXT GENERAL ASSEMBLY _which will
tend to prevent_ A RECURRENCE OF INSURRECTION AND PUBLIC DISORDER.”
The Governor had lied again!
So then I wrote the Governor a letter. I said:
You have relied upon the fact that the man in the street has not
access to the volume of the House Journal, and will accept your
statements upon their face. This, of course, puts me at a cruel
disadvantage, for you are a prominent official and I am only an
“itinerant investigator.” But I propose, if possible, to compel you to
face this issue. I will name two friends as a committee to represent
me to settle this question at issue. I request you to name two
friends. I request you to point out to them in the measure in question
the word “mediation” or the phrase “to assist in settling the strike.”
Your two friends will then bring it to my two friends, who, seeing the
phrase in print in the House Journal, will be obliged to admit that I
am wrong. You have objected to my presence in the state, upon the
ground that I am meddling in the affairs of the people of Colorado.
Very well, sir, I hereby offer you a simple way to rid the state of my
presence. I hereby agree that if your two friends can point out to my
two friends the word or phrase in question, I will quit the borders of
your State within twenty-four hours and never return to it. Upon your
acceptance of this proposition, I shall name my two friends.
This letter was mailed to the Governor on Monday night; also copies were
mailed to the newspapers. At ten o’clock Tuesday morning, while
dictating my article for the “Appeal to Reason,” I called up Mr. F. G.
Bonfils, editor in charge and one of the owners of the “Denver Post.”
The following conversation occurred:
“Good morning, Mr. Bonfils; this is Upton Sinclair. Did you receive the
copy of the letter which I mailed to Governor Ammons last night?”
“I did.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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