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
I could stand that. So I took the volume of the House Journal and a copy
of my telegram to President Wilson, and went down to the office of the
Associated Press in the Ernest & Cranmer Building, and saw Mr. A. C.
Rowsey, with whom I had talked over the phone the night before. He was
very pleasant and friendly; and I wish to state that the attitude
manifested by the Associated Press in this test case was in no way due
to any personal difficulty or ill feeling. Mr. Rowsey showed himself a
gracious host, and I never had a more pleasant interview with anyone.
I showed him the House Journal, and he read the four pages with
interest. He read my telegram to the President, and then stated that
they would refuse to carry it, as they had refused to carry the one they
had got from the “News” on the previous day. His explanation was that it
was the policy of the Associated Press “to avoid controversy.” If they
once got started they would never know where to stop.
I said, “But Mr. Rowsey, this controversy is the most important item of
news on the Colorado situation tonight. I have here put before you
indisputable documentary evidence that Governor Ammons has lied to
President Wilson; and surely the public would want to know that fact.
Surely the public has at least a right to know of the charge, and to
make up its own mind as to its truth or falsity.” Mr. Rowsey’s answer
was, “Our wire from Colorado is very much crowded these days, and this
controversy does not seem to us to be news.” I said, “Very well, Mr.
Rowsey; will you now permit me to hand to you this letter, which I have
drafted to serve as a record of the circumstances.”
He took the letter and read as follows:
Denver, Colo., May 18, 1914.
CORRESPONDENT ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Denver, Colorado.
_Dear Sir_:
Yesterday I sent President Wilson a telegram, which I believed and
still believe was of vital public importance. A copy of this telegram
was put into your hands last night by the “Rocky Mountain News” and
was refused by you. I now offer you a second telegram, bearing upon
this subject. At the same time I offer for your inspection a copy of
the House Journal in order that you may verify the truth of the
statements contained in my telegram to President Wilson. I shall
first, in a personal interview, politely request you to send this
telegram over your wires. If you refuse to do so, I shall—in order to
put you upon record—place this letter in your hands and request you to
sign the statement below. If you refuse to sign it, I shall understand
that you refuse to send out this telegram over your wires, and I shall
proceed to send it to the papers myself, and I shall subsequently take
steps to make these circumstances known to the public.
Respectfully,
UPTON SINCLAIR.
MR. UPTON SINCLAIR, City:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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