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The Commoner
..14
'VOL- 15, NO. 7
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history when wo arc tn duty bound to apply the
"highest ethical standards.
Let mo present in a picturo drawn from com
mon life tho lesson for today: if you see.a young
mother, looking with admiring eyes upon her ten-year-old
hoy, what compliment do you pay her
aon, if you desiro to please her? There is one
Which alio will appreciate more than any other
"Plow well and strong your boy is." She is con
cerned about his physical development and re
joices in his vigor and freedom from disease.
Ton years later, when he is nearing the close of
his college course and she is watching his every
. step with motherly solicitude what message do
you, bring her then, if you would cheer her heart?
, There is ono that she will prize above all others
"Your son leads his class; his mind is clear,
his reasoning accurate; he is the favorite scholar
in his school." Her heart will swell with pride;
. alio knew it would ho thus, but it makqs nor
lrappy to hear that her expectations have been
realized. Thirty years later visit that mother,
when the silver threads have multiplied and her
hair is white with the frost of eighty winters
. what words concerning her son delight, her then?
. That ho is big and strong? No; sho is not think
ing of his physical strength. That he is the in
tellectual peer of the best 'n his community; no;
her thoughts are not upon his mind. How can
. you make her heart glad? Tell her that he is
GOOD; that ho is the enemy of every public ovil
. and a pillar of support to every righteous cause;
that his sympathies go out to all who need a
friend. Give her this message and tears of joy
will All her eyes; all her trials will bo forgotten;
sho will have been rewarded for all her sacri
fices; she will feel that she has not lived in vain.
And does not this change take place in the
meaning of our flag? In the beginning it spoke
of strength a strength that achieved .independ
ence and started the nation on its superb career.
And then, as our constitution inspired the mak
ing of other constitutions, and as statutes were
, modeled after ours, our flag proclaimed con
structive genius and leadership in tho science of
government; but now an hundred millions labor
in peace under tho Stars and Stripes, while the
world outside groans under the burdens of war,
and brqthers imbrue their hands with brother's
blood. At such an hour ps this, when the Old
World has gone mad and the times seem out of
joint, our flag must mean more than the glory
of war; it must be more than a flaunting boast
of intellectual power. Wo can not woo the
world away from its woes by mental processes;
they lack the warmth that the present situation
demands. The heart, overflowing with sympathy
and animated by good will this, and this only,
,' is etjual to the delicate and difficult task that falls
t id the United States. This is the task for which
a great nation has prepared itself; this is the
task for which our people are ready. Is not this
the message which our nation waves to the world
in the folds of its flag? May the God of our fa
thers give us light and keep our feet in the path
of truth as wo strive to fulfill tho high mission
to which He has called our country.
JOURNALISM
(Abstract of an address delivered by William
Jennings Bryan at tho Panama Pacific Interna
tional Exposition, before the International Press
Congress, July 6th, 1915.)
Mr. Chairman, President Beteta, Ex-President
Williams, Ladies and Gentlemen:
. Tho effort which Mr. Williams made to dis
tinguish between the journalist and the Btates
man reminds me of a witty remark which I heard
while I was in congress. A newspaper man called
xne to the door of tho house of representatives to
' ask mo a question. When I showed some hesita
tion about answering him he reassured me by
gaying "You need not bo afraid to trust mo. I
am talking to you now as a gentleman, not in my
capacity as a newspaper man." It was a nice
distinction, but ono which is not, really necessary,
because there is no reason why a gentleman can
not bo a newspaper man or a newspaper man a
-gentleman. With rare exceptions, tho journal
ists whom I have met have been both. And so
there, is no necessary distinction between being
a -journalist .and a statesman. There is no rea
son why a statesman should not be a journalist
anct really no reason why a journalist should not
bo statesmanlike. Wo have had two illustrations
of this in tho incoming president, and in tho re-'
.tiring president. The address of President Be
iVta to which we have just listened is sufficient
Jjfoof that ho is not only a journalist but that
;:iJi3, a grasp upon tho matters with which
statesmen deal no ono could listen to tho pro
found philosophy which ho presented without
being convinced of this. And, having known the
retiring president, Mr. Walter Williams, for more
than twenty years, I can testify that he is not
only one of tho foremost journalists of the coun
try but also that he has dealt most intelligently
with matters of government.
It is a pleasure and a privilege to participate
in this important meeting of the international
peace congress. None of you go beyond me in
the estimate which you place upon the position
and the power of journalism in this ago. It is
not only a great profession but it is tho profes
sion which has tho largest opportunity, and, if
rightfully used, can exert the widest influence.
Tho journalist even has some advantages over
the statesman if he chooses to deal with public
questions in a statesmanlike way. Whilo ho is
denied the satisfaction of sympathetic commun
ion with an audience, his pen carries farther than
tho voice can reach and he can make his appeals
more frequent and more continuous.
Whenever I have occasion to describe my work
in a single word I call myself a journalist, and,
having for more than two years felt the re
straints which official position imposes upon ut
terance, I find satisfaction in being able to enter
again tho field of newspaper discussion. Often
when reading editorials which I thought ought
to be answered, but to which I was not at liberty
to reply, I have recalled a story which I heard
some years ago. A man went to the theatre on
a pass; the play was very bad and tho actors
were hissed and hooted, but the man who en
tered on a complimentary ticket felt that the
proprieties of the occasion required him to keep
still. Finally, one of the audience, noticing that
he did not join in expressions of. disapproval,
went to him and protested against his silence.
You do not want it understood that you like
this play, do you?" he was asked. "NO" replied
tho man with tho pass, "I do not liko this play
any better than the rest of you, but I came in
on a pass; I promise you this, however, if this
thing gets much worse I will go out and buy a
ticket and then I'll bo as emphatic as any of
you." I am now in a position to criticise my
brother editors as well as to bo criticized by
them.
In such a presence it will not be necessary to
speak of the minor temptations which come to
the journalist but you will pardon a word as
to the temptation which probably comes most
often, namely, the temptation to attempt to win
favor by writing simply to please. One is not to
bo blamed for finding pleasure in being agree
able, but. an editor who does his duty can not.
always please everybody, and the effort to do so
is apt to be as fatal to him as it was to chame
leon of which you have probably heard. A man,
visiting the home of a friend, became interested
m a pet chameleon. Meeting his friend a few
months afterwards he inquired about the liUle
animal. "It is dead" said the owner. "Dead?
Why how did that happen?" inquired tho' friend.
Well, said the owner, "It was very accommo
dating and seemed to take pleasure in , exhibiting
its accomplishments.. I would put it upon a piec
of red cloth and it would turn red; then I wouW
put it upon a green cloth and it would turn
green, and so on; but ono day a visitor insisted
that I put it on a piece of Scotch plaid and ho
poor little i thing killed itself trying to match tho
colors. It is impossible for an editor to nwtcli
all colors, and ho will find it better, in tho pihI
to pursUo a consistent course; if he speaks frank
ly to his readers and establishes a reputation for
candor and sincerity they will give weight to hi
words. a
Assuming that it is your desire to increase the
usefulness of tho press and to seo it conducted
. nJf "Sheet possible plane the only means bv
which its usefulness can reach a maximum I
venture to suggest threo things which, in mv
judgment, will givo a larger influence to tl o
journalist. J
No one can fail to note that the weekly paper
owned and edited by tho same person, exerts in
arger influence in proportion to tho uSbe of
its subscribers than the big daily newspapWs
owned by a corporation, controlled by influerc;
which are, unknown to its readers and edited
Lm? f Persons ir whose names and I per
sonalities the people aro unacquainted. The rea
son for this is obvious; as the strength! of a
speech depends, not so much upon what tho .man
says as upon tho character of tho man behind th
speech, so the influence of an editorial depend
not upon the number of those who read it ba"
upon the faith that tho reader have ntto char
acter of the man who writes the ed itorialor is
responsiblo for 4U H -fo-toud to form an est"
mate of the value of an editorial unless w i,
tho man. and know that the editorial 2L now
the honest conviction of a disinterested8868
in whose uprightness we have confidence
The way, therefore, to higher journalism n.
along the line of publicity as to the reaHnflJ
ences which control the paper. Until w thin I
few years tho people of the United States w
no way of knowing who owned the papers which
they read, and, therefore, no way of judS
what pecuniary interest the owners had in mh
informing the public. We now have a law which
compels a paper to reveal its ownership and thl
pecuniary obligations which rest upon the na
per. The law also adds a very important to
quirement, namely, that advertisements shall bo
so indicated that tlie reader will know what k
paid for and what represents the conscience and
judgment of the owner or editor of the panr
It is astonishing that it took so long to secure
the information which the public is now able to
obtain in regard to the ownership of papers
strange that a newspaper which lives on publi
city should avoid publicity as to itself. Until a
short time ago some of our newspapers were like
a dark lantern they .threw light upon every
thing except themselves, and it was not a" matter
. of surprise that those papers which employed
dark lantern methods were being used by mon
who exhibited some of the characteristics of a
burglar.
I do not know that it will be possible to give
the public legal protection from the injury dona
by those journalists who put the passion for sen
sational news above the desire that the truth
shall be stated accurately. We must trust the
readers to punish this violation of newspaper
ethics by giving support to those papers which
are able to withstand the temptation to print
"tlie news" before they have authentic informa
tion. There are, however, some things that can he
done by law for the protection of the public, ami
my experience in the state department leads roe
suggest that it would contribute to the welfare
of the public, as well as to the standing of jour
nalism, to require the owner of a newspaper to
make known to his readers any pecuniary in
terest which he has in the governmental policy
Which he recommends. If, for instance, he ad
vocates intervention in the affairs of another
country, his readers' have a right to know wheth
er his interest in intervention is in any respect
different from the public interest that is,
whether he would reap a profit while tho people
bore the expense. . And for the same reason, if a
newspaper urges annexation of territory, his
readers have a right to know whether annexation
would be of personal and pecuniary profit to
him.
If a newspaper urges an increase in the naval
and military appropriations, it is only fair that
the readers should know whether the owner has
a pecuniary interest in the building of battle
ships, or in the manufacture of arms and amrmi
nition, or in army contracts. If a newspaper
adopts a policy calculated to create friction be
tween this country and other countries and to
stir up passions which might lead to war, it is
only fair that the publicrknow whether the own
er of the paper is pecuniarily interested in pro
ducing a feeling of alarm which can be used to
support a demand for "greater preparedness."
. And co, if a newspaper opposes effective rail
road regulation, its readers ought to know
whether -the owner of the paper is also an owner
of railroad stock; if & newspaper tries to con
vince its readers that a trust is an economic ben
efit to tho nation, its readers ought to know
whether' the proprietor owns trust stock; if a
newspaper opposes municipal ownership of mu
nicipal franchises, the readers ought to know
whether his, views on the subject are affected ly
tho ownership of stock in such enterprises.
In suggesting that the public should know sucii
materia facts as would enable it to properly
weigh tho editorial utterances of; a newspaper, i
am only proposing that we apply to the news
paper tho principles that have long been applies
in courts of justice. If wo regard a journalist
as a witness and the editorial page as testimony,
wo should remember that the witness is always
subjected to cross-examination and that tho first
question Qsked in, as to his -interest in tho resmi
of 1 hk .case. If - orf cross-examination, he aa"
closes a, pecuniary interest in the" success or tnu
side for which ho testifies, that interest is Iwa
, taken into- consideration ;in determining '
Mveight to bo given to hin testimony. t n
If- wo give to the journalist -a still "tener?n
sition and invest him with the authority oi
judge to decide for his -readers questions oi w
teresbito.tho public, then 'there is still more ie
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