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From tho Chicago Daily News.
Newspaper Criticized by Author
of Publicity Law
By Harold C. Foightner, StafC
Correspondent of Tho Star.
Rochestor, Ind., Sept. 9. Henry
A. Barnhart, former representative in
congress from the thirteenth Indiana
district and father of tho federal
postal law providing that newspapers
must publish semi-annually true
statements of their ownership, sees
in tho rocent, disclosures that the
Indianapolis News was secrotly con
trolled by the late Charles Warren
tago rato, thus perpetrating an im
position on tho home publisher and
home business man.
"But worst of. all was tUo baneful
influence of this veiled ownership in
precipitating a doubt in tho estima
tion of the public that journalism
was honest and could be trusted.
"When ouestionable interests
wanted to hamstring an honost editor
they would circulate a story that
his paper was owned by some unpop
ular interest in the community arid
it would be only a short time until
half tho neonle in the community
would at least half believe the story-
was true.
"So tho bill was framed with the
hoartv oo-nneration and indorsement
of nowsnanor men who were anxious
'to have the real ownership of their
competitors and traducers revealed.
.NEWS UNDER VEILED OWNER-.
SHIP
"At the time of the consideration
of the law I had never hoard it said
that tho Indianapolis News was co
vertly owned, but gome time after the
project of law I was advised by the
postal authorities that the News was
sailing under veiled ownership, but
inclined independent voters, but this
revelation that it has been sailing
under false pretenses in its owner
shin will onen tha even nf mnnv
honestly disposed independent voters I was not an executioner of the law
to the fact that they have been and gave the matter no further con-
oditnrfni ,..
UP cleanhS IT to fttf1
look fully rSto 5
ly with a vaiii., T ",id08oeniciJ;
or a disguised agent SiSfP
there discrediting Tjoun X ?W
laying public. ni"1'8 by W
ason I believe t"" Forth
editor and over7doJervln?rir hone
tbismohodnf !"
and publishers to u n
broad sunlight oi ! day T,UAln
11UD11C, Which naVB fnr n,m-7Q1DJ
nehonment, is en titled in Cn'
who's who in ,.3a knot
decides what's what" fre il
Wanted Ideas Jfts ffisfN
ojTrred for Invention., kin kJl&M&
VilTAJSSr
"DIVINE LOVE AND THSDOIT
Swpilenbore'a Krent work m to I If, nT
Correspondence of tlin UwirJ .. t V' D(r.U)i
adroitly flabbergasted in a journal
istic gypsy horse trade.
"I believe that the postofllce de
partment and department of justice
both ought to be notified of thn im
ported violation, of tho newspaper
Fairbanks, former vice-president 0ipul)licIty law by one the foremost
xi. r..ii..i ... - ... . . . , ilinwnnnnAra nf tlm nfn i i.
tho United States, a deliberate intent
to violate tho very thing the law was
intended to reveal.
tylr. Barnhart, who incurred bitter
opposition from many powerful
(Sources when he introduced his bill
making it mandatory that newspapers
must disclose their connection with
controlling interests, is jnuch inter-
osted in the disclosures attendant to
tho ownership of the News.
"If tho publisher of the Indiana
polis News," said Mr. Barnhart,
"made an affidavit of ownorship neg
lecting to indicate tho financial hold
ing of Mr. Fairbanks th.ere.ln, he
eidently not only- violated the news
paper publicity law and ought to
have had his paper barred from the
malls, under the provisions of the
law, but he committed perjury, and
as the publisher of as large and in
fluoncial and moral pretending pub
lication as the Now8, it seems to me
that justice would requiro that he
pay the penalty.
MEN AND MEASURES SCANDAL
IZED "The News has ever bedn ready to
traduce and Bcandalize men and
measures not in harmony with the
controlling interests of tho paper
and it never discriminated as between
good men and bad men when it
wanted to put its own interests or
tho political interests of its owners
across.
"The News has boon mistakenly
considered a criterion for honestly
RHEUMATISM
RECIPE
suz-
T will crladlv Ronrt nnv T1innni
frtVnr n. Slmnln Horh TJonln Au!..Vhl
Fi'QQ that CQmplotoly Cured me of a tor
rlblo attack of muscular and Inflamm
atory Rheumatism ot loner standing aftor
everything olso I trld had failed me i
have Riven it to many sufrcrors who bo
"levod their cases hopoless, yet they fonnit
rcliof from their Buffering by taking
these slmPlo herbs. It also rollevos Sci
atica promptly as woll as Neuralgia and
is a wondorful blood purlflor. You at?
most welcomo to this Herb Itcclnn If vnn
will send for It at once. I believe you win
consldor It a God-Send after you Have!
it. to tho test. There is nothing InJurJSi
contained in it. and you can see for your!
self eaqtly what you are talclnjr I tviu
-nto any sufferer who will send name ami
0S Masfnolla. Ave0 Lo AbkcIch. AuV
r !
newspapers of the state and the one
of all others that has nosed an an
'holier than thou' publication. I am
quite sure there is law enough in tho
statute books and if the officials will
do their duty the publisher of the
News will furnish an illustrious ox
ample that it doesn't pay to willfully
deceive the public in the ownership
and publication of a great news
paper. NO THOUGHT OF DECEPTION
"Tho contemplation of the law was
to enlighten all readers of the news
papers of the ownershln tin a !
mces behind the editorial policy of
iiupuuuuons iiKe tne Indianapolis
News, but of course, it was never
contemplated that the publishers of
the big newsnanora would tw ri
ceiveho public by making deceptive
uuiuuvus oi ownersnip."
Mr.' Barnhart also told of the fight
he encountered when ho intrnrii,,
in the house in 1912 and of the rea
sons that prompted tho introduction.
Mr. Barnhart owned the Rochester
Sentinel for many years prior to his
entrance to concress ami u -moo i,
position as a newspaper editor and
imuuBuer mat enabled him to swing
the necessary support behind the,
"It had become almost common
scandal," he said, "amori Hia nwo.
paper profession that certain pub-
iuh.iuuh were oeing financed by
questionble interests. For instance,
the head of the harvHor ti.of ,.,
the owner of some of the most in-
uuenuai political newspapers in the1
country, it developed later that
liquor and other interests had large
?S ?,nS? ,n the metrPtan press
and either provided the money out
right, or to put men in charge of
their publications. . E
TACTICS OF "BIG BUSINESS"
"Furthermore. TinimMoCT ...At.
questionable motives- would put their
-luuuor- au piants ana thus influence
the editorial policy. It used to bo
rumored that there wn ni" ..
paper in Chicago that was owned by
ivo uiiegea puDiisner. If
Besides financlnc nanom fiL'
manner, many bie hiiHinoaa ji
would publish tradfi inr.irf x -i",f:
ous kinds and thus, get advertising1
:. through the mails at a, nominal pOS?
sideration."
Mr. Barnhart's original bill called
for a fine failure to 'publish a true
statement of tho ownership of news
papers, but the measure was amended
in. the seirate to provide fdr suspen
sion from the mails aa a penalty. As
the law stands a publication wilJ be
denied the privileges of the mailfc if
it fails to comply with the provisions
of the law within ten days after
notice by registered mail to publish
its true ownership. Postmasters; how
ever, are enjoined in instructions ac
companying the law that the mail
shall be denied a publication dnlyon
order from departmental . authorities
The first speeQh 'Mr. Barnhart made
in behalf of his measure was in the
house of representatives on April 27,
1912, and the congressional record
of that date shows that he was sub
ject to interrogations by federal mem
bers including Representative Mann.
who seemed especially interested in
juarniiart's charges that the" harvester
trust controlled certain Chicago
papers.
POINTS TO EVIL INFLUENCES
The former representative called
attention to his address aB typifying
his views in the present case.
"Journalism of today," said Mr,
Barnhart in that sneech. "ia ton
largely under unjust suspicion of be
ing controlled by evil influences, and
this is but the result of many news
papers and magazines naradincr in
such a way as to make themselves
appear to be anonymous publications.
This, in the very nature ot things,
not only invites the mmstfoti nf HiAir
editorial motives, by rei&oii of their
veiled management, but "subjects
the press generally to thin im ton n-
persion that corrupt or 'selfish inter-
w vwum,v mo eumuiiu sentiment
of the day." ii l' .
This is a baneful (Wrltfif&i
tinued Mr. Barnhart, "which in jus
tice to honest journalism and a de
serving public ought to be corrected.
If there be circulating mr):.,ma
which bear false witness, . let the
imuuu khow or their inspiration. If
there be editors who noil thntir t,i0
for a mass of pottage, their identity
should be kmown, and if their news
papers or other periodicals published
to promote corrupt practices or prey
upon the credulity of the people by
covertly upholding avarice and greed,
upon them ofopublIcity'BhInul
public Entitled to tuth
Mr. Barnhart onnniiwiAt: l '
dress amid applause by saying: "The
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