People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1895 — A LITTLE DISCUSSION. [ARTICLE]

A LITTLE DISCUSSION.

THE DAILY PRESS DEPRAVES THE PUBLIC CONSCIENCE. Do You Realize That Plutocracy Controls Every Line of Telegraphic News That Goes Into the Great Dally Papers of This Did you know that a control of the press by any one person or class was dangerous to the public welfare —and that no republic has ever been able to survive it? Did you know this, my friend? If not, why did you not know it? Was not a free press lauded in your childhood? Why? Let history tell. And yet you know that seven men, or that a certain number, all men of wealth, and bond-creators, control every line of news that enters the daily press! You know this, my friend. You certainly know it—we instst upon it that you are aware of the fact. You certainly know of the Associated Press (and the United Press with the same stockholders or paper owners.) Do you now fly in the face of all human history, and declare that this press control is safe? Oh no. But you do not realize the extent and the awfulness of the blanketspread despotism. You do not realize that this agency of aristocracy controls all the columns of every daily paper except the editorial and the local —and the local is now prepared by the “Press Agent” where it is of general importance.

Who are these men? Why, Jay Gould owned 3-llths of the combination before he died. Men like Russell Sage, bogus bond creators, and trust and loan companies, make up the entire “company.” Do they suppress? The ignorance of the American people upon great national transpirations is absolutely abominable. Civil war in Tennessee was carried on at Coal Creek, and sentry fires illumed the bordering ridges for three months before a line of news reached the press—and then because the miners captured the stockade. Bloodshed took place in the Berlin riot —but the press says, “not a drop of blood was spilled.” Strikes are won triumphantly—the press says, “the men gave in.” The people’s party have a love feast with 8,000 northern blues, southern grays and labor delegates. The press informs the world —“Populism Split Asunder!” The world is informed that a gigantic national association demands unsecured worthless money, printed by “wagon loads!” Whereas the populists are the first political organization to demand that worthless, wind-secured, debt-creating national bank and other bank currency shall cease to exist—that every dollar shall be secured with two or four times its face value—shall be as changeless as the everlasting hills —and shall be a debt-payer and not a debt-producer. The people are crammed with lies about anarchists —about bombs —about European conclaves and American banditti, and all manufactured lies —the bombs are placed by hired villians (See sworn statement of Chicago Chief of Police) and the U. S. Deputy Marshals are arrested in the very act of burning cars, and firing pistols over the heads of troops. Meantime the press depraves the public conscience—reduces patriotism and statecraft to base-ball and golf—and makes public gambling reputable. It sustains the vast combines, the fearful trusts which control the price of food —until the western farmer gets l%c for his beef, and the Chicago citizen, three days after, pays 20c per pound for the same. And still our good citizens —seeing prosperity destroyed, constitutions wrecked and public morality debased — will vote the same cruel organizations Into power—year after year.—East and West.