Truth THE IMPOTENCY OF THE DAILY PRESS.

NZ Truth, Issue 173, 10 October 1908, Page 4

Truth

THE IMPOTENCY OF THE DAILY PRESS.

PUBBISHBD EVI3KY SAIHJJUDA? MOBNING' AT LUKE'S LANE"(OER 1 ]\IANNERS- . street), .\VEriiii::qc-;>:r, N.Z. - Subscription (m advance), 135.: , ■ ■ PER ANNUM. ' OCTOBER 10, 1908.

A ROWLAND FOR ITS OLIVER. Since Dr. Findlay, AUtfney-Gcncral of New Zealand, not, be it mentionscl by the will of the people, but by the £.raco of plutocratic -double-dealing -Prime Minister Joseph Ward, so tactically blundered, from a plutocratic polilical*,point cf, view, m t'he Legislative Council, by describing the cleaii and rigidly respectable daily press of New.- Zealand as a tirceily, . corrupt and mercenary en. iue. \he said dishonest and v ditty da'ly lress-, fitlr.cXe'.l at its most vuJnoiabla i;pinV, painted m ' -hts liveliest and Uuest colois, too morally weak, too supine, spunklcss and even ] cowedj and altb^etlier- unable and incapable" of proving Dr. Findl.-y a liar, las hit upon the hot nltrge.her new and . novel idea of hypocritica ly posing as the Phai-isee of old and has, metaphorically thanked God' that it was r.ot lite the other fellow, meaning honest, God-fear-ing, Law-abiding- and v.herev.ihal respectable journals of Ihe "N. r /. Truth" • .tyjje, ANliifh^ wittout fear oi be-

ing blamed as blasphemous can, like tli« Publican of old, ask its God to be merciful to such a sinner. What Dr. Findlay \said of the daily and dishonest press was too true. Perhaps, now he regrets his out-spokenness, but, fortunately, for all' time, his delectable delineation of the monstrously mongrel chai.acter ,of the daily newspapers, is on record m "Hansard," an "apparatus," if we may quote Salem Scudder m "The Octoroon," that cannot lie. "Truth," with its ■enormous circulation, published broadcast throughout the Dominion, Dr. Findlay s "fight-ing-speech," m so far as it mercilessly lashed the dishonest daily press, and m giving to the world this Ministerial opinion of a corrupt rich man's press, "Truth, '? by .the plutocratic press is now, more than ever, held to have lost /journalistic caste. Moreover, m combating the senseless suggestion that a blow was aimed at the Liberty of the Press, ''Tiuth," which raised its voice against an attempt, which may yet succeed, to crucify Labor on Mammon's Mount, which protested "against a diabolical attempt on the part of the plutocratic press to fill its coffers with the wealth of the rich candidate, while it imperilled by, a sinister silence and wicked suppression, tie chances cf .the poor and working- - man's poliitical aspirant, who, from poverty" and other causes, is unable to buy press patronage, "Truth" for thus daring to circumvent, and trip its not too'powerful journalistic and capitalist opponents, has, been variously dubbed "an unclean jotirmi I , " ' " the garbage press , " " the gutter .^yrcss," m fact, everything but f 'bl^cKmailin^ beasts, '■'■ a'l the while the daily - "papers ! have , been suppressing or attempting to hide the altogether top apparent fact that it, "Truth," is a thorn m its side, a black toolus 'that morally purged it of its corruption; Indeed, the cry is, "who will rid me of .'this turbulent print ?"

The abuse, the gutter, the ungrammatical language and the ' altogether frenzied tones of unfriendliness that the castigated and cornupt daily press, which, with one or two very notable exceptions, has employed, m its rigidly respectable columns, towards this humble- but <re-' markably popular journal, .though thoroughly indicating how low and coarse the plutocratic press prostitutes catf' descend is heartily reashed amd keenly appreciated as an outward manifestation of the hate which lias been engendered by "Truth's" intrusion into the political and social arena of New Zealand. The" condemnation and the Hatred ,cf a corrupt, pelf-pouching press is sought and appreciated. Its admiration and its approval signify to "Truth, that it had indeed sunk to such depths of degradation that it, had betrayed and "ratted" on those princi]Jlcs of a pure and honest democracy, that 'this ppaperr r m Australasia, has for twenty years or more always placed above all other motives. - That "Truth" is popular with thai people, that its circulation m Australasia is a tecord, arc far better rewards than the approving .pVos on the back by the .daily papers, ilr6 dij;3tors and proprietors of which have so' many axes, pecuniarily ami politically, to g^rind. -

The cry of tlie da^ly press that it is respectable, that its policy is dictated and actuated 'oy pure and noble motives, is .belied- at anyrate m Wellington., which is nearer home, by the daily talk m air most every commercial house m Wellington. The almost mongrel-like fight of the daily paper advertisement gathe^-is, for the advt. bone,, tihe i cutting, the commercial imnlorality, the dishonesty, amounting almost to blackmail^ :. is One aspect of the i case for the respectable and clean daily press that will no^ bear the lurid light of truth and investigation. Journalistically^ speaking, the daily./ press, ' of /Wellington particularly, is as .corrupt and as rotten as » a long defunct shark on a sandy beach. Its news columns are governed by 'the purses of its advertisers. In '-.Truth's" time it 'has-specifi-cally charged the daily . pre.is with wil-fully-suppressing facts. g.s ."'cit'li'sr disclosed m the Jbaw "Coiiris v* ! .tt'.c_ Domiuiori, and "where' there has tejn no judicial embargo placed on ; the" publication of either names or facts, or as bruited round town, discussed .m commercial institution's, clubs, pubs, or wherever news is garnered. Which ran iliegal lotteries ? Why, the .'-'New Zealand Times." Which daily, or any rate weekly, seeks* to subvert antt defeat the provisions of the Gaming Act? 'Vi-hy, -the "New Zealand Times"? Which i: ,a sweating, institution ? Why, every daily 'newspaper. ''.Which printed indecent! post-cards? '.'Truth" blushf ttlly: admits : The proprietors of the eminently respectable "Evening: Post." Which 'have been fined for u tip-slinglng" 1 None other than the"'respectable .daily press. Which has sold its columns, to the highest bidders ? Why, all of them. Yet, m" tlie teeth of the damnable indict- [ ment on Avhich it is tjburly arraigned, the daily press effects. tc'snE-er at, compared' with it; a . comparatively clean, respectable, but always honest and too truthful a public organ as "Truth." When the daily press, pr any portion of .it,' measures blades .with 'this ever resourceful journal, not remarka'uls to relate, the daily dishclouts receive the worst of the deal ?' "Truth" and truth is great and it shall prevail.

Capital has-been lately made out of the fact tha^Magistrdte .Vviddowson, at Dunedin, directed the press, under tt-e 'pains, and penalties of contempt of Court, to suppress, m a recent case heard before him, certain, facts which ho held to be of an indecent nature. Fearing -a fine for contempt of Court, tfie daily press, notwithstanding; its threat to override, because it was plutocratic and powerful enough, > *the then certain intention.^ of the Legislature, were wise enough m this particular instance, to respect the magisterial mandate, and as a consequence t}ie readers of the daily press were spared what were held to be a nauseating narrative. Baulked or bounced, it does not:' matter which, from pilfering pence from the' public --pocket, the dirty, hishonest daily press. coolly .and audaciously veered round, rind while lamenting its own impotency and inability to, increase its lini.ited'. v ciiiciiltttion, impudently asserted that Magistrate W'iddowsqn's embargo was a set-back to ■'•"■-'some journal or other— the daily, press /ire too cowardly to name .the • offending journal— "which .makes ti- noxious trade of retailing the lunsavory details of sucli proceedings to its readers, to the injury of public morals." Good old tfub•lic morals ! As a matter of real fact, "Truth" -(heartily applauds the action of Magistrate Widdowson," though at the same time it doubts the legality of his action m proscribing the •'. alleged "improper" evidence. But while applauding the Magistrate, "Truth" nevertheless states its conviction that the •proscription of evidence .given, iri a Court of Justice is a dangerous procedure, 'liable to lead to scandalous abuse ahd forming a precedent that : will; gradually lead to the Courts of Justice being closed to public and press. Conscious of tho abuses to which magisterial diicetion and indiscretion will lead to, if the daily press persist m applauding and upholding the refusal by magistrates of permission to the press to report and oven comment on the doings m Courts and the administration of Jus.ticc, all "Truth" can say is the "blood shall be on tho heads of the Pi ess." We. have heard of late a good deal of "The Liberty of the Press." Where, now, is the cry ? It's a set-back to the garbage press. " Is -it ? '"Presuming' that by 'the garbas-.e press, "Truth" is indicated, perhaps Yt would not be amiss mit to declare that when.ivcr m the interests of publ'c morality it has been deemed expedient to let the world know how immoral New Zealand is, "Truth" may have ofI fended daily paper good taste, but oare has always' been exercised, that anything !of an offensive nature ! ias been exorcised, i Notwithstanding the silly, ■ senseless suggestion of one "respectable" but very nicagre and miserable morning paper that the Commissioner of Police is morally afraid to tackle "Truth," no chance has ever been taken. As the laW stands it is obeyed, and thus we find Judges of the Supreme Court declaring that mandates from the Bench or not, the press of New Zealand (no exceptions have been made)

has always displayed care and even delicacy m handling very ticklish cases.

The brutal, unwarranted and always invited attacks on this journal from the dishonest dailies have served to bring under public notice ; one remarkable fact. "Truth" is not called upon to defend itself. It; is called indecent, but no attempt is ever made by the daily press to prove its ill-grounded . assertions. Rather is it to the contrary when "Truth" accuses ihe plutish press •of dishonesty, of unlawfulness, of rottenness generally, it proves to the hilt all it has said, and even, to strengthen our case we have borrowed the thunder of the lion, the Attorney-General. This week "Truth" is not called on for. a- defence. But just to show where, if necessary, this paper can justify its existence, not to mention intrusion into the , social, political ami moral state of the* community, it points a finger of pride to the light it sheds m this issue 'on the Westport murder, the peculiar and the cruel circumstances of which- the daily press has left severely alone. .