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Show u THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATION. Tho Journalist, an old, reliable and high-class weekly paper, published In Now York, printed In Its issue of October Octo-ber 7 an articlo on tho distortion of news with special reference to the Investigation of life insurance companies com-panies which has been in progress for somo time. Tho articlo contains so much good, common sense that Truth Is Impelled to reproduce It. It reads as follows: Thoughtful and conservative newspaper news-paper readers cannot havo failed to bo Impressed by tho attitude assumed by not a minority but a vast and disgusted dis-gusted majority, of tho American press upon matters of vital Importance to every provident and honest citizen. Wo havo been accustomed to accept with such equanimity as wo could mustor tho belief that there are certain cer-tain newspapers which are published solely to cater to tho tobasco sauce jaded palates of tho ignorant and sensation sen-sation loving reader. Wo havo noticed with somo glee, that when a really Important Im-portant happening is boforo. tho public, pub-lic, tho dear public, with remarkable unanimity and commondablo- discretion, discre-tion, shunts tho yellow journal onto tho sldo lino of discredit, and looks for Its information to tho moro reliable and respectable publications which havo dealt moro In facts and less in headlines. But tho deadly microbe of saffron-hued journalism seems to have spread to somo of tho papers which havo been considered wise and reliable. relia-ble. And, to cap tho climax, tho good, ono-tlmo reliable Associated Press has taken to tho same line of conduct. Tho dear old Associated Press! which wo havo been accustomed to look upon as tho apotheosis of all that was fair and conservative and reliable; relia-ble; a concern which had all tho sensation sen-sation of a Patent Ofllco report, and tho literary merit of a page from th'e city directory, a news-gathering machine, ma-chine, and a pretty good ono at that; to bo sure, not to bo compared with Mr. Bennett's multi-bralnpowered racer, which has always been able to give the "A. P." doublo discount In tho matter of news-getting; but a good, dopendablo old news-delivery wagon, whoso solid tires did not puncture and whose cylinders were always to bo relied re-lied upon lor a reasonable speed. But to see tho yellow, sensational way In which the revered old "A. P." has been handling this insurance matter: Wny, it is as If your grandmother should take to rouging her cheeks or your maiden aunt should peroxide her hair. Of course, none of us expect the Associated As-sociated Press to tell us all the news; wo don't expect her to send out verbatim ver-batim reports of tho doings of the Investigating In-vestigating committee which is by all odds tho most important matter before the public, and wo don't expect verbatim reports, because we, as newspaper news-paper men, know that tho out-of-town paper has got to leave space for tho heal news which appeals to tho public pub-lic as the editor sees it; but tho papers pa-pers do expect fair reports, tho good as well as tho bad. Thoy don't need the Associated Press opinions. What iho papers snould havo aro facts, and kney don't get them. Tho newspapers tan make their opinions for themselves. them-selves. Honestly, I do not believe that tho good old "A. P." Is altogether to llamo. Tho men they havo had covering cov-ering tho investigation have been influenced in-fluenced perhaps unconsciously by Eomo of tho New York papers, and really tho wonder is that they havo been as fair as they are. Graft, graft, graft has been shouted so persistently by some of tho Irresponsible bcal sheets that It Is, perhaps, not to bo wondered at that the "A. P." has taken tho cue and carefully selected the "graft" Idea, to tho detriment of a fair report. It Is so much moro news to show an honest and .respected citizen as a son-of-a-gun than to admit that ho may havo made a mlstako In judgment, or possibly havo overstepped his limit of discretion. It is moro sensational, and what wo want Is moro sensation. I propose to take this matter up moro seriously and possibly more convincingly, In tho future. Maybe from over-reading of yellow journals and Associated Press reports I havo become infected and havo unconsciously, uncon-sciously, drifted Into their style. It may Interest somo of my out-oMown readers to know that several, not ono but a number of the cleverest New York lawyers, havo been following tho reports of tho Insuranco Investigation with a view to possible libel suits, and 1 can assuro them that I havo, in my safe, proof sufficient to convict a goodly good-ly number of tho papers which havo been printing the Associated Press reports, re-ports, of libel of tho grossest and most unmitigated kind. I don't mean papers llko tho Now York Journal and American, Amer-ican, which publishes libel just for tho fun of tho thing, and which Is so protected pro-tected by complicated corporation arrangements ar-rangements that It is next to lmpossl-bio lmpossl-bio to got at tho responsible parties. Nobody believes what tho Journal and American says, anyhow, and it would bo Impossible to prove damages, but a good many reputable newspapers havo swallowed tho Associated Press's bait of gaudy sensationalism and, If tho WT persons libeled should decide to Jor' tho line, would find themselves hooked. hook-ed. Truth Is mighty and will prevail, and it is- a mighty good thing to havo truth on your side when you begin to assail tho character and reputations of men who havo by their lives and work gained the respect and confidence confi-dence of tho public. All of which is respectfully submit-ted submit-ted to a constituency of good and true newspapers, who are, in a way, liable to suffer from tho yellow peril of sensational sen-sational journalism. I am no advocate of tho Insurance companies when i thoy do wrong, nor havo I any kick I rgainst the Associated Press when it 4 c'oes right, but as an honest newspaper ' mnn I llko to see fair play: hence these lines. n , |