Show No Right-Minded Right Candidate v Will Antagonize Newsmen By BAUKHAGE Notes News Analyst and Commentator i CONVENTION HALL The PHILADELPHIA The notes for this column are inspired by a view from the extreme left wing 1 of the Democratic platform I do not mean that figuratively t but literally I am sitting in the left hand corner of the wooden platform filled with the brass hats bats of ot the party and their fr friends ends who are lle gathered together to nominate a Democratic candidate for lor President of the United States The scene Isn't so very different from other political conventions I Ibave have bave attended back to well to-well well never mind how bow far back I have in my minds mind's eye a different dif dif- ill dif r I 11 ferent picture It Ite Itis e L is a pia platform viewed from just about this angle anele but instead of this high rostrum rostrum ros ros- ros- ros f. f ff trum protruding in into t 0 the hall from the middle I of the wide platform platform plat pint form the there h r e is pI just a wooden Ji i box with boards atop it rough it-rough- roughhewn rough rough- hewn rails to fence off of the speakers from the shouting delegates I The Ther r name of Abraham Lincoln is being eing put in nomination This vision let letI I me roe hasten to add is purely vision vision- ary I did NOT cover that coi co corven- corven ven- ven tion I saw a picture of it in a book ook It The scene I have luve been watching Is ls no more placid That Democrats Democrats Demo Demo- crab love lo a Donnybrook Is 13 an old saying No smoke-filled smoke rooms no private ate fights rights for tor them them rather rather a free for In a wide field even If U f they know what the final outcome is to be in advance ad But frankly I have been thinking about something else eise as I sit here in I this fuis tropical heat that heat that is in the moments when I have been able to think between the flashing of ot the light which is the silent bell on the telephone beside the mike I am sharing haring with Earl Godwin The flash lash of Df the light on the phone means someone in the ABC booth high above us wants one or the other of us to jump in and give a brief word-picture word of what is transpiring In our immediate neighborhood for forwe we are in the thick of ot things here and ind believe me rae me sometimes things are ere pretty thick What I have been thinking about Is b the lot of ot the newsman and the thanks he gets for his pain and suffering in a political year Betides Be- Be tides ides being hauled and mauled by bythe bythe bythe the public public his his public as the listeners listen lIsten- ers of a commentator are referred lo besides to-besides besides that he is under slantwise slantwise slantwise slant slant- wise attack by the candidates when they forget themselves Nobody either the partisan listeners listeners lis lis- ils- ils or the politicos ever thinks the columnist commentator or reporter is being fair unless unIes he heIs Is 15 boosting his side Candidates when they are in pos- pos I of their full fuji senses dont don't go around arousing the wrath o of the newsmen Even Franklin Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt who was forever needling the newspapers always carefully explained ex cx- that it was the publishers and ind editors and headline writers who twisted the news not the menS men who wrote or broadcast it S J But sometimes candidates slip And Andas as we sit perspiring under the lights and trying our best to Id tell the truth without malice and with as much charity as possible about what is going on before us us we recall without too much rancor the statement of the candidate who Is ts not being unanimously nominated On his recent trip he made one off off- the cuff remark which prompted him aim to send that offending piece of haberdashery to the laundry Immediately immediately Imme imme- after he had thought it over President Truman opined to one rear-platform rear audience that It was almost Impossible to ret get the facts definitely before tho the public Tie be cause there are certain people In Inthe Inthe the newspaper business and certain tale bin people In ID the radio business who have a distorted view of ot what the people ought to know and what the people ought to think It might have been better if it he had worded his plaint in the language language lan Ian guage of ot an earlier candidate much candidate much earlier John earlier John Quincy Adams who at least narrowed his charges against 4 the press to a few few papers even though he didn't name them sped sped- This offered a sop to the rest However President Truman in a previous outburst on that same western trip was wu specific too He attacked the Chicago Tribune and the Spokane Spokesman In lambasting the Tribune he was following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing towing in hi Franklin Roosevelt's foot foot- steps You may recall that on one occasion when was asked a Q particularly sharp question by a Tribune reporter he replied Oh tell teU Bertie Bertle Robert McCormick publisher pub pub- fisher lisher hes he's seeing things under the bed Mr l Truman's attack on the Tribune Trib Trib- I une uric came about this thi way While I travelling through Washington state I a I reporter put to him a question b which although it seemed guileless night have concealed a barb Any- Any bow ow the President interpreted it that 3 J L I way when Senator Magnuson re revealed revealed re- re that the reporter asking thc tho question represented the Spokes Spokes- man The President knows that part o othe of ot the country and the sentiments expressed expressed expressed ex ex- pressed by its publications It wathen was wa then that he said the Spokesman Spokesman- Review and the Chicago Tribune were the worst newspapers In Sn the country the Tribune having the edge That was about as sharp a 8 thrust as a President ever has hag launched at the press in modern times It was in that connection that he also called the present congress the worst in our history later amending It to second worst It would have been kinder to the rest of or us If Ie Mr Truman had stuck to the specific instead of 01 adopting the sweeping generalization tion quoted earlier some some people in the newspaper and radio business busi bus ness etc Presidents since the time of John Quincy Adams have not been shy about airing their views concerning the Fourth Estate But Adams while not specific at least narrowed the field of ot his complaint to eight or 10 newspapers of ot extensive circulation circulation circulation tion published in various parts of ot the Union acting in clo close e concert with each other and pouring forth t m r I 4 I ILir Lir PRESIDENT TRUMAN rear platform opinion continual streams of ot slander upon my character and reputation public and private No falsehood is too broad and no insinuation too base for them President Cleveland also had his press troubles and history admits he got a rough deal One summer when he was governor of ot New York and was sweating it out at Albany New York newspapers reported him himas as taking his ease at Newport Sometimes the newsmen do let their spleen get into their reporting reporting report report- In ing but for tor the most part they toll follow ow Kipling's s advice ad and go on the basis that you cant can't do a good Job unless you keep your head when all about you are losing los los- ing lag theirs and blaming It on you Television may achieve what the less vivid reports conveyed by print or the spoken word cannot Republican Republican Republican lican leaders realizing this sent out some pretty strict orders on that subject before their recent convention conven tion on in this city The orders were revealed by that seeing all-seeing hear all ing monitor of stage screen and radio Variety Republican delegates were told not to be seen by the eye of the television camera and thereby millions millions mil rail lions of other eyes talking to members members mem mem- bers of ot delegations from other states lest the suspicious public smell small a D. adeal adeal deal in the making I If they must huddle they were told to huddle unseen Delegates also were warned not notto notto notto to assume awkward positions on the floor noor lest deduce that handsome isn't as handsome doesn't And most of all they were warned ed not to be seen seen leavIn leaving leav leav- In hag ing early and coming late Not overly hopeful that orders would me toll followed owed monitors were ap ap- ap pointed Since I couldn't see much of the video product because as a reporter reporter reporter re re- re- re porter I had to keep my eyes on the themselves I cant can't say how well the Republicans comported themselves when televised nor can canI I assay how well the Democrats currently currently currently cur cur- in the spotlight profited by what they saw of Republican video performances last month And i If either eLther didn't perform with all the grace and decorum nobody can be blamed but themselves The cameraman gets off ot easy The writer writ writ- er and the broadcaster still will have have to duck the slings and arrows o of the outraged unfortunate S A recent survey showed that radio listeners like hymns most Probably a television survey would show that rs prefer hers I |