| Show II Character Assassination I As Practiced in ill Chicago hINES the Chicago lumber man is a EDWARD B particularly notable vict victim un of character assassination assaSsination assas as it is practiced ced in fl Chicago The rhe newspapers newspapers news Hews papers of or that city have told the public how he kell akel as a put part of a corruption fund of t for the election of Lorimer lie was represented represented rep rep- resented as running about the country telling all who would J listen sten that he lie committed it a crime to in insure insure insure in- in in- in sure Senator election It was told how bow he lie called Governor up on the telephone in inI inthe inthe the presence of a large crowd crowl and arni told tOIl the governor I that flint he lie would appear at the capital soon with mone money I enough to elect the candidate of his and Dencen's I I choice All this has been hoen told toll of a business 5 man manI astute enough to amass a fortune yet the Chicago I newspapers would have the public believe that be he confessed a crime to all who would listen r The common sense of the ordinary individual would tell him that Hines would scarcely be asinine S enough dough to do llo the things with which he was charged and would be less likely to tell about them if he lie were I guilty If he lie is guilty he lie ought to be in the peni peal and he lie would be there if the charges s against him were true All the tho evidence brought against him was refuted Yet the newspapers published published pub pub- practically only the charges the evidence c to tobis tobis bis his disfavor appeared on the first page with great headlines headline The refutation of the charges charges and and it was full and complete was complete was used on the inside where the 1110 average reader might be supposed to overlook it The most damaging charges against Hines were brought by Funk of the Harvester larvester trust Not only I were cre they refuted but Funks Funk's animus was shown when it was proven that H Hines nes and the trust were battling over o a choice piece of the Chicago river liver riverfront front it It was easil easily shown that Hines Hines' only interest interest inter inter- est cst in the Lorimer election lay in his kno knowledge ledge that Lorimer would favor or a tariff on lumber in which Hines was interested and that some other senator might not do so Documentary evidence proved that Hines was many miles away on occasions occasions occasions occa occa- that he lie was supposed to be he raising money for forIo Io i-i i m c r. r Notwithstanding that fact Hines has been held up to lii public lubliC s scorn orn his his good m name annie nc has been tarnished his family has felt feIt the lie disgrace and his friends have havo suffered keenly under the humiliation It is a re remarkable remarkable re- re stale t te of affairs he belongs in jail if he lie heis lieis is guilty yet et so readily were the charges met that no legal steps step were taken Have Haye the newspapers of Chicago o made malIc any publication of the fact that he lie is a good husband an honorable and upright citizen 7 The rhe committee which heard the case know all nIl about it because ils its members heard the charges and also heard them but the newspapers which 1 have ha the power to create or destroy smothered the thet t i c evidence of innocence and made prominent the accusations accusations accusations ac ac- ac- ac of guilt This case casc e shows clearly the s towards which so many American newspapers arc are drifting their power to ruin and destroy is freely used with justification Often these things thing arc are done lone with Avith the best intentions in the world worM yet et the awful effect of them upon the vi victim tim is none the less damnable In Iii the courts the accused man has his bis right to be heard In the newspapers s as ns some of them arc are conducted con con- ducted luct d the accusations arc are scattered far and wide that all may may read but the vindication is hidden in ina I a remote section of the p piper paper per wit without bout prominence and is 15 published there I This Thi is a newspaper wrong a sort of publicity lynching for which there is no justification in iii law lawor or in moral intent It is the sort of thing that is done when liberty of the press is construed to be license because of the power that modern usage has placed in the hands of those who arc are not miot competent compe compe- tent to u ute e it and whose moral sensibilities have been blunted l by character assassination bo so o long that they see sec no harm in it I. I |
