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The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, May 21, 1914, NOON EDITION, Image 3

Image and text provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1914-05-21/ed-1/seq-3/

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work there, and the wants of finan
cial backers are anticipated. It won't
even be necessary for the editor to
issue orders to his subordinates. If
the subordinates know or believe that
Billings, Shedd, Rosenwald and
Mayer are back of the paper, they
will have that in mind when news
comes up that might affect the
paper's friends and backers.
There is a sympathy and psychol
ogy running all through a newspaper
office, so that influence is wielded
without issuing orders.
Newspapers are usually very timid
about offending prominent men es
pecially if the prominent men are in
position to use powerful influence
with advertisers.
Sometimes sham battles will be
made against big men in politics,
that fool the public, but do no real
harm to the man attacked.
I have beenVatching with interest
the way the newspapers have been
handling the candidacy of Roger
Sullivan, for the Democratic nomin
ation for U. S. senator; and they have
been handling Roger with gloves. I
think most of the publishers, with the
possible exception of Andy Lawrence,
are even friendly to Sullivan, and
would like to see him win out.
I am told that both Keeley and
Lawson are on very cordial terms
with Sullivan, and I am not blaming
them for not fighting him. I think
I would have more respect for thehi
if they were to be entirely frank and
openly support him and give the rea
sons why.
But I think they are afraid of the
effect" on public opinion, because of
Roger's reputation, in the past as a
boss. They are now advertising him
as a biscuit' manufacturer, and I as
sume he is, in one way or another
even if it is. only in having the dough.
There was probably a time when
they didfc't think Sullivan was quite
respectable because he rwas a Demo
cratic political boss? and having
helped build up that reputation for
him, in the heat of partisan fights,
they are afraid to try to undo what
they have done.
I don't care anything about that
boss stuff myself. I have known
enough bosses to know that they are
generally more human than the Big
Business men behind them the men
who makes claims to greater respec
tability. But the newspapers, to serve pur
poses of their own, have hollered
boss so long that they don't know
how to unholler it, even though they
now consider as respectable the man
who wasn't considered respectable in
years gone by. As far as the respec
tability of politicians go, I think Sul
livan is as respectable as any of the
newspaper publishers in Chicago
and I include myself. I don'-t know
whether I am respectable or not, and
it doesn't bother me.
I don't think anybody has a clear
notion of the meaning of respecta
bility. If I were judging Roger Sullivan,
it would be on just what part of the
people I thought he would represent
in the senate. If I thought he would'
represent Big Business, and stand for
the things in government that Mark
Hanna stood for, I wouldn't be for
him for senator, although I might like
him personally.
If I thought he would represent the
interests of the toilling millions, L
would be for him, whether I liked or
disliked him personally. And I
wouldn't care a darn what church or
party he belonged to. '
If I thqught he stood for the things
that-1 think Keeley, Lawson and their
associates think they stand for, I
would be dead against him.
The reason for that is that I don't
think any of the publishers of big
newspapers in Chicago represent, or
attempt to.representr the great mass
of the people of Chicago or of Illinois.
They represent certain interests In
the ruling class and it is mighty
difficult for any rich man to be out'
of sympathy with the ruling class. I
should say that the biggest objection.

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