THE MAKING OF PUBLIC OPINION, (III. MAGAZINES; IV LIBRARY AND THEATER; V.THE PLATFORM)
Kittle, William
THE MAKING OF PUBLIC OPINION Magazines, Libraries, Theaters and Lecturers are Powerful Forces in Shaping Public Thought Are They Serving Special Interests or the Common Good? III....
...stated that James Stillman, the multi-millionaire and "silent man of the Standard Oil Company," owned less than 10 per cent...
...MAKING PUBLIC OPINION IN THE LIBRARY AND THEATER IT would be difficult to overrate the influence of "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair...
...It must have been after some such subsidy that Gunton wrote his editorials: "Are Millionaires a Menace," "Roosevelt Sane," "The Crusade vs...
...These are the works of specialists,—usually university or college trained men...
...The Forum has been more or less colorless and can have had but little effect in forming public opinion during the last half decade...
...The World's Work, from March, 1903, to April, 1908, has not had a consistent attitude toward special interests...
...But for a long term of years, Lincoln's statement is probably true: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time...
...The combined circulation of these ten leading periodicals is more than 2,000,000 copies each month...
...The editor, Mr...
...6. McClure's Magazine.—Samuel S. McClure, President of Publishing Company...
...and they record the courage and ideals of the best citizens...
...He dogs not know that two or three items in a brief "news" article presented as undoubted facts, lead him to but one conclusion...
...It is probably a conservative estimate that each issue is read by five persons when the public libraries are taken into account...
...In October, 1907, an editorial, entitled, "The Mobbing of Corporations," stated: "The time that has passed since Judge Landis fined the Standard Oil Company more than 29 million dollars for violating the Elkins law has won public sympathy for the Company...
...2. The Arena.—B...
...It would perhaps be too strong, and yet not far from the truth, to call both the magazine and the weekly the "organs" of the special interests...
...By its influence on public opinion, it is comparable to Les Miserables...
...He is easily caught by the sophistry that a private monopoly enjoying extortionate profits is exactly like any other private business...
...He is told that a rebate is like the discount given to any large buyer and his mind does not penetrate to the distinction...
...This is true of both the leading articles and the editorials on "American Politics" by H. L. West...
...of the stock of the Outlook Co...
...The average reader of the daily paper is in a hurry...
...Moody's Manual for 1908 shows that six other members of the Page family were the chief officers in this railway company...
...But it has had few or no leading articles showing strongly the necessity of constructive legislation...
...For ten years he constantly advocated direct nominations by the people but was beaten by an intrenched political machine...
...He does not note the careful coloring, the skillful arrangements of parts, the appeal to prejudice, the half-truth or the shrewd misstatement...
...But the reactionary and conservative forces are in possession of unlimited resources,—financial, political, and social...
...and "Coniston" by Winston Churchill is a still finer delineation of railway corruption in New Hampshire...
...He began it away back in 1890 when he was defeated for Congress by the railroad companies...
...He is not a great orator and he has little constructive ability...
...For it must be considered that a single article may have more weight than the reading of a daily paper for a year, with its scrappy news...
...Joseph and Samuel Rice were also directors of the Forum Publishing Co...
...If La Follette could have been permanently defeated, if five or six magazines could have been silenced, and if the Presidency could have been made the voice of special privilege, no reform movement would have taken place...
...Gunton's Magazine was quite frankly the "organ" of special privilege...
...Walter H. Page was a director of the Aberdeen and Ashboro Railway Company...
...But he has expressed the hopes and aspirations, the protests and ideals of the American people...
...The purchase of every progressive magazine would be but an item in their expenses...
...Though few have seen him, he is the best known man in public life...
...The titles of a few progressive articles will indicate in some part the range and vigor of this new civic literature which has so profoundly stirred the public conscience: "Who Owns the United States"................Sereno S. Pratt "Great Fortunes And Their Making"......Burton J. Hendrick "Where Did You Get It, Gentlemen...
...Whatever the explanation may be, the fact is that here a progressive magazine has been quietly and suddenly changed to one highly favorable to the "interests...
...and a little more than 200 were in favor of the public interests...
...He so formed public opinion that he set in motion a thousand influences which forced a hostile national convention to nominate for President the man whom he had endorsed...
...But every time the President speaks, more than twenty thousand newspapers and millions of voices repeat his words...
...5. Gunton's Magazine.—George Gunton (Publication ceased in December, 1904...
...But in the early months of 1906, a marked change took place...
...BRYAN has probably given public addresses to more people than any other American...
...The economic interests of one class and the exploitation of another, nationality, partisanship and even patriotism itself are all appealed to in forming public opinion for special privileged classes...
...At the present time in a "Senate of Special Interests," he stands as the foremost representative of popular economic rights...
...The World's Work.—Walter H. Page, Editor...
...The public is continually played upon by adroit, skillful and powerful forces...
...V. MAKING PUBLIC OPINION FROM THE PLATFORM MR...
...But they have vividly presented to many thousands the greed and power of special interests...
...THE REFORM MOVEMENT If is not difficult to account for the wave of reform during the past few years...
...He is the implacable foe of every form of unjust special privilege and his constructive ability to guard the public interests has been amply demonstrated in his career as governor of Wisconsin...
...4. The Forum.—The Forum Publishing Company...
...Rather an interesting question, too...
...He was also an officer or director of the Chicago Electric Traction Co., and of thirteen other industrial concerns...
...Property," and others displaying marked subserviency to special interests...
...3. Everybody's Magazine.—The Ridgeway Co., Publishers...
...McClure's Magazine...
...S. U'Ren "Oregon as a Political Experiment Station"....Joseph Schaffer "The Story of Montana"......................C...
...West was fairly progressive in his brief editorials, but later, he became quite conservative, and in 1908 advocated the nomination of Fairbanks for President and seemed to regret, as he stated it, that, "the wave of reform still sweeps over the country...
...During the same period, five or six magazines have published several hundred articles showing the encroachments and corruption by special privileged classes and these have been read by millions of progressive citizens...
...From the number of editorials on the subject, Gunton seems to have held a brief for the group of public utility companies, and to have shown a proper amount of gratitude toward millionaires in general...
...It is another evidence of sanity that the people are showing some weariness with the literature of corruption...
...Out of a total circulation of 2,000,000 copies each month, these four magazines have one and a third million and they have published a little more than five times the number of progressive articles published by the other six magazines combined...
...The one test applied to each article or editorial was: —Does it take the side of any special interest, when that interest has been known by all to be in conflict with the interests of the general public...
...These four periodicals, more than all others combined, from the standpoint of public affairs, carry on their pages the indignant protest against all forms of special privilege...
...The Octopus" by Frank Norris is a graphic picture of the control of California by the railroad corporations...
...The New York Directory of Directors for 1905, shows that the editor, Mr...
...During the past five years, three times as many reactionary or conservative articles appeared in the North American Review as the number which might be considered to be mildly progressive...
...He is, "a man with a message" and an orator of rare power...
...For five years as governor, he secured the enactment of law after law against special privileges...
...P. Connolly "The Fight of the Copper Kings"..............C...
...The best examples are, "The Man of the Hour" and "The Lion and the Mouse...
...This was not all due, nor mainly due to the personality of Mr...
...If these interests are to obtain or even hold special privileges, such a system of bureaus is necessary, and as Sibley said, "might be made self-supporting...
...If each issue is read by five persons, these four magazines with their searching articles on every phase of public affairs, are forming the opinions of more than 6,000,000 readers...
...P. Connolly "Rhode Island, a State for Sale...
...He does not read critically...
...Another director of this company was Maurice Barnett who was an officer in twelve other business establishments...
...The Review of Reviews has been a factor in forming public opinion...
...Three-fourths of these conservative articles were in favor of the railway companies...
...Certainly The Forum has not contributed much to that wave and it must be regarded as conservative...
...The number of conservative articles has exceeded those which are progressive and there is evidence that a careful selection has been made in the list of progressive articles...
...This material consists of a very few editorials and a very large number of carefully written articles in the nature of monographs, most of them involving research, travel or experience...
...but it has been a two-edged sword, cutting both sides, but with one edge much sharper than the other...
...Or does it take the side of the public against the encroachment of any special privilege...
...President Roosevelt has not addressed as many audiences as Senator La Follette...
...He reads headlines...
...He has been and is a decided factor in making opinion on every important public question...
...Roosevelt a far-reaching, megaphone-like voice, raucus and strident indeed, but of high purpose like that of the prophets of old...
...The Story of Life Insurance"............Burton J. Hendrick "Governor La Follette"......................Lincoln Steffens "Governor Folk".......................William Allen White "Tom Johnson"..............................Edward Bemis "Golden Rule Jones"........................Brand Whitlock EACH MAGAZINE, CONSERVATIVE OR PROGRESSIVE THE North American Review is the most conservative of the ten magazines...
...Had he been a governor or senator from a great commonwealth, he could not have done this...
...The unquestioned character of its editor accounts for its progressive attitude...
...An editorial on the first page of the May, 1906, number, shows that a new policy had been adopted...
...The issues of these ten magazines for the five years from 1903 to 1908, have been carefully examined to determine the side taken by each in the contest between Special Privilege and the interests of the public...
...Both the North American Review and the Harper's Weekly have been distinctly hostile to the movement led by President Roosevelt...
...0. Flower, Editor...
...but the public utterances of the President cannot be ignored...
...It led to immediate investigation and legislation by the national government...
...As ex-President, he cannot do it...
...In November, 1908, the treasurer of the Outlook Co...
...During the past five years, U'Ren in Oregon, Churchill in New Hampshire, Colby in New Jersey and others have been earnestly in the contest against the control of government by the special interests...
...Another editorial in April, 1908, relates an incident showing the generosity of this company towards a rival...
...But in the fullness of time, while all these scattered movements were in full progress, a new and unexpected force came to their aid and unified them into one common movement against the control of government by predatory wealth...
...He has formed public opinion, not only in his own party but he has influenced men of all parties toward fundamental democracy and the highest ideals in citizenship...
...The "interests" dread him...
...Everybody's Magazine...
...The Presidency has given to Mr...
...They have regular bureaus to form public opinion...
...It has steadily supported the policies of President Roosevelt and has briefly and guardedly advocated public interests against the encroachments of special privilege...
...but his words have gone out to the remotest parts of the entire country...
...La Follette was the pioneer and is the leader in this movement...
...From the first date to April, 1906, by actual count, three times as many progressive articles appeared in this magazine as those which can be called conservative...
...A single sentence indicates exactly the course of this magazine for the next two years: "And reform by shrieking exposure does at last become tiresome...
...The public can be deceived, can be made to pay the costs of the deception and induced to grant further aids...
...B. H. Meyer, in "Railway Legislation in the United States," Frank Parsons, in "The Heart of the Railway Problem" and John Moody in "The Truth About Trusts," are types of men who have made constructive and intelligent public opinion...
...George Harvey, is also editor of Harper's Weekly...
...MAGAZINES-1903-1908 By WILLIAM KITTLE THE following are the foremost public-opinion-forming magazines in the United States: 1. The American Magazine,-Vo/wi S. Phillips, President of Publishing Co...
...They instruct the esoteric, to inform the far larger exoteric class...
...Lincoln Steffens "New Jersey, a Traitor State"...............Lincoln Steffens "Pittsburg, a City Ashamed"................Lincoln Steffens "Philadelphia, Corrupt and Contented".......Lincoln Steffens "The Subway Deal".....................Ray Stannard Baker "A Colossal Fabric on Franchises...
...During 1904-1906, Mr...
...Fiction and the drama came to the aid of the public...
...The Outlook has been very cautiously progressive...
...On concrete issues, he has clearly and elegantly stated and formed the opinions of millions...
...During the past few years, many important volumes have appeared which have influenced directly the leaders of public opinion...
...It must also be considered that these ten million or more of readers are those who take a distinct interest in public affairs and more than any other class, express and represent public opinion...
...He has formed the opinions of millions because he has been heard and believed by them...
...but you can't fool all the people all the time...
...Nobody seems to have thought to ask whether or not the victorious Pennsylvania Sugar Refining Company will now proceed to refine sugar...
...The record for the five years would rather suggest that the columns had been quite freely opened to explain or defend several great special interests...
...The editor constantly, systomatically, and almost viciously assailed the policies and personality of the President...
...Each periodical has been judged by its output of public-opinion-forming material over a sufficiently long period...
...7. North American Review.—George Harvey, Editor, 8. The Outlook.—Lyman Abbott, Editor...
...But it should be stated that other leading articles were admitted which were squarely for the public interests...
...Hearst in 1908, disclosed the fact that the Standard Oil Company paid Gunton, "$5,000 as an additional contribution to that agreed upon...
...It seems to have aimed at a brief review of current events, rather than the publication of articles to make progressive public opinion...
...The New York Directory of Directors for 1905, shows that Isaac L. Rice was the president and director of The Forum Publishing Co...
...The record made by these ten magazines for the period of five years shows that about 60, more or less elaborate articles, favored some special privilege...
...It is easily conceivable that they may organize a system of bureaus over the entire country to furnish articles to every local paper in defense of the three allied special interests,—the railroads, the city utility companies and certain industrial combinations, like the Steel Trust and the Standard Oil Co...
...He is a force of unusual power in forming public opinion...
...The drama, in a very limited way, has aided in forming public opinion...
...His intense earnestness, his sincerity, courage and perfect mastery of his subject, carry his conviction into the very conscience of his audiences...
...From January, 1899, to 1904, after which its publication ceased, more than twenty articles and editorials defended various special interests and only one,—on the ice-trust of New York City,—took the side of the public...
...Roosevelt, nor to the respect of the people for the high office of President...
...This new force was the energy, honesty and courage of the President who at once made the contest heard and made it national...
...But with this inspiring contest successful in one state, with great, free magazines, forming and expressing progressive public opinion, and with the far-reaching voice of the presidency to unify and make it national, it has triumphed over the organized agencies for forming conservative public opinion...
...The Arena...
...For the next two years, more than four times as many articles in explanation or defense of special privilege appeared as those in favor of the public...
...Charles E. Russell "The Madness of Much Power"........David Graham Phillips "Frenzied Finance"......................Thomas W. Lawson "Industrialized Politics".............Student of N. Y. Politics "Senate of Special Interests"..........Henry Beach Needham "The Senate Plot Against Pure Food".........Edward Lowry "The Greatest Trust in the World".........Charles E. Russell "The History of the Standard Oil Company".......Ida Tarbell "Kansas and the Standard Oil Company"..........Ida Tarbell "The Railway Empire".......................Frank Parsons "The Heart of the Railroad Problem"..........Frank Parsons "How the Railroad Makes the Trust"........George W. Alger "The Railroad Rebate".................Ray Stannard Baker "The Railroad Rate"....................Ray Stannard Baker "The Initiative and Referendum in Oregon.........W...
...The New York Directory of Directors for 1905 shows that he was then the second vice-president of the Broadway Safe Deposit Co., a director of the City of New York Insurance Co., a director of two ferry companies and a director of the Mechanics and Traders Bank...
...The Associated Press can pass over in silence a governor's message which may result in legislation of the very highest importance...
...They are the natural allies of the Associated Press and of every leading daily newspaper...
...When he speaks, he has the nation for an audience...
...Their influence extends far beyond their circle of readers...
...9. The Review of Reviews.—Albert Shaw, Editor...
...The New York Directory of Directors for 1905, shows that Francis L. Hine was vice-president and director of the Review of Reviews Co., and that he was also director in four railroad companies and ten other firms or corporations...
...Senator La Follette has addressed hundreds of thousands of voters from New York to California...
...The Four Most Progressive Magazines JUDGED solely by the number and kind of leading articles which have been published during the last five years, the following are the most progresive periodicals: The American Magazine...
Vol. 1 • July 1909 • No. 28
