THE STORY OF THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE 



Against this improvement the League's op- 

 ponents brought the charge that the official 

 newspaper was to be selected in each county 

 by the state administration, an arrangement 

 that would give to the administration in effect 

 a subsidized press. Newspapers and news 

 agencies said that this was the fact, and said 

 it so widely and persistently that the whole 

 nation seemed to believe it. Yet the truth 

 was very different, as any inquirer can easily 

 discover. Of the acts embodying this reform. 

 Senate Bill No. 157 provided that a State 

 Printing Commission should for the time being 

 select the official newspaper in each county; 

 or if the State Commission failed to make this 

 selection it was to be made by the county 

 authorities; but Senate Bill No. 158 provided 

 that at the next general election and at each 

 election thereafter the voters in each county 

 should by ballot make their own choice of the 

 official newspaper. By referring to and de- 

 scribing Senate Bill No. 157, and omitting to 

 mention Senate Bill No. 158, opponents of 

 the League were in an excellent position to 

 assert that what was intended was a subsidized 

 press, and the result upon the opinion of the 

 country may be termed a potent illustration 

 of the power of propaganda — also a new view 

 of its methods.^ Instead of establishing a 



^ Formerly there were tkree oflacial newspapers in each county, 

 and these printed all official matter, such as tax assessments, county 



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