138 THE STORY OF THE U.F.O. 



able than they, were the instruments of the 

 press. The press in turn was the instrument 



of money. Money then, rather than conviction, 



was moulding public opinion. The brains that 

 should guide the nation had yielded place to 

 organized grasping, and the sordid influences of 

 those who desired wealth only became the chief 

 directing agency. 



In their hands the press became divided into 

 two factions, each faction with adherents both 

 in town and country. Bitter, political partisan 

 warfare ensued. Journals that tried to main- 

 tain an independent course and give honest and 

 truthful discussion of public questions continu- 

 ally had to yield to the powerful interests 

 arrayed against them, or cease to exist. As an 

 illustration of how these partisan papers affected 

 the situation, a case that came under the writer's 

 notice may be quoted. 



A farmer of Conservative leanings, who for 

 many years had taken two leading Tory papers, 

 had been induced to discontinue one of them and 

 substitute therefor a Grit paper. The reading 

 of this for a time modified his views on many 

 things. A neighbor of his, with whom he was 

 on the most intimate terms, read the two Tory 

 papers. One day they met, and falling into a 

 political discussion they disagreed. "Why 

 don't you stop one of your Tory papers," said 



