The following is an adapted version of an article originally published in Hungarian in Magyar Krónika.
America—the new world, the land of opportunity, the land of the free. In the 19th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Hungarians left their former lives behind to cross the Atlantic and try their luck Far Far Away, that is, ‘Beyond the Óperencia’, as Hungarian fairy tales go. In its series, Magyar Krónika looks at the meeting points of America and Hungary through the Hungarian diaspora living in the US. In this part, let us continue the story of Joseph Pulitzer, who, as a Democratic representative from New York, could even serve in Congress, but eventually chose the ‘fourth branch of government’ instead.
Joseph Pulitzer was a Hungarian immigrant who became a journalist in the United States and then entered politics. He was initially a member of the Republican Party, then the Democratic Party, and was elected to the state legislature and then Congress, but ultimately decided to pursue a career in journalism.
As a journalist, editor, and press magnate, we are already familiar with Pulitzer’s programme, in which political journalism also featured prominently. He was always attracted to politics and public life, so it is not surprising that at one stage of his career, he was directly involved in politics, not just through the press.
After his mentor, Republican Carl Schurz, became governor of Missouri, Pulitzer also became involved in politics. In December 1869 he was unexpectedly nominated for a vacant seat, which he won, and thus served in the Missouri legislature until the end of his term. During this time, he became involved in a political dispute with a lobbyist entrepreneur who, in his opinion, was working for his own gain. In the heat of the moment, Pulitzer drew his gun and wounded his opponent. At the time, such ‘Wild West solutions’ were not uncommon, as evidenced by the fact that Pulitzer was still able to retain his position, and his popularity only grew.
‘[Pulitzer] recognized that the Democratic Party had become the more liberal and socially sensitive of the two major parties’
Schurz, as a liberal, reformist Republican, took a stand against the corruption of the Grant era, and Pulitzer supported him in this endeavour. During the 1872 reform attempt to renew the Republican Party, he gave campaign speeches among the German-speaking population and was also present at the presidential primaries in Cincinnati, where, however, the reform movement collapsed with the election of Horace Greeley. Greeley, although widely respected, was unsuitable to lead such a political movement.
After the failure of the reform movement, Pulitzer began to distance himself from the Republican Party. He recognized that the Democratic Party had become the more liberal and socially sensitive of the two major parties. Since this party was closer to his liberal views on anti-monopoly and anti-corruption, he became a Democrat sympathizer.
In 1875 he rejoined the Missouri State Legislature in Jefferson City, this time as a Democrat. He continued to speak out against corruption and supported local governments’ efforts to gain greater autonomy in education and suffrage issues. During this period, he still believed that a career in professional politics and journalism was compatible. He also put his political expertise to good use in journalism. Because he knew political life from the inside, his articles were considered credible and accurate. He also participated in the 1876 national election campaign and supported the Party’s candidate, Samuel J Tilden, with his speeches.
In the 1880 elections he used his influence as editor of the St Louis Post-Dispatch to run in the primary election for a congressional seat in Missouri. Over this period, his relationship with the Democrats was not merely based on principles; he was also integrated into the party at the organizational level. As a result of his political ambitions, his journalistic independence was clearly questionable during this time.
The Democratic Party’s election defeat and his own primary defeat temporarily disillusioned him with politics, but Grover Cleveland’s election as governor of New York in 1882 and the Democrats’ congressional majority rekindled his enthusiasm. He reached the peak of his political career after his famous 1884 campaign alongside Grover Cleveland. Cleveland was elected president, and he entered Congress as a Democratic representative from New York. He took his seat in Congress on 7 December 1885.
‘As a result of his political ambitions, his journalistic independence was clearly questionable during this time’
He approached his work as a representative with his usual ambition. He introduced bills to modernize the port of New York, investigate unfair litigation by telephone companies, and improve the Pendleton Act, which regulated the appointment of civil servants. However, his more serious attempts at reform encountered obstacles, and he found it increasingly difficult to reconcile the principle of independence in the press with his political position. He had to spend most of his time dealing with insignificant matters, which made his daily life miserable. For these reasons, he resigned from office on 10 April 1886 and decided to dedicate himself entirely to the press.
His experiences and disappointments in political life made him realize that he could influence public opinion much more effectively as a newspaper owner than as a member of Congress. He abandoned his ambitions as a professional politician and devoted his life to the press. As a result, The World was able to influence both domestic and foreign policy in the United States in the years that followed, proving that the press was indeed the ‘fourth branch of government’.
You can read about Joseph Pulitzer’s further adventures in Part I.
This article is based on András Csillag’s work titled Joseph Pulitzer and the American Press.
Read the previous parts of the series below:
Click here to read the original article.
The post Beyond the Óperencia — Pulitzer, Who Had to Choose Between the Press and Political Fame: Part II appeared first on Hungarian Conservative.
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Author: Magyar Krónika
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