" Liar! " " You lie! " The word is said —
The blow — the challenge — one lies dead
This is the answer from rage and shame
To him who has used the blackening name
of Liar.

" Coward! " Again the deadly blow;
The instant fury that seeks to show
How hotly men resent the shame
Of bearing the unforgivable name
of Coward

" Telltale! " Even the child at school,
Though he may be a bully, he may be a fool;
He may cheat — yet he stops at this open shame
He has no friends who hears the name —
of Telltale

Spy! though it be his land to save,
Though he be honest and clean and brave,
He must be hanged in helpless shame
If caught at the work that warrants the name
of Spy.

Yet they today of the Yellow Press
Grow rich in hardened wantonness
By the " nose for news " and the " enterprise "
Of insolent shameless hireling spies —
Spies!

On sin and sorrow the ferret thrives;
They finger their fellows' private lives,
And noisily publish far and wide
What things their fellows most fair would hide —
Telltales!

Under the Press Power great and wide
Their unsigned slanders cower and hide
From outraged Justice they slink behind
Shadowy Companies false and blind —
Cowards!

Guard of Liberty! Guide of Youth!
The Power of the Press is Public truth!
But the Yellow Press — that men may buy —
They lie — and lie — and again they lie!
Liars!

Liar! Coward! Telltale! Spy!
Shame to sell and shame to buy!
Is a wood pulp sheet enough to hide
Who has spied and tattled and skulked and lied?