The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-11-26
81:

facto as guilty as those who supply them.
But let man start base, slanderous
sheet, dealing in spicy abuse Of anybody
and everybody, innocent woman, and quisL
ct, unobtrusive men, we hear no end Of abusesf
Of the editor! "Scandalous, groans somS =
model old Tabby, as she adjusts her spec.
tacles and prepares for the dreadful sketch
in which her friends are satirized-"per.
fectly scandalous! They really ought TO ]
do something with the wretches who print
such papers. I do declare these editors t.
are disgrace 10 tn country" Venerable
Miss. Tabby-nine:tenths Of ell that scsn.
da'ous and disgracefnli in that sheet--nay,p
the very fact of its existence: and espe- !,
cially the existence of the fhellous sketch
over which you gloat, is owing to you and
those like you. Every penny which you
expend for the publication is bonus on
future and worse libels--but of that you
never dream. Every community has its!
unprincipled men--to expect to find cities .
without them is folly of the rankest kind--Y
and when the unprincipled man finds that.
If he publishes bad paper, there are Miss
Tabbies enough to buy it. the paper will
appear; and, to end fault with its existenss =
is simply to blame the appetite which il
feeds
So much for the manifestly and IN. 2
doubtedly unprincipled portion ofthspress.
As for the press in general, we may re-
mark that it is, more than any other in
stitution in existence, q literal reflex Of the
popular mind, and that to ind fault with
it is in every instance, and who are. so to
speak, part of it. One other remark
we would make on this alleged "venality"
Of the press Such accusations seldom
or never come from honest men who have
had an opportunity of accompanying the press
as it really is with other caIlings-evea 8
s the most honorable in society. Though
the press may embrace among its mem-
bers many men of an irregular chaIaetess
i. is none the less true that there ere few
among them who in the slightest degree
deserve that character which many very
decided rascals are prompt to apply =
them. As society at present exists in the
United States, there can be no shadow cf
doubt that the press exerts moral in6u- !
ence far stronger than that welded by,
courts of justice. stronger even than mere
public opinion. as personally oppressed,
perhaps, on the whole, the very strongest
; moral influence extant. A public o{acsr'
who breaks the law or bends IL 70 his use.T
and who is prohibited by efhcs
and political influence from ordi-
/ nary punishment sften quails before
the idea of exposure in the columns Of
journal. When We look, in fact, at the
immense power wiehed by the press IN
the United States. and the Incredible
amount fgood which it actively or pas
!, sively exsrts, and recall the few anthentis
instances alleged Of its misuse by the ma.
jority of established journals, we can only
S regard complaintsiof yenality from.a tof.i
ger at a compliment of the highest order.
Such libels are, as general rule. sheet,
fabrications, and there would seem to be
a peculiar appropriateness in having them
uttered by q felon guilty of fcounterfeiting.
-Bulletin ysh sg3st sss.5 "a ssa1Ix.
i Couldn't Wait no Longer u ia