The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-04-18
Newspaper Ethics-The Gazette and
Commercial.

between our contemporaries, the Gazette
and the Commercial, growing out of the
fact that the Gazette refrained to publish
the confession of Mrs SIoKLEs, as it came
through by telegraph. The only excuse
that can be given for the publication Of
that document, is the habit that newspa-
pers have Of printing without considera-
ton all the trash, scandal and nonsense
that comes over the conductors 1t was
not admissible in evidence, was no legiti-
mate part of the proceedings on the trial,
and WIS only dragged in through the un-
utterable meanness of the defendant; as
it was made public through the alacrity
of reporters to minister to discussed
craving for prurient details, on the part of
those who seek profit through their pub
ication.
The grounds which the Gazette gave for
It's reserve might not have been sufficient,
while the acts Of its conductors were
right. Men do not always analyze their
impulses, and therefore frequently act
upon better reasons than they render
The true reason why the confession
should not have been published, was its
scandalous character unnecessary
infamy to which it delivered over per-
son not party to the issue before the
Court We know that there is class of
journalists-and to that class the conduct
ors of the Commercial evidently belong
who consider the fact that thing is
scandalous-so that it is not calculated
to expose thsmselves-the most conclu-
sive Of all reasons why it should find q
place in their columns: whose vulgar taste
for the highly-spiced and strongly-scented
knows no point of safety, and who are
incapable to understand that all man and
womenkind are not as gross and as sala-
cious as themselves.
The article in the Commercial of Fri
day belongs to that class of compositions
rhetorically known as balderdash, and is
worthy Of preservation as a specimen Of
the efforts of an extenuated individual to
surprise himself with an act of extraor-
dinary robustitude. Its argument is
mostly comprised in the expressions,
Judge CRAWFORD may rule out the con-
fession of Mrs SIoKLEs, and it may be
pretended that it is not in the case; but
it is in the case, is q part of the case, and
will inevitably have its weight with the
jury as it will with the country" which
means that Mrs. SIcKLEs is on trial be-
fore the COUNTRY, having the PEcKsNIFFs
of the newspapers for prosecuting attor-
neys, with the understanding that, in order
that her husband may 60 acquit, they are
to spread the story of her infdelity as
widely as possible.
There is a kind of people who only
reason upon compulsion, and have nc
feeling until the case is brought home tc
themselves Such people, when in the
control of newspapers, are only restrained
by fear Of peouniary damage-loss of sub
scribers, and actions for libel To these
there is but one mode of appeal; philoso-
ply must teach either by real or by sup
posititious examples. Wemay notimagine
any one Of the proprietors or conductors
of the Commercial to be woman; but we
may be forgiven for putting him tempo
rarily in the place of a man. Suppose
that, for the space of three, six or twelve
months, Mr. A., or Mr.. B., or Mr. G., o.
that concern, had been in the habit o.
conducting, once, twice or thrice week
with extraordinary precautions, vailed
female to house of equivocal character
on John, or Smith, or some other obscur,
street Of the city; and suppose that on
trial between JOHN Doe and RICHARD Roe
in an action of trespass for breaking tn,
windows or tarring the front Of the dwell
ing in question, the counsel for the de
fendant should state these facts, and offe
to give them in evidence thereby inten
tionally placing them within the reach O
the reporters for the city press woul
that individual hold the blazoning of tn
same to all the world to be legitimate!
Would he contend that the statement wa
in the case, was part of the case, an
should have its weight with the jury an
the country Would he swell about tn
gorgeous rottenness" of society, expatiat
upon the thunderbolt that had fallen, an
pour out his scorn upon "the prudes wi
would hide from the public, from motiv,
of morality, the dismal horrors that IL
fash glares uponT We suspect nj
Here, however, is a case in which it
easy to be Sublimely and safely virtuOu