St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-07-16
What an independent Newspaper
has to Contend srith.

out upon the lake with boatman. and
after fishing for some time with little
success, they anchored their boat within
six or eigh. rods Of an island and contin-
ued their sport Having no success in
this new place, they undertook TO change
their position, and in raising the anchor
they overturned the boat and L. l.. Stan
ton and Prim the boatman, both expert
swimmers, We're drowned. while the 9TH
cr man +. s. Brick, being unable TO
swim, chung to the boat and was rescued.
The Free Press made an extended and
kindly notice Of this sad affair, and rs an
honest public Journal added this para
graph
Mr.. Stanton was the only son of a
widowed mother, and leaves a young
wife. He had many friends who will
Join tn mourncrs iii sorrow over his un-
timely loss. There was a bottle Of wills
key and bottle of gin i'll the boat, and
Stanton and Prim had both been drink
ing, though Mr.. Brick believes that they
were not under the influence of liquor to
any extent sufficient to account for the
disaster. But the sad fact remains, that
two expert swimmers one oI them an eX-
perienced boatman, capsizcd and were
drowned, iii still water, and within 100
feet OF the shore.
As Mr.. Stanton was well-known
resident of burlington, respected and well
connected, this giving Of the whole facts
respecting his death, was al unpardona-
bic sin in the Free Press, rs we may
Judge from the following article which
appeared in that paper Of Tuesday:
Have those who, within day or two,
have been finding Il good deal OF fault he
cause Il very sad and unpleasant circum-
stance connected with a recent sad dis
aster was mentioned in these columns,
ever stopped to consider that a public
journal has duties to the public, AS we'll
rs to private citizens Among these
duties we take to be that Of irving truth
tul accounts of whatevc" occurrences it
undertakes to report, without omissions
OF important facts connected Herewith.
1t might be very pleasant COR a conductor
OF a newspaper to omit all facts that can
De unpleasant 10 any body TO suppress
steamboat and railroad disasters. because
engineers and superintenden;s do not like
TO have them talked about 10 omit 20
lice and court reports. which are ALWAYS
unpleasant TO somebody to avoid aIu-
sion 10 any matter IN which blame i at
tached TO any body and never to speak
OF any person except in terms of praise.
But what sort OF Il newspaper would it
be, conducted on that plan The read
ers Of our paper expect and have u right
to expect, from the journal which under
takes TO give them their news, accurate,
unbiased and full information -. al
matters which arouse and stir the COM
munity.
Again, it is especially the duty OF
public journal To- mention when il can
the CAUSES OF disasters. The public ha,
Il right to tie warning which Is to te
drawn from such mention, and though
it may be 4 favor to some To suppress it,
the suppression may be any ;hing but 4
favor to many more.
Again it Is the duty with q public
journal, to 'ieai fairly, IL far a. may b..
10y all classeT of men. The circumstance
or cause of q calamity which it would
mention, and would DC expected to men
ton, IN the case OF poor irishman,
should not be held bacI, in the else of a
man with wealthier and more rcSpecta-
bic connections. It may he favor to
them TO withhold it but would it he a
favor 10 the friends of many other men.
who may heed a warning "iven III fact
which speaks with a power greater than
a thousand public lectures, and be saved
thereby from destruction
We allude to this matter because a
studied attempt has been made to arouse
prejudice and odlum by means of it. 1t
has even been asserted that the mention
objected TO, was made TO CRAFTY grudee
on the part Of the editors of this paper
arising from political opposition to onc
who is now dead and gone We pity
the person who could invent. and azcribe
to another, such a motive 1t takes 4
pretty mean man to imagine such incifa-
BILE meanness. No, the Free Press has
no grudges TO crafty. 1t pursucs no l,o-
litical opponent beyond the grave l,
takes no pleasure in holding up any
mans failings. 1t desires always tender
ly to regard private feelings, and never
to trespass on the sanctity of private
griets F.; but il cannot overlook its duties
to the public. In this case it did not
seem to US that we could omit entirely
So important Il circumstance, and one
calculated TO carry SO solemn warning,
and the allusiou was made as gently and
br, ctiy as it could he. SO much To our
friends. To the few Who only desire tt
find fault, and are glad Of anything that
can be distorted into al occasion for fault.
finding, we have nothing to say.
These are plain words, Timely, anc
kindly spoken; and Ola matter in which
the reading public are as much interested
as the newspapers. We are glad th'
Free Press takes the stand it does, anC
we long for the time when all othe,
journals will do the same
ANOTHER CABLE ACROSS TIE AT,
LANTC-The following drsn1tcL NV,