The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-04
SENSATION IN JOURNALISM.
From the N. Y. World.


The Chicago Tribune has an article upon
some recent remarks of ours touching this
topic. It's observations, though just enough
in the main, show that that journal entirely
misapprehends the point of the article to
which it replies. That may be its fault, or
ours. In pleading for fuller treatment in
newspapers of whatever concerns society, and
a freer admission to them of social topics
which concern all men and women, while
politics, which is the staple subject of their
chronicles and controversies now, is of in
terest to only moiety of men and to no
women, we by no means meant to limit that
treatment to such cases as were offenses
against society. The Tribune considers that
we meant to promote the practice of
detailing San act of seduction, adultery,
or rape Such things may be the
only interesting social topics in Chicago, and
the Tribune is naturally led to the assump-
tion that they are everywhere. But we beg
to assure it that the relation of the sexes"
which we spoke of as being subject of uni
vsrsal interest, is not confined to acts of
| seduction, adultery, or rape" in New York.
| Those are very lamentable and very excep-
| tional excrescences here from the social sys-
| tenn. And it is, among other things, that
they might be as inconsiderable in Chicago as
they are here, and that they might be lessened
everywhere, that we urged the discussion of
our social system of which our political sys-
| TEN, so extensively and in moro senses than
one exhaustively discussed, forms only part
in the newspaper press.
The laws which Congress or State Legis-
lature makes touch us at only few points,
and it is quite possible that peaceable man
may pass lifetime without being brought
into direct relations with them, or even being
aware of the existence of the vast majority OF
them But the unwritten laws of social GUS
tom form web which envelops us all, of both
sexes, from the cradle to the grave, and which
is quite as stringent and immeasurably more
important than the shackles Of statutory in
junction or prohibition. Yet, led by foolish
tradition, journalism which ought to be the
abstract and brief chronicle of the time in
every way, devotes itself to harping exclusively
upon measures of legislation which have no
other efficiency than what they derive from
being the mere registration of public opinion,
and leaves untitled the vast field of society.
Hence their readers are confined to one sex,
and an addiction to newspapers on the part
of woman afflicts us with a sense of incon-
gruity and masculinity. She is remitted to
the novel for what interests her, while her
husband finds his pabulum in the newspaper.
1t is absurd that this should be so, and it is
certain that it is so. And no wonder, while
the woman finds in the novel what she would
look for in vain in the newspaper-state-
ments and opinions upon topics which
, 4 really concern her life, and in which
she can take a rational interest. And
: even a mans interest in newspaper is Ian
guild compared to what it would be if one
topic of limited human interest were moi
l | treated SO as to exclude from the majority
4 of newspapers, or at least to crowd into 8
| subordinacy ridiculously below their rightfu
i pre-eminence, topics of universal human in
: terest There is no more fondness fo
' fiction, at least theoretically, in th,
. female than in the male beast. 1t is no
) because the novel is fiction that women re
sort to it, but because it is to them less ficti
: tious more pertinent, and more interesting
9 than the newspaper. MIR. Bonners Ledger Il
q read by women for it's love-stories. If thos
Q stories were true instead of false, and told o
u the man in the next street instead of the maj
Q in the clouds, and told every day instead O
n once a week-would the interest be less o
v greater It is astonishing--the lack of intel
Q lipence which has characterized the conduc
J. OF journalism everywhere on this point
d Why should some beings devote themselve
t | to getting up new thunder about things O
IS tedious as twice-told tale, when there ar
rs tales never told once waiting to be told, an
have the moral drawn from them Unluckily
is | what journals there are devoted to sue
K themes have the misfortune TO be conducte
rs by blockheads and blackguards who confn
r social relations-we don't refer to the Chicag
Of ITi6ane-to acts of seduction, adultery, {
IS rape;"> who, by metonymy from themsely'
g. to the universe, eonfound filth--that is, whit
I'd interests them-with ''sensation"-that i
as what interests everybody-and try to escaI
le dullness by sedulously avoiding decenc.
al Such papers as they produce, no self-respec
ne ing man and no decent woman can tai
he pleasure in. But the journal of the futul
sd will be newspaper in which all men an
Mt women can take an honest interest, and fro
lg ! which they can all derive instruction,