The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-13

Editorial Opinions ofthe Leading Journals
upon Current Topios-CompiIed Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph,
HOW TO READ THE NEWS.


Now that every eye is turned toward the
critical situation in France, and every tele-
gram is scanned with eager curiosity and
sympathy with one or the other side it is we'll
to read news wisely and with some apprecia-
ton of the bias which is given to it by the
source from whence it comes. In the first
place, all dispatches direct from Paris have
been under the censorship and have been
dictated in the interest of Louis Napoleon
until night before last when it suddenly be-
came so doubtful as to who was master that
the full news of the exciting and dangerous
condition of affairs was allowed to be for
warded with very little modification. But
only the New York Times kept open late
enough to give the intelligence of the resig-
nation of the Olivier ministry, and the ap-
pointment of the Count de Palikao to succeed
him. And here let us say for the Times that
in this crisis it has not allowed its reporters
to become editors and to control the foreign
policy of the paper. If it has erred at all it
has been in q too strict adherence to the let
ter of the dispatches and too careful
avoidance of any expression of opinion upon
probabilities of events to come. 1t was only
yesterday that it indicated any bias editorially,
and it is safe to concede the impartiality of
whatever special news, aside from Associated
Press dispatches, it may publish.
The Tribune telegraphic correspondence,
which is admirably full and graphic, suffers
from the drawback of partisanship.. Its Lon
don correspondent, Mr.. Smalley, is a Red
Republican, liberal of the liberals, and all
his dispatches are colored by his views of
European politics, in which he takes a lively
interest. Much of the news he sends is
colored by this feeling. 1t reminds us of the
articles written to excuse political defeat on
the day after election, or equally of the exag-
geration of a victory. The Paris correspon-
dent, Clarence Cook, is more impartial, but
his associations are of the same kind as Mr..
Smalleys, and he is more or less affected by
them. Both these gentlemen become advo-
Gates as well as reporters, but their kilograms,
if jsdicially read are of very high value. The
Herald has not exhibited it's usual enterprise
in specials" and uses only the Associated
Press dispatches, accompanying them with
Bunsbyish editorial comments which are
almost meaningless. The World shadows its
advices with an unmistakable sympathy with
the Emperor Napoleon, the natural outgrowth
of American Democratic affiliation with Euro
pean absolutism. AS to the news from Prus-
sian sources, it, like the French, is under
Government censorship, but there is very
little of it, and so far that little has proved to
be reliable.
1t will be seen that in the main the Euro
pean crisis is faithfully reported, and that it
only requires a knowledge of the sources
from'which it comes and the causes which
may give it bias, to form very fair esti-
mate of what is really going on. One thing
is certain. The events in Poris and on the
frontier are far more intelligibly recited here
than in either the Paris, Berlin, or London
press. The two latter are muzzled; the latter
has never learned the use of the telegraph.
Our own European dispatches, reaching us
every afternoon, are far more copious than
the entire telegraphic column of the London
Times, and the most active and thorough
news agencies in London are in the employ
of the American press. The London Times,
as now conducted, could not maintain de-
cent circulation in any leading city on this
continent. 1t is too slow with its news and
too ponderous in its comments thereon. 1t
is in effect compilation of political essays
ably drawn in Johnsonian rhetoric, but al
ways lingering behind the march of events
and criticizing that which has passed rather
than shrewdly anticipating that which is to
come. 1t is safer policy, provided you have
slow people to address.
The fault of American journalism lies in
the other direction. 1t is apt to be hasty in
generalization and too prolific of prophecy,
and INDUCES too little in careful and intelli-
gent essays upon the topics of the day. The
reporter, rather than the writer, magnifes his
Office. He interviews" all notabilities,
whether statesmen or criminals, and too fire.
quently sacrifices the truth for the sake of a
Drlllant description. MUCH OF Une tone OF
the general public sentiment is given by the
style rather than the facts of a report, and
often, in case of crime, the cause of justice is
prejudiced. The Nathan murder is fresh
instance of this The reporters, drawing
upon their imagination for their facts, have
bewildered the whole investigation, besides
inficting grievous wrong upon the family
of the murdered man. There is wide room
for referm in this respect, but the tendency
is in the other direction. We do not expect,
of course, that the lower class of journals
will abstain from calumny and smut, but
those which are supposed to lie upon the
parlor tables of good mems houses may with
out great difficulty give all the news without
offending the moral sense of the people.
What should be done is to reduce reporting
to it's legitimate province of procuring and
tersely stating facts, leaving to calmer hours
and less hurried minds the task of their inter